Beyond the algorithm: Harnessing the power of authenticity and word of mouth
Clare Morton, head of commercial products and strategy at Are Media, explains how one can never truly beat the algorithm, but you can go beyond it.
There was a time when the algorithm felt like a little insider secret, an abstract tech term that only those in the know knew. But, like any good thing, it didn’t take long for the casual social media user to learn what kind of content was preferred by the algorithm – the stuff designed to keep people on a platform for longer and keep them coming back, regardless of how accurate, meaningful, or relevant the content actually is – and figure out how to play right into it.
One can never truly beat the algorithm, but you can go beyond it. Are Media’s recent research study Heart of Influence found that word of mouth marketing is the most effective way people are influenced to buy new products (57%), and they are more likely to follow through and purchase something if it feels like an organic discovery. It’s also one of the reasons magazine brands are having such a resurgence; impervious to the algorithm, these environments offer a sense of pleasing discovery and come with a very established sense of style and a strong connection to their readers. People seek out a magazine because they have bought into the brand and what it stands for. Chances are they even paid for the content.
Rather than “hacking” the algorithm, the study found that marketers should focus on creating the kind of content that genuinely connects with the audience and allows their brand to shape its own place in culture.
