Communication in times of algorithms

Living in the ‘googling era’ myself, I decided the best way to start this article was by googling social media. The dictionary of Merriam-Webster defines it as “forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos)”. The definition itself doesn’t really matter but there is one thing I would like to make emphasis on: creating communities.

How many channels you use on your social media strategy will depend on your goals, the type of company you are, your values, and your budget among many other things. However, there is one thing that is not in question: In social media, it is all about building a community. 

Communicating effectively in times where much depends on social media algorithms is a challenge but it is not impossible. Let me share 3 keys for you to nail it:

• Be consistent yet flexible

Stick to the plan strong enough to be consistent but remain flexible enough to adapt to the newest trends and make the most out of them. This being said, it is important to plan your strategy and prepare your content based on the different goals you have. However, it is as important to be able to identify trends and know exactly when it is necessary to jump in and make a change in your plan.

• Coherence and correlation are your new bffs

What you say has to match what you do, without any exceptions. And, it is essential to have a unified speech between social media, your sales team, the intranet, and every single part of your company. Otherwise, you are just bluffing and if that happens your whole strategy is pointless.

• Build a community 

Keep in mind that you are not only interacting with an external audience but also with your own. Tricky, am I right? The secret is to generate conversation with both and if you get them to engage, your job is done - which certainly means the opposite to relaxing, this is where you need to be the most active.

I wish this article was longer because I could go on and on about social media forever… Stay tuned, put these things into practice, and see you in my next article!