You know that feeling when you spend half your day chasing trends, tweaking hashtags, and wondering why your brilliant post is showing up three days late in someone’s feed? Yeah, me too.

That’s why I sat down with Alice Seba, a content marketing pro who’s been helping online publishers turn persuasive content into real revenue for more than twenty years. She’s sold millions of dollars’ worth of content — and she swears the secret isn’t outsmarting the algorithm. It’s out-connecting it.

As Alice put it, “You don’t need the algorithm to notice you if your community does. When you connect, collaborate, and share stories, you build something the algorithm can’t touch — real relationships.”

And that’s the magic. When you stop trying to please the algorithm gods and start showing up for actual humans, you get noticed by the people who really matter — even when the social media winds shift.

Here are a few big takeaways from our chat:

Stop chasing the algorithm. Your business isn’t with code; it’s with people. Spend your energy on conversations — comments, DMs, collaborations — the kind that build real community and loyalty.

Build your own audience. Social platforms change faster than fashion trends, but your email list is forever. Offer something useful, keep it conversational, and land in their inbox where you actually belong.

Make your offers sound human. Ditch the sales pitch. Mention your freebie or toolkit the same way you’d share a good book recommendation with a friend. Helpful, not pushy.

Use social time wisely. Ten intentional minutes beats an hour of doom-scrolling. Pop in, connect, and get out before you start comparing your breakfast to someone else’s curated lifestyle.

When you strip away all the noise, the algorithm might be unpredictable, people aren’t. They remember who shows up, who listens, and who actually cares.

Because no algorithm can replace a genuine connection — and honestly, that’s the best kind of marketing there is.