Who are you working for?

People talk about “the algorithm” incessantly, and for good reason. If you’re sharing content online you want it to be seen, and the algorithm is a big piece of that in many cases.

Chasing the algorithm is one way to approach business, and it’s one that we certainly take from time to time. Depending on your goals, that might be a necessity. However, there’s another choice that should be considered every time. From a recent post by Seth Godin:

“The alternative is to be uncomfortable. To create remarkable work and leave scale to others. To figure out how to show up in a way that is generous and distinctive, and to refuse the bait that others take when they decide that feeding the algorithm is their best option.“

As he shares throughout the post, you can’t serve both the algorithm and your users. Are you going to be generous and distinctive, or are you just going to feed the algorithm?

I’ll end this post sharing the same words he ended his with, which I think is a fantastic question:

“If you’re posting on social media or any platform with an algorithm, the real question is: do you work for the algorithm or are you committed to working for the people who want to go where you hope to take them?“