How authenticity in marketing can help brands stand out amid content overload

Is anyone else just scrolling through social media and thinking, “Oh my god… who cares?” It’s the same type of companies sharing the same, unoriginal, bland content with an extremely vague “thought piece,” and all you can think is “please make it stop.” 

I think we can all agree there’s a lot going on in the world, so content on all social platforms now feels like somewhat of a blur.

So, how can you make content people want to pay attention to?

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s easier said than done. I’m a social media manager at a B2B SaaS company who talks about marketing intelligence and marketing data all day. Not everything I do is going to speak wonders to everyone, and I know that. But with the content we make, we can at least try to make it relatable, entertaining or helpful to the person scrolling through their feed.

The problem: content overload and diminished engagement

We’re living in a world where 402.74 million terabytes of data are created every single day. 

There's an avalanche of content hitting us from all directions — emails, ads, social media, videos, webinars, blogs — you name it. We're constantly absorbing, skimming, half-reading and most of the time just scrolling past it. 

It’s no wonder many of us are dealing with content fatigue and burnout when going online. There’s just too much to look at, and I have a few theories as to what’s contributing to that.

Everyone is posting (but not everything’s worth looking at) 

There was a time when only the best (or at least, more curated) content made it onto our screens because fewer people were posting. Now, more people are embracing their “posting era.”

Which is great, but in turn, means we have more people in their early stages of posting things. And in that phase, a lot of content strategies default to safety. Many creators are posting the same things as others, just repackaged, until they get comfortable posting more original ideas.

So, now we’re not just scrolling through a lot of content, we’re scrolling through a lot of the same content. 

The sequel nobody asked for

Series have been having a moment… I know, I know, I was one of the ones preaching for people to start a series, and if it’s something useful, I still do. But for the past six to eight months or so, every time I open social media, I feel like I hear “welcome to part one of my new series on…” and they’re all just extremely similar to each other.

It’s like we’re all stuck in a loop of reruns. Even if the topic is solid, the content format has started to feel tired and predictable. Things rarely feel original anymore, and we’re losing connection. 

The stuff that does stand out now is content that breaks the pattern. 

Playing it safe and blending in

Let me preface this by saying we don’t know what any team is dealing with. Some have rigorous approval processes or leaders who veto every idea they put forward; others have more freedom.

For those with more freedom, I’ve both heard and seen over the years that teams sometimes aren’t daring or opinionated enough with their content, so it just blends in with every other SEO focused article or gets drowned out. 

It’s not always a lack of creativity; sometimes it’s pressure to keep up and crank out relevant content. But that often means trading quality for quality. Add in an obsession with safe, surface-level engagement metrics, and you end up with content that doesn’t say much at all.

How does this content crisis affect brands? 

Well, the same old boring content strategy that kind of worked sometimes before really doesn’t work anymore. People are experiencing content fatigue and don’t want to be fed the same thing 100 times. If you just add to the noise, your brand becomes invisible. No brand recall, no new leads, no real impact. Just more noise. People want something useful, or, more importantly, something they can resonate with and connect with. 

I’ve spoken about them before, and I’ll continue to do so: ASICS is absolutely smashing it with this concept. Not only does the brand genuinely come across as a company that practices what it preaches — mental and physical wellness through movement is their driving message — but they also haven’t become a sellout by sponsoring the biggest name they can find for the sake of reach. Instead, they actually get creative.

This year, they announced their new ambassador, and it isn’t a trending celebrity. It’s a dog. A very cute, floofy one. And they named it the “original running influencer.” How great is that?!

(Source)

Not only is it true to their brand, but it also stands out and is relevant to them, as dogs are usually a huge driving factor to people actually getting out of the house and walking or running (and great for engagement. Win-win). 

The opportunity: Stand out by being real

Hearing someone say, “Brands need to be more authentic,” can feel frustrating if you don’t have the support needed to do that.

The reality is that some teams are small and stretched thin. It’s hard to think of everything when you’re running low on resources and mental load. Also, a lot of companies have fantastic ideas, but leaders who don’t give them the green light. Been there, I get it.

But here are some low-barrier ideas to help show up more human as a brand. Some we’ve tried at Funnel, and others I’ve seen other brands do incredibly well. Use these to give off a more open, honest and trusting feeling.

Share behind-the-scenes content

You don’t need a perfectly polished studio setup to make an impact. Whether it's a ‘day in the life’ video content or random fun things going on at the company, share it. This kind of engaging content works because it’s real. 

Giving your audience a raw, unfiltered look into your team or company makes your brand more human. It also gives you the chance to highlight your company culture, which may resonate with customers and also attract talent.

That shaky phone video of your product team cheering after finally fixing a bug? Post it. It shows the messy, human side of building something — and that’s what people relate to. It’s way more engaging than a templated product announcement. 

And encourage employees to share their own moments too. Candid shots of project work, coffee runs, office shenanigans — it all adds up to something that feels relatable and trustworthy.

Use real stories from employees or customers 

We’ve all been marketed to death. So, instead of polished ads, people are turning to friends, peers, or even strangers online for recommendations. That’s why a genuine, unscripted testimonial from a happy customer or a candid interview with an employee can hit way harder than any paid ad (and it’s free). 

Why? Because stories stick. Our brains are wired for them. A real person’s struggle or breakthrough creates an emotional connection that a feature list never will. 

Patagonia’s Worn Wear series nails this. Instead of product shots, they share personal stories from real customers about jackets that survived blizzards or backpacks that’ve seen cross-country adventures. Personalized content creates connections. 

Of course, the Patagonia videos are top-quality and beautifully produced. But you don’t need a full video crew or a big budget to start. Try sharing a short video of one of your colleagues talking about the biggest challenge or win they’ve had this year.

When you spotlight real people, you build trust, community and a sense of belonging. Not only showing them what you do, but who you are as well.

Admit mistakes and show how they’re being addressed

Okay, this one can be tricky. Getting the green light to publicly acknowledge a mistake isn’t always easy. But if you can take ownership and accountability for a problem before it kicks off, it’s one of the most powerful trust-building moves a brand can make.

Human error is relatable. We’ve all messed up, but how you handle it is what matters. Brands that take responsibility and show how they’re improving can actually strengthen customer loyalty because they trust those who own their mistakes, not those who hide them. 

Yes, this takes buy-in from leadership. But this is where real cultural change happens. Engage in unfiltered conversations on social media

Don’t just respond, “nice post,” which feels like you’re just checking a box, but actually share an opinion from your brand. Sure, we may roll our eyes a bit when we see a flood of blue check marks in the comments section. But when it’s relevant, it’s a fun way for brands to be part of the conversation. 

Be opinionated when it’s appropriate. Take a clear stance on industry trends, ethical issues or best practices that align with your values. For example, if you’re a sustainability-focused skincare brand, jump into a LinkedIn conversation about greenwashing with your take on transparent ingredients and how your company approaches it differently.

Taking the time to have meaningful, relevant conversations in comment sections can look great for your brand. And don’t be afraid to be playful. Adding some wit or personality into the comments section can make your brand feel more human, more memorable and way more fun to engage with.

For the love of god, have some fun

No, you don’t need to hop on every trend or force your colleagues to do a TikTok dance. But don’t take everything so seriously. Have fun. 

Everyone on the planet can relate to humour; use that to connect. And don’t overthink your approach. It can be responding to comments or making full skit videos. Just know where the line is in terms of humour for your company and go have fun.

Remember: humor is memorable. If you make them laugh, they’re far more likely to remember your brand and share your post. And humor is approachable. It reminds people that there’s a team with real people behind the logo. 

Find your brand’s version of fun that aligns with your core values and target audience. It could be dry, witty one-liners, behind-the-scenes bloopers, sarcastic product copy or just embracing the weird side of your niche.

Get your employees to jump on board 

Employee advocacy is a great way to showcase authenticity in marketing. If you have the bandwidth, get your execs and other key people at your company on LinkedIn producing content. Employee accounts will almost always outperform company accounts. You can easily back this up by looking at impressions or calculating earned media value on employee posts versus what the company shares.

Not only that, potential clients get to see the real people behind the business, job seekers get a feel for your company culture and employees build a stronger connection to your company’s mission and values. 

That said, you can’t just mandate employee advocacy. You have to create a culture where people want to share. Train them. Support them. And celebrate the ones who are already active.

4 actionable tips for crafting genuine content

So how do you actually do it? Here are four small but powerful shifts that can fundamentally change the way you approach content creation.

1. Focus on storytelling rather than perfection 

Honestly, forget the meticulously planned, hyper-edited, airbrushed post that screams "content marketing.” People want stories they can relate to and situations they can see themselves in. 

And while success stories are nice, authenticity in marketing means showing the messy middle, such as challenges, unexpected moments and personal wins.

Here are examples of how we’ve used storytelling with employer branding content to give people an idea of what we’re up to at Funnel. In one, Veronica shares what it was like relocating from our Boston office to our Stockholm office — the stress, the logistics and making the move with a very grumpy cat.

In another, you get to know our company through Sophia’s perspective, her role, her journey and what surprised her most about working at Funnel. 

Everyone has a story to tell, and each employee’s perspective adds another layer of authenticity. 

2. Encourage user-generated content that feels spontaneous

Who better to talk about your product or brand than the people actually using it and loving it? User-generated content (UGC) is a fantastic way to build trust and community because it’s way more genuine and relatable than brand-curated social media posts. 

Just remember, whether you’re doing content with them or they’re randomly posting about your company, take the time to interact with them as a thank you for shedding light on your brand. 

3. Be consistent and honest, even when it’s uncomfortable

Shit happens, and how you handle uncomfortable situations says more about your brand than how you act when everything's going smoothly. Forty-six percent of loyal customers are likely to keep buying from a brand even after a negative experience. But you need to salvage brand reputation instead of burying your head in the sand when something goes wrong.

I won’t name names, but we can all probably remember a company or influencer messing up in this area and seeing the backlash in real time when not responding with care. If you make a mistake, don't just issue a bland apology. Explain what happened, take responsibility and outline the steps you're taking to fix it.

Define your values, and let them guide how you communicate, especially when things get uncomfortable. And don’t wait until something goes wrong to figure it out. Have a plan in place for how you’ll respond to mistakes, outages or controversy. The goal isn’t to be perfect, it’s to be consistent, honest and human.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously 

It’s not that deep. If this means jumping on trends, go ahead. We love doing that at Funnel, BUT we know which ones to do and which to stay away from. 

Here’s an example of a trend we took from TikTok that took us five minutes to put together. It started some fun conversations. It worked for us while other trends definitely don’t, and that’s okay.

Before you hop on a trend, ask:

• Does this align with our brand voice?
• Is it relevant to our target audience? 
• What are our audience preferences? 
• Can we add a unique, authentic twist?

If you’re stuck, start with what makes you laugh. What’s the stuff in your industry that people always joke about? What’s that oddly specific thing your team keeps bringing up in Slack threads?

Most importantly, give your social media team the space to experiment. The best content often comes from trusting your team to create content freely, test new ideas and not take it all too seriously.

The future of content marketing

All in all, there’s too much noise, too many people want to be seen at the same time by the same people who are fatigued by the amount of content they’re fed every day.

Next time you make a post and notice yourself toning down your real thoughts, look at it and honestly ask yourself if you would stop scrolling to look at it. If the answer is no, stop toning it down and try again. If the answer is yes, you may be biased, so check it again in 20 minutes just in case.

A wise person (my mum) once told me, “When you have multiple choices, pick the first one that comes to mind. It’s usually the right one.” The same can be applied to content creation. You know what you’re doing, so trust your gut and when you think of an idea, let that thought flow before you back down and do the “safe thing” instead. It might be the piece that takes off. 🙂