In the fast-paced world of the internet, great authentic content will always have to be a constant. But how do you consistently ensure that you’re making great content? By sticking to one of the biggest pillars of content creation: authenticity. (Fyi: the other ones are relatability and know-how – two topics you can read up on right here)

It might’ve become a bit of a buzzword, but don’t underestimate its power. Authenticity makes all the difference between followers and an engaged community and if you commit, it can mean immense growth. Here’s how you can get there.

Strong storytelling

Consumers are not online to look for ads, however, they are always looking for stories. Humans are social and emotional creatures who want to feel a connection. They want to follow real, inspiring people and brands with a story to tell, not just a product/service to sell. When building your influencer marketing strategy, always keep the story top of mind.

One strong and relatively easy way to strengthen your storytelling and capture your audience’s attention is through captions. We’re not saying every post should be a witty joke or an emotional explanation – that’s not always relevant -, but look at every caption as an opportunity to engage. The more your followers interact with your authentic content, the higher your engagement is, and the more the algorithm will favor you.

Here, we’ve gathered our top tips for writing great captions, whether that’s through relatable long copy, or by ending with an inquiring CTA.

Working with the right people

Of course, you can’t tell a strong story without especially good storytellers.

For brands, this means finding the right influencer to match their key message. But influencers, in turn, also have to be aware and look out for the right match. They can’t just work with anyone and say yes to everything – that is anything but authentic and followers will notice immediately.

Then, influencer campaigns really succeed when brands trust the creativity of influencers to deliver their key message in a way that will resonate way more with their target consumer. So after delivering a great briefing, brands need to give their creators some freedom to create the best content possible. They are the ones who know what will work with their audience, and that is the goal after all. Not creating picture-perfect content, but authentic content.

Interacting with the audience

What is social media, if not social?

Gone are the days of a social platform like Instagram as a chronological timeline filled with cute pictures. These days, it’s a powerful tool to connect with – and build – audiences like never before.

This goes for both brands and creators: in order to grow your community, you should be doing community management. Answering comments, replying to DM’s, following the right people, liking relevant posts… Even if it is only 15 minutes during your morning coffee or 30 minutes in the afternoon slump: it will pay off. When people notice that there’s an actual person behind your profile, one that cares, they will feel more connected.

Conclusion

In truth, there is no way to fake or force authenticity. The tips above will only work if your intentions are in the right place anyway. That is if you want to foster an engaged and supportive community. Good news, because in any case: you’ve come to the right place!