The Two-Step is not only a popular dance move that Tik-Tokers all over like to use when it is trending online, but it is also a social media and communication theory. Of course you may ask yourself “what is the two-step theory, Lee?” It is simple. Think of someone online or on TV that you trust…For many people it was once Oprah, or Ellen, or Wendy Williams, or maybe even The View. Now it can be people with less following like your favorite YouTuber or blogger on Facebook. They get their information, then share it to you because you trust their opinion. That trust you give is the core of the two-step theory.
For many people the two-step theory applies to hot button topics like Covid-19 or politics or national events etc… For me, my guilty two-step leaders are in the political world. For the sake of not deterring any readers, I will not disclose the specific online influencers I seek political information from, or which political direction they fall under. But I will say as anyone who shares their opinion online, they are biased to one side. I don’t always go out in search for their opinion on hot topics, but when I scroll across it on Facebook, I click in and listen. Yes, I am guilty of finding my news on Facebook. (But I am not alone in this, here is a study on how many Americans find their news.)
Using politics as my continued example, many people search for the opinions of political influencers such as the people shown above, rather than the mainstream outlets like CNN or FOX. This is typical for people as they recognize the dissonance media creates. But, the faces above can be just as guilty as the mainstream “fake news” outlets everyone hollers at online. Poltical topics is just a small segment of the two-step theory.
Online marketing is likely the biggest segment of the theory. Brands pay people you follow on social media to promote their product. Have you ever heard “This video is sponsored by SquareSpace” before? Well that is an influence of the two-step theory. The brand is paying the person you are watching online to show off and promote their product. Take those ads with a grain of salt, which many people already understand they should. Just like these online advertisements from your favorite makeup tutorial YouTuber, or photographer on instagram, the same sometimes applies to political influencers online. It is not uncommon for political influencers to be paid by candidates in elections or their marketing firms.
