How to Make a Newsletter Your Career's Secret Weapon

Have you ever wondered how platform businesses like Spotify and Amazon became so successful? In Platform Revolution, a team of economists and businesspeople—Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary—offer some insight: Platform businesses harness their unique characteristics to drive competitiveness and transformation, resulting in profound economic, societal, and political impacts. Parker, Van Alstyne, and Choudary also highlight the distinct skill set required to operate such a business and provide practical tips for aspiring platform entrepreneurs.

In our guide, we’ll compare the platform business model to the traditional business model known as a pipeline, explain why platforms are becoming dominant, and explore their wide-ranging effects. We’ll also outline essential design and management strategies for platform developers. Our commentary will provide additional insights on economic concepts, discuss tips from business experts, and explore real-world applications of Platform Revolution principles.

Have you ever wondered why so many high-tech products seem to make a sensational entrance, but then disappear before they’re refined enough to become practical? Marketing consultant Geoffrey Moore has an explanation: They fall into a “chasm” that separates the early market from the mainstream market.

In this guide, we’ll explore the chasm phenomenon, analyzing Moore’s model and comparing it to others that examine the way innovations are adopted. Then, we’ll look at Moore’s strategy for piloting a product across this chasm to mainstream success by targeting a niche market, forming corporate alliances to ensure the customer gets a complete solution, positioning your product as the market leader in that niche, and setting up an effective distribution channel.

In Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, marketing expert Gary Vaynerchuk calls on the sport of boxing to illustrate how to create striking social media content. “Jabs” are interactions that build relationships with your customers and should be thrown far more often than “right hooks,” which are calls to action.

Vaynerchuk explains how to tailor your jabs and hooks for five major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr), how social media marketing is different than any type of marketing that’s come before it, and how small businesses can successfully compete with large ones in the social media arena.

In the digital age, when nearly anyone can start a business online, how do you stand out? In Launch, marketing expert Jeff Walker offers a product launch strategy that will help you market and sell a product with little to no start-up costs. By focusing on giving value and building customer engagement, you can create a business that grants you flexibility, autonomy, and immediate profits.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how the Internet has changed the marketing game and how you can adapt to—and take advantage of—this new landscape to quickly and successfully grow your business. Then, we’ll discover how you can attract interested buyers with little more than an email list, even before you have a product to sell. Along the way, we’ll draw on insights from the field of psychology to show why Walker’s strategy works and compare his book with those of other experts, such as Seth Godin’s All Marketers are Liars and Ryan Holiday’s Perennial Seller.

Often, disruptive advertisements can feel more annoying than persuasive. According to Seth Godin in Permission Marketing, there’s a better way for brands to get the attention of potential customers. Instead of resorting to intrusive marketing that consumers are forced to see, it’s possible to create marketing that consumers ask to see. By doing so, you can build a loyal customer base at a fraction of the cost of a traditional marketing campaign.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how the world of marketing has transformed over the last several decades, and we’ll examine why the old model of intrusive advertising is no longer profitable. Additionally, we’ll explore the three steps to building and profiting from a permission marketing campaign. In our commentary, we’ll paint a more complete picture of Godin’s perspective on marketing, referencing ideas from his other books. We’ll also offer supplementary advice for running a permission marketing campaign from books like How Brands Grow and Dotcom Secrets.

Many people feel their dream of being a professional writer is too abstract to become reality. However, Nicolas Cole argues otherwise and uses his own story as testament—he went from a nobody blogger to a successful career writer in only a few years. According to Cole, anyone can create a successful online writing career—be it in blogging, copywriting, poetry, or any other digitally published format—as long as they do two things: write consistently and understand the world of online writing. In The Art and Business of Online Writing, Cole lays out his guide to establishing an online writing career based on his experience and success.

In this guide, we’ve organized Cole’s tips and tricks into a three-part guide for becoming a successful online writer. We’ll discuss the technicalities of writing successfully, gaining an audience, and eventually profiting from your content. In our commentary, we’ll expand on Cole’s advice using expert sources like On Writing by Stephen King and Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk.

In the digital age, when nearly anyone can start a business online, how do you stand out? In Launch, marketing expert Jeff Walker offers a product launch strategy that will help you market and sell a product with little to no start-up costs. By focusing on giving value and building customer engagement, you can create a business that grants you flexibility, autonomy, and immediate profits.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how the Internet has changed the marketing game and how you can adapt to—and take advantage of—this new landscape to quickly and successfully grow your business. Then, we’ll discover how you can attract interested buyers with little more than an email list, even before you have a product to sell. Along the way, we’ll draw on insights from the field of psychology to show why Walker’s strategy works and compare his book with those of other experts, such as Seth Godin’s All Marketers are Liars and Ryan Holiday’s Perennial Seller.

As social media becomes increasingly central to how we share information, socialize, and do business, a personal brand—your digital presence and reputation—is now an essential career tool. In Crush It!, Gary Vaynerchuk explains how to develop and leverage your personal brand to get a better job or—better yet— to quit your job altogether and earn a living monetizing that brand.

Vaynerchuk became one of the earliest social media influencers during the late 2000s with a daily video series in which he tasted and talked about wine in a casual, accessible way. Fifteen years after launching his vlog, he remains a top influencer in business.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Vaynerchuk’s step-by-step instructions for building and monetizing a personal brand. We’ll also amend his advice with updated information and practical tips.

Many people feel their dream of being a professional writer is too abstract to become reality. However, Nicolas Cole argues otherwise and uses his own story as testament—he went from a nobody blogger to a successful career writer in only a few years. According to Cole, anyone can create a successful online writing career—be it in blogging, copywriting, poetry, or any other digitally published format—as long as they do two things: write consistently and understand the world of online writing. In The Art and Business of Online Writing, Cole lays out his guide to establishing an online writing career based on his experience and success.

In this guide, we’ve organized Cole’s tips and tricks into a three-part guide for becoming a successful online writer. We’ll discuss the technicalities of writing successfully, gaining an audience, and eventually profiting from your content. In our commentary, we’ll expand on Cole’s advice using expert sources like On Writing by Stephen King and Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk.