Platforms see you as a byte of data.
How to become an algorithm-proof writer.
If writing is like gardening, only a few writers can plant a hundred-year pine.
Poor Richard’s Almanack, by Benjamin Franklin, has been around since 1733, and some of its quotes are still relevant today.
But most pieces of writing are like gardening weeds.
They can’t even last three hours before disappearing forever.
It keeps me thinking.
It’s embarrassing to confess,
but when I first faced an earnings drop,
I ranted my liver out.
The feeling of an unprepared change drove me crazy.
But thanks to algorithms, I learned a lesson: I can’t rely on them.
So I spent a while studying until I understood the concept of algorithm-proof writing.
You don’t have to write until you win a Pulitzer to get there.
How to become an algorithm-proof writer:
- Stop chasing algorithm hacks.
- Focus on human fears and desires.
- Start writing something worth reading.
But what is “something worth reading,” you ask?
Here are 3 things people want from your writing:
- Social Currency: People read to increase their status.
- Emotions: People read to experience a feeling.
- Practical Value: People read to find a solution.
Understand what people perceive as valuable.
Incorporate that into your writing.
This is a long-term strategy for long-term thinkers.
Why focus on the audience over algorithms?
Because platforms see you as a byte of data.
Algorithms won’t care about what you write, but your audience does.
If people like your work, they’ll send signals to let the algorithm know.
Likes, comments, and saves—these are all signals.
Focus on your audience, and you won’t have to worry about algorithms anymore.
Platforms change over time.
The best platform for writing in 2015 was Facebook.
The best platform now?
I don’t know.
But I do know humans rarely change.
And that’s enough to convince me that studying humans gives you a higher ROI, both in writing and life in general.
