Since it can’t measure the quality of the content, it measures the amount of reaction the article, post, podcast or video gets. This is all measured in “likes,” comments, or shares. The algorithm assumes that somehow quality is determined or measured by engagement.

You may find yourself slowly beginning to buy into this over-generalized and simplistic rating system in the absence of anything better. Seems like everyone else is going along with this as well, so you feel somehow validated. This is the first mistake.

After a while, you begin to believe that quality is a hierarchy of engagement. After all, it’s the only game in town. Or at least the most popular game! But are these algorithms really smart enough to decipher true quality?

Or conversely, can true quality content be suppressed due to lack of engagement? Or worse, once we buy into this ranking system can we be manipulated? Can clever digital marketers work the system to build artificial statistics to make certain content look more important to sell you stuff that doesn’t work? You bet!

In other words, we all are now voting on what’s important at the expense of critical thinking. Do those early votes in the form of engagement push content at us at the expense of content that may be wiser, more thoughtful, and more valuable to the human experience? You bet!

This is a seductive process where we can easily get carried away with trendy distractions at the expense of hard-won historical lessons. Are there more important indicators of value than what gets the most engagement the earliest? We think so and we are worried that those indicators can be lost.

Are smart phones really smart? Or are we dumbing down to the levels they can measure? Don’t get us wrong, we love the new technology and couldn’t live without it. But we constantly have to work around overly simplistic algorithms.

For instance, we love Pandora, but have to get through their algorithms to get the kind of music we like. Seems like everyone has a different work-around because of the overly simplistic algorithms. Our friend Bill says, “I spend the first few days listening to everything they play on a given station. I quickly hit the likes and dislikes so I don’t get too much of their simplistic idea of what I like.” Mary, on the other hand says, “I only hit the ones I dislike so I still get variety without getting into a rut.”

Bill and Mary are dealing with judgements some programmer made about what was important. Was the tune Bill first chose sung by a woman, then give him all female artists. Never mind the beat, melody, or lyrics. Bill knows this and immediately jumps on his next choice so this doesn’t happen. But the more Bill chooses, the less new offerings occur because of the limits of the algorithm. Mary know this and only communicates what she dislikes.

How many people like a post but don’t engage? Most! But if they don’t engage, does that make the post wrong, less news worthy, or less important? Algorithms can’t measure the silent majority because they are silent! They can only measure engaged feedback.

So now a potential minority or a troll farm can work the algorithms and influence your thinking. They may even cause you to take or allow action because you believe it’s what the majority wants. It’s not.  It’s what the programmers have said was important because it’s all they could measure.

If this all sounds like a call for a return to critical thinking, it is! This year! Let’s consider the source as we move forward.

Our centenarian neighbor says, “When airplanes first came out, they’d walk on the wings, light ‘em on fire, and fly ‘em through barns! Nobody ever thought they’d be going to Chicago in one.” Is that where we are today with the algorithms that control what gets amplified in social media? Are we still in the barn storming days?

Let’s not get dumbed down to what an algorithm can measure! Let’s elevate history, proven principles and classic standards – even if they don’t get a lot of engagement these days. We’ve had enough cute kittens and baked lasagna!  It’s time to move onto stuff that matters.

You only have a limited amount of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking that engagement alone is a measure of value to you, your business, or your community. For instance, we get very little engagement on our 2 weekly posts and we know why. Our readers are business people and simply don’t have the time to engage.

However, our articles are often picked up by major business publications such as Entrepreneur, C-Suite Network, and the Business Journals in 43 cities. We often get replies to our newsletter that say, “Please keep these coming,” “Awesome,” and “I can’t wait to try this in my own business.”  In 4 years, we have had only 2 unsubscribe. Check out the best of our 30 years of successful business experience.  And don’t feel obligated to engage. We’re happy to help!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Buying into Algo-logic Can Be Costly appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

B Corps are typically defined as “people using business as a source for good,” and are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. They have a much wider fiduciary responsibility that includes a responsibility to their employees, the community, and the environment as well as to their shareholders.

Is it Socialism or is it smart 21^st century capitalism? Here are three good reasons for electing to create a B Corp:

1. Transparency. Today’s information revolution has created a demand for transparency. Consumer’s now know that they are voting with their money and consequently for the policies and behavior of the companies whose products they purchase. Companies that hurt the general welfare are being exposed daily, whether it’s for poor treatment of employees, disregard for the community, or environmental damage.

2. Engagement. Employees want to work for companies that stand for more than their mercantile products and services. They want to know that they are participating in a company that is making the world a better place. They want to “brag” about their employer’s higher standards to their family, friends, and followers in social media.

3. Investment. Investors increasingly are looking for companies that will make a difference while returning a profit. Investors realize that companies that have reduced turnover and engaged employees will be more profitable, and that companies that give their customers a social reason to buy their products will have greater customer loyalty.

As more B corps demonstrate profitability, sustainability, and popularity, the old paradigm that “good deeds only come at the expense of profits” is slowly but surely coming to an end.

Maryland was the first state in the country to authorize the creation of B corps. Since then, California, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and even “corporate haven” Delaware have joined the movement. Why? Because it’s (finally) just plain good business.

When we started Barefoot Wines in 1986, there were no B Corps, and there was no such term as Social Entrepreneurship. But as cash-strapped outsiders, we stumbled onto a way of getting the word out on our brand without paid advertising. We called it “Worthy Cause Marketing,” and years later when we finally could afford to advertise, we chose to continue our support of non-profits as our sole means of spreading the word about our product.

Not unlike today’s definition of Social Entrepreneurship, we supported social and environmental causes that were important to us and to our customers. The membership of the non-profits we supported had a social reason to buy our products. Our employees were engaged because they knew they were making the world a better place. The success of Barefoot Wine is proof positive that social entrepreneurship works!

Today’s new B Corporation is an excellent way for companies to tell the world, including their investors, employees and customers, that they are making a difference. We would like to see more states pass legislation this year to enable this new corporate structure of social entrepreneurship. We hope more companies and start-ups will elect to become B Corporations in the New Year, making it a happier New Year for all!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post A Wish for the New Year: Let’s Have More “B” Corporations appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.