User Generated Algorithms

December 05, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Messaging

Algorithms have asserted themselves as a mainstay of social networks. The approach to serving up content based on individual users pioneered by Facebook has been adopted by Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat to a certain extent. Networks are deciding which content gets seen and what doesn’t, and this has frustrated marketers as social has become a paid advertising effort with dollars necessary for brand messages to be seen.

The truth is even if platforms hadn’t rolled out algorithms selecting which content and people users are exposed to, they’d have done it themselves. We know this is true because that’s exactly what they’re doing. Today, there are more users using messaging apps than there are using social networks. The users of messaging apps control who they talk to and what they see, all with the confidence that what they’re doing is hidden from public view.

The Relationship's in the Data, Not the Platform

May 09, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Data, Strategy

Building and sustaining relationships at scale is tough work, and it’s gotten even more difficult over the past few years. Marketers got used to building up followings across social networks in order to communicate with customers about deals, product updates and content relevant to their lives. Then it all came crashing down.

The algorithms came and with them came dramatically less effective communication between brands and their followers across social networks. It seemed the ability to sustain relationships was over. After all, if you can’t communicate with your audience, maintaining those relationships becomes difficult.

That mindset’s always been a problem with social media marketing. Relationships is such a squishy word. After all, people follow a brand because they have a relationship with it. They don’t have a relationship because they follow the brand. Relationship marketing became synonymous with social media marketing, and social media marketing is often synonymous with the platforms that make up social media.

People Over Platforms

March 08, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Consumer Behavior

When the time comes to make content, the inevitable follow-up question is what the content needs to be made for. Facebook, Twitter, a website, Instagram? No. It’s for people. It’s for the audience.

Platforms can be a distraction. They come with prescribed best practices that, while often correct, lead creators to forget about who the content is actually for and instead focus on pulling pieces together through a “checking the boxes” approach to content creation. Instead, focus on the people and the stories they want to be told because what people want will always trump what platforms want.

Be a Curated Brand

April 26, 2016 by Taylor Wiegert in Algorithms, Influencer Marketing, Advertising, Data

Tension, apprehension and confusion is permeating the world of digital marketing. Consumers have grown more ad-averse, privacy-conscious and careful with how they use their data, and marketers are being forced to rethink their strategies and how they deliver value and get their messages out at the same time.

Engaging with Algorithms

February 03, 2015 by Taylor Wiegert in Algorithms, Twitter, Content Marketing

Algorithms seem to be taking over (as if they haven’t already). Marketers are constantly following and making updates to their content based on Facebook’s algorithm updates. Then there’s Google, of course. Well, now Twitter is joining the scene as CFO Anthony Noto hinted at in 2014.

The first sign of an algorithm-driven Twitter is its new ‘While You Were Away’ feature that curates the best content you missed while not checking Twitter and packages it up for you the next time you log in. This includes the content you most likely want to see based on how engaging it was among other Twitter users and how you’ve interacted with this kind of content in the past. It’s not everything, but it’s the best stuff for you… as chosen by an algorithm.