By Callum 
Algorithms control everything—what people see on social media, what movies show up on streaming services, and who gets approved for car loans. For most businesses and creators nowadays, following along with these algorithms is kind of, like, the golden rule. But what happens when blindly following an algorithm actually makes things worse? It’s, maybe surprisingly, something many should seriously consider.
Understanding the Algorithm’s Grip
The basic point of an algorithm is to make people happy. An algorithm looks at how folks interact with stuff online and figures out what to show them more of. For video platforms, that’s views, watch time, shares, and stuff like that. In other words, it’s built to give people what they want — not anything else. The algorithm usually optimizes to ensure more user retention, but it is an efficient mechanism overall.
For businesses trying to grow, this means figuring out what the algorithm “wants” and giving it to them; following analytics helps you understand trends or your audience better. A lot of times, getting more viewers is as easy as learning what content is currently trending and then just creating a new version of that current viral video; people will always buy TikTok views from businesses that follow this advice, especially if the brand’s social media team is also buying Instagram views and engagements for brand building.
The Danger of Algorithmic Tunnel Vision
Here’s the catch with algorithms: they can trap you. Chasing trends means you start looking like everyone else—the market is already flooded with TikTok videos that are the exact same. It also steers businesses towards surface-level popularity and away from actual innovation. Original thoughts and content might get missed if they aren’t already trending. Most importantly, you’ll fail to stand out because algorithms are built to maximize retention regardless of originality.
Think about it, everything gets homogenized, which is great for retention, but terrible for a business because you lose the individuality and niche.
Times to Break the Mold
So, when is it okay to ignore the algorithm? If you are in a position to buy TikTok likes instead of trying endlessly to make content, that might be a valid business decision in some circumstances. Consider these things:
- When it hurts brand identity: Has your business lost its own voice? Is the content being created generic and stale? That’s a good signal to steer away from trend-chasing.
- When quality suffers: Are important topics getting ignored to post something going viral? It’s a sign to balance quantity with quality.
- When engaging targeted communities?If reaching a particular group that the algorithm undervalues is important, it will be necessary to go outside of it. This is particularly for local businesses and those with niche interests.
Getting “Un-Stuck” From the Machine
Sometimes it’s hard to just get out of a situation. It is important to have a goal. Sometimes, setting aside the immediate numbers and focusing on the people will do a lot to get back to being genuine. This includes:
- Reconnecting with core values: What caused your business to begin? Reflecting on goals will help create real content and guide that content.
- Actually engaging with your audience: Ask people what they want from more personalized content, and ask what the general market is thinking. This will result in content that doesn’t focus on what the algorithm wants. It focuses on users.
Long-Term Rewards of Organic Growth
Think about those brands considered iconic, think about Apple, or any famous brand you can think of. Did they always follow the latest internet algorithm trends? Probably not; those companies just do their brand, whatever that consists of. Maybe that seems easy to write off as only for giant companies that average everyday business cannot compete with, but it’s more relevant than ever, and possible to achieve, especially because lots of consumers appreciate “authenticity” online. That value gets missed chasing the algorithm, though! It is impossible for you to be authentic if you aren’t true to yourself and simply following what numbers and charts are showing you.
Building a core group of true followers will beat having twenty thousand random followers who do not engage with the products. It all comes down to investing in the product and the people. Then you can be honest both to yourself and to users. And building the brand will be much greater because of people who love something that the brand makes and makes something for users instead of trying to trick the system. And in the long run, all of this combined will increase profits. So in the modern digital business setting, this is super effective.
Conclusion
Algorithms are tools that can be helpful at the right time. However, algorithms can quickly become crutches. It is important to recognize when to leave the algorithm and stick to genuine branding, original content, values, audience, etcetera. Doing that can actually lead to actual success instead of the fake success the algorithm is offering.
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