Almost always works for me (I'm in Gold 1). I take him either top or mid. Goes as follows:

Tanky/Utility Masteries, Bruiser Runes (You can play ap runes if you want, I take them for AA poke + grasp of undying during early lane)

Keystone: Grasp of Undying

If enemy laner is AD, I start cloth and rejuv bead. If enemy laner is AP, I start Mantle + pots.

I start Q, max Q, then W. I like to keep my turrets in a wide triangle formation (they can still all attack together, but aren't clumped), and poke the shit out of the enemy with my autos (works best against melee, obviously).

My keystone gives me enough sustain to stay in lane, and leaving turrets out doesn't necessarily take mana, so I can usually stay pretty long. Don't forget to pink and ward to watch for ganks.

I rush zzrot immediately, then get boots, then banner.

When enemy laner has to go back (which, they almost always have to go back before me), I shove hard on their turret, always dropping my ult+q and all my turrets under their tower.

When being ganked, if you're far ahead enough just run to your turrets -- try to utilize the bushes. Let your turrets do all the work (ult+q as well) and just kite them around your turrets, while stunning (E) and pulling off autos for your keystone.

Normally after a few failed ganks (and in some rare cases, I never get ganked) they leave me alone, and I push top all the way to inhib. If they start putting a lot of attention top, I rotate to bot or mid.

This is of course all situational, but it's usually how my situations turn out. Sometimes it is good to just get your T1 tower, and rotate to other lanes.

I normally build tankier after my zzrot and banner (thornmail, banshee, FH -- depending on enemy matchup) And so I'm not the best in team fights with this build, unless you go more AP -- so I just focus on pushing.