Social Media Algorithm and Traditional Publishing
You look at the headline and wonder how in God’s sweet world can these two have any commonalities. If I were you I would think the same. I have been writing online for a long time. I have changed accounts and tried different things in writing — from poems to ranting, to long posts, to finally writing about what I find intriguing in the world.
I have observed the progress of technology and the world that adopted the technology. One of the words that became familiar to everyone is “Algorithm”. Algorithms are a set of rules that any program follows to achieve its goal. Algorithms are supposed to be simple, devoid of any complexities so that they can be passed on to other teams.
The algorithm is the backbone of this program, which we refer to as a Social Networking site. Like Twitter, or Medium. The algorithm decides how your content is going to perform. The algorithm has a set of rules that decides who will see your content. There is an algorithm, a set of rules, behind every viral content. That is the purpose of it.
So, what connects them both?
When you hit publish on your content, the algorithm shows it to a selected group of users. It will wait for the users to react — by consuming the content, reacting to the content, and sharing the content. If the content is attracting reaction from this select group of users, it then pushes to another set of users that are similar to the ones who reacted. Soon it catapults into reaching out to more and more users like the reverse end of the pyramid.
Observe every viral content on social media. You will realize that by the time the viral content pops up on your feed, it’s 24 to 48 hours late. That’s because the algorithm does this spreading of content based on the feedback it keeps on receiving. That’s why polarizing content generates more virality because it generates engagement from people.
What’s with traditional publishing then?
When you go to a big publisher, typically traditional publishers, they print a few thousand copies of your book. If you are a first-time author and have no clout in the world they start with 1000 or so copies in print. They distribute only to select bookstores. The bookstores are also judging the publishers who send out less sellable books so the publishers have to be smart about distribution.
If there is positive feedback or demand for more copies from these stores, the publishers print more and pick another set of bookstores along with the existing ones. The process goes on until your book is available at every book store including airports. You don’t see first-time authors at the airport stores unless you pay for the spot or become a bestseller.
Both worlds are different but the algorithm remains the same. I don’t know who inspired who but I know how your content travels. Then why do people go digital to distribute the content if the algorithm remains the same?
First, it’s easy to publish on the internet. Second, unlike Traditional Publishers, Social Media algorithms reward consistency. Imagine publishing your content every week or every day, the algorithm will keep pushing your content to a set of users based on SEO or keywords.
There are chances that some people will find some of your content interesting and choose to engage with that. The probability of your content getting viral increases by publishing on the internet. Once that happens, readers will want to consume more of what you have created.
This is the singular reason why writing on the internet has taken off in the past few years. It is for this reason that I come here and write every day.
I share what I find intriguing in the world in the hope that I am not alone and someone else too finds it intriguing. I hope you gained a perspective today and I wish you consistency in your writing journey.