Is it good or bad that we optimise our web presence? Do the algorithms of Facebook, Google and essentially all other popular social networks work in our favour or do they work against us as a developing species? Jesper Astrom, our Social Lab speaker goes through how the algorithms of the major platforms work (it’s sexier than it sounds!), how you can use this knowledge for your business and what you have to be aware of as we move into the next era of digital communications.

1. HUMANITY VS. ALGORITHMS
A WORLD OF MISGUIDED INCENTIVES
@jesperastrom

2. DO YOU KNOW WHY
GOOGLE SHOWS YOU
WHAT THEY SHOW YOU IN
THEIR SEARCH ENGINE?

4. PLEASED

5. ACTUALLY NOT ONLY GOOGLE. BUT
MOST GREAT PLATFORMS ARE DOING
THEIR BEST TO PLEASE YOU AND LET
THEIR ALGORITHMS DO THE JOB OF
UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU LIKE.

9. “GREAT SERVICE”
“CONSUMER ORIENTED”
“INNOVATIVE”

11. SO, WHAT DOES THIS LOVE
BOMBING REALLY MEAN?

12. 1 DECREASE FRICTION

13. 2 POPULARITY RISES

14. 3 COMPETITION IS KILLED

16. BUT…

17. SOMETHING
ISN’T
RIGHT…

18. IF WE ONLY SEE THINGS THAT WE LIKE,
HOW WILL WE EVER LEARN TO SEE
SOMETHING FROM A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE?

19. AND IF SO..

20. ARE THE
ALGORITHMS
FIGHT TO PLEASE,
BECOMING A
PROBLEM FOR
HUMANITY?

22. CAN THE “NON FRICTION WEB”,
FRAGMENTED WEB ALSO BE THE
EXPLANATION FOR “IDIOTS” LIKE…

26. WHO CAN BLAME
THEM, IF THEIR
BELIEFS ARE
RECONFIRMED
EVERYWHERE.

27. SO. I WANTED
TO TEST IF THIS
WAS TRUE.

28. THE TEA PARTY TEST.

29. TEA PARTY TEST
• I selected 100 of my friends who are in the Tea party movement in
the USA
• I have asked them to:
• Search for “Global warming”!
• Make a screen print of the first page and send it back

32. TEST IS
BIAS AS
HELL!!

33. BUT.
IF IT IS SO.
THEN IS IT SO ODD
THAT WE CANNOT GET
ALONG?

35. THIS IS NOT THAT ODD…

36. SO. WHAT SHALL
WE DO?

37. F* IT!
LET’S THINK
BUSINESS!!

38. SELLING BEYOND THE ALREADY BLESSED
1. Self optimising ad systems work the same way as Google,
Facebook & Twitter!
2. The fragmented web means we need to find ways to get our
messages carried between nodes and clusters of users!
3. Mass marketing will be increasingly difficult as it will only show up to
the clusters of people who's preferences it meets —> customers
who already want your stuff

39. GETTING NON-ALGORITHMIC
1. You need to start thinking of spaces where your information is not
being curated by like-loving-algorithms!
2. Such as the AFK environment!
3. Such as print marketing!
4. Such as outdoor & events

40. YOU NEED TO HAVE AN OPINION
1. Google, Facebook & Twitter will show users stuff based on who they
are, what they believe - what they like!
2. IF you can target people based on beliefs, you can target the
messaging of your content to fit the visitor it will appeal to!
3. This, naturally means that you have to have an opinion and a firm
belief —> in order to meet them

41. OR!!
maybe…

42. IF YOU
GOT
BRAINS!!

43. THE FRAGMENTED WEB
ALLOWS YOU TO
HAVE SEVERAL
CONTRADICTING
OPINIONS!!!

44. THANK YOU!
A WORLD OF MISGUIDED INCENTIVES
@jesperastrom