The social feeds you scroll through every day are flooded with AI‑generated posts, but audiences are quick to spot what’s missing: people. The savvy consumers of today crave honest exchanges, not robotic copy; rewarding brands that put humans front and centre.
Firms investing in authentic storytelling report higher sentiment scores, deeper community bonds, and stronger advocacy. Gone are the days when posting ten times a day won campaigns, because today it’s the quality of connection that counts. From micro‑influencers sharing unfiltered insights to brands spotlighting customer photos, authenticity has become the key growth engine. Check out our Make Me Social team’s thoughts on this and stick around to read about the brands we love!
Being authentic on social media was hard enough. And now there’s a deluge of AI-generated content. The good news? Make Me Social is here to handle your socials, no stress required!
What Does It Mean to Be Authentic in 2025?
Authenticity now demands more than real-looking images — it requires consistent honesty, transparent values, and genuine community building. As audiences scan every post for something “doctored”, brands must hold themselves accountable across every caption, comment, and campaign.
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Transparency and Trust
When people understand your decisions, why you launched a new service, or how you source materials, they reward you with loyalty. The Edelman Trust Barometer finds that clear, honest explanations lift brand trust by up to 15%!
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Human Connection
Consumers have been found to unfollow brands whose content feels impersonal or irrelevant. Showing the humans behind the logo, your people, culture, and day‑to‑day keeps followers engaged and inclined to stick around.
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Community Engagement
Brands that spotlight customer stories, answer questions in real time, and invite feedback see up to 30% higher engagement rates on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
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Consistent Storytelling
A single inspiring post isn’t enough. Consistency = weekly live sessions, regular behind‑the‑scenes snippets, ongoing customer spotlights, and more. This builds a narrative that followers can join, shaping a more relatable journey for your brand.
Content Hack: Speed things up by remixing your old social posts into fresh new narratives. Your audience hasn’t seen the full archive – they don’t scroll that far back!
Real‑World Brand Examples
Seeing how top players do it makes it easier to chart your own path. Get your inspiration here!
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Innocent Drinks: Relatability and Humour in Every Sip
@innocentdrinks Innocent Drinks thrives on feeling like your mate rather than a corporate brand. On TikTok, they jump on trending filters (think face swaps and “Tube Girl”) but always with a distinctly human twist, featuring real team members or customers in funny, unscripted shorts. Their Instagram leverages single‑image posts and carousels with a cheeky profile bio, “We make healthy drinks. Please buy them so we don’t get fired.” Talk about maintaining an effortlessly comedic tone that still feels down‑to‑earth!
Beyond humour, they drive community by reposting user‑generated videos of smoothie‑making rituals or “Innocent moments,” spotlighting genuine experiences over staged shoots. -
Monzo: Humanising Banking through Transparency and Tone
Monzo’s feed proves that rigid industry rules aren’t a barrier to authentic engagement. As of April 2025, the bank boasts nearly one million followers, an achievement Sprout Social credits to Monzo’s irreverent, meme‑friendly posts and open dialogues about product updates. They mix light-hearted content (think Bridgerton memes for Gen Z) with clear, jargon‑free explanations of features like “Ins and Outs” budgeting, all while respecting FCA guidelines.
Monzo also leverages polls and Q&As to showcase real customer stories and troubleshoot concerns in real time. This heavily underscores their human‑first philosophy, turning followers into advocates.
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Greggs: Cheeky Tone‑of‑Voice and Crisis Savvy
Tweets by GreggsOfficial
Greggs consistently treats its followers as friends with a northern twang. In August 2014, when Google’s algorithm mistakenly displayed a spoof Greggs logo, the bakery launched #FixGreggs. They publicly pleaded for a logo swap with playful bribes of sausage rolls, engaging both its 87K‑strong Twitter community and Google’s social team in banter.Today, Greggs still responds to everything from missing salad leaves to vegan pastry queries with the same quick wit, reinforcing its down‑to‑earth character and earning trust through genuine exchanges. Even brand analysts praise Greggs’ “no‑nonsense attitude” and playful visuals for creating an inclusive, reliable presence that feels authentically British.
Practical Steps to Genuine Engagement
You don’t need fancy tech, just a clear plan and a non-negotiable human touch.
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Build a Brand Style Guide
Define your tone, values, and visual style in one reference document. Use it to guide every post and even AI‑assisted drafts, so your messaging always feels unmistakably you.
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Integrate Human Review
Before anything goes live, have a team member internalise the copy. A quick gut check (Would I share this with my own friends?) can catch moments that feel off‑brand or overly mechanical.
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Foster Two‑Way Dialogue
Respond to comments, ask open‑ended questions, and highlight follower contributions. When people feel heard, they’re far more likely to keep engaging and to become brand followers.
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Harness User‑Generated Content (UGC)
Invite customers to share their stories and feature them in your feed. UGC not only frees up content bandwidth, it showcases genuine experiences that resonate more than polished ads.
Human‑First Social Media Matters: Moving Beyond AI
AI tools can help with research or scheduling, but they can’t replicate the empathy and creativity of a dedicated team. Audiences quickly spot when posts lack nuance or emotional depth. In fact, consumers say they’d rather interact with a brand that shows its human side, even if that means occasional typos or unfiltered moments. By keeping humans at the wheel — guiding strategy, crafting nuanced responses, and pivoting in real time — you ensure content that resonates, builds trust, and sparks genuine conversations.
Contact Make Me Social
Make Me Social: Your Partners in Authenticity
At Make Me Social, we don’t just manage your channels, we become an extension of your team.
What we bring to your brand:
- Integrated Expertise: A London HQ and Bangkok office working in tandem to craft bespoke, human‑centred strategies.
- Deep‑Rooted Experience: Over 50 years of combined marketing know‑how, keeping your voice consistent and honest.
- Targeted Growth Campaigns: From community building and website‑visit drives to email‑sign‑up boosts via social‑first tactics.
- End‑to‑End Execution: Weekly content calendars, real‑time engagement, in‑depth analytics and transparent reporting, so you can focus on what you do best.
No gimmicks, no shortcuts, just genuine connection.
Let’s chat, human-to-human!
If you’re ready to elevate your social presence with human‑first authenticity, let’s talk. Reach out to Make Me Social at 0800 772 0022 or hello@makemesocial.co.uk for a free consultation with our eager team. Your audience is waiting for your real brand, let’s share it together.
