1.6 Algorithms and the Communication Landscape

An algorithm is simply a series of “if this, then that” statements. In today’s world, algorithms are everywhere. Chances are quite high that you have interacted with an algorithm this very day, perhaps without knowing it.

Algorithms are a set of rules that a current situation or set of data can be applied to that results in an outcome. To demonstrate, we’ll write a simple algorithm to help someone decide whether or not an item in their fridge is ok to eat. That algorithm will just be a series of yes and no statements designed to get the desired outcome.

Boom! We now have our own algorithm to help us decide whether or not something in our fridge is ok to eat. It’s as simple as that. Many algorithms we interact with on a day-to-day basis are, however, much more complex.

Algorithms can determine what shows up in our news feed, what apps end up making their way to our home screens, which of our friends’ posts end up in our feed, which of our posts get liked, what video we see next, and what song we hear playing in the office or at the grocery store. These algorithms can be extremely complex and extremely powerful in modern-day communications. Understanding how these algorithms work is one of the newest power tools in a marketer’s arsenal.