Attention, Algorithms & Formats Series — Episode 2
In the last episode, I looked at why some ideas stick by reviewing Made to Stick. It gave us a powerful reminder: clear, emotionally resonant messages survive. But in 2026, there’s another layer to the story, one that didn’t exist when that book was written.
Today, attention itself is mediated by algorithms.
Before a human ever sees your digital message, an invisible system has already made a decision about it. Algorithms rank, filter, interpret, and prioritise digital content based on thousands of signals. In many cases, they determine whether your message is amplified, quietly buried, or never shown at all.
So if we want to communicate effectively digitally today, we need to understand not just how people think, but how platforms decide what people see.
So, let’s dive in!