Embrace authenticity: your secret to more engagement in 2025
The more AI we have, the more we value real and personal connections
Lack of authenticity kills more campaigns than lack of strategy ever will. And with LinkedIn and other socials pushing authentic posts, being ‘real’ isn’t optional; it’s essential.
The more AI we have, the more we value real and personal connections.
You do you. Become visible, heard, and stay unique.?
Is authenticity the trend for 2025? I think so. So does LinkedIn as it heads towards favoring the more personal and authentic posts.?
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Why authenticity matters
Let’s start with why authenticity matters more than ever before. It’s not just another trend; it becomes the difference between mediocre, good, and great.
AI is widely used to generate content. It’s a hack for the lazy ones to produce fast and a lot. Resulting in generic, AI-recognizable, sticking-to-the-surface content. Of course, you can use AI to create content, but that’s not the quick and easy thing most marketers look for and apply.
The more AI there is, the more mediocre content we get. To stand out, you must have your own voice, be recognizable, and, most of all, be authentic.
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So, for your New Year's resolutions, to give more f*cks or fewer f*cks, one thing to do is to embrace your authenticity and let your personality shine.?
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3 Uncommon tips to show your authenticity
I presume you already know who you are, your vision, values, strengths, and weaknesses. And you’ve got your brand personality and identity, including a tone of voice. If you don’t, you need to start there, and this page is not for you yet.
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1. Dare to be different
Dare to be different and show who you are. Don’t adjust your content or marketing campaigns in line with the latest trends and fads or status quo. Don’t tune and tweak, trying to fit in or catching the newest wave.
Stand your ground and align all your content or campaigns with your beliefs and values. Do they fit and strengthen your personality?
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Ortovox and Patagonia don’t do big sales
Both are commercial brands with a bigger sustainability perspective. They close their online shop on Black Friday because they don’t believe in overconsumption and fast discounted commerce at that time of the year. Neither do they jump on the big, loud end-of-season sales. Yes, they have sales, but they don’t scream about it or push people to buy more stuff they don’t need.
Next to sustainability, Patagonia is also famous for taking a stand in the USA elections and on your human obligation to vote.?
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Ben & Jerry's is very outspoken?
Another great, inspiring example of outspokenness and daring greatly is Ben & Jerry's. They don't shy about using their reach to spread the word and address what's needed, from society to environment to politics.?
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I dare to break the grammar rules
Not as bold, needed and groundbreaking as the brands mentioned above. But I am authentic and dare to be different. I break some copy rules, and I know I often annoy the keyboard warriors' grammar police.?
And I do this on purpose.?
I know my English isn’t perfect; therefore, I use Grammarly Pro and AI to check it. But sometimes, I ignore their advice. Because the pixel-perfect grammar also produces very boring copy.
I write like I speak. Short. Clear. Honest. And easy to read.
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2. Dissect templates and processes to make your own
This is for the ones who copy-paste templates and hacks from others without making it their own. Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with using templates for social content. But if you use templates created by others, at least align them with your values and brand identity.
You will be surprised how many marketers copy-paste what others did without aligning it. The same goes for automated processes or flows.
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How to use templates in the right way
Do it like the big creatives do. If you see a social content template or sales email flow you like, grab it and use that as your guideline.
Dive in and dissect, unruffle, understand the reasoning and the setup, and then rebuild it from scratch.
That’s also how the very best designers and copywriters learned the craft, endlessly reproducing and imitating work from others. And then apply what they learned to their work.
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3. Know the rules to break the rules
Every week, we’re bombarded with the newest tips, tricks, rules, how-to’s, ways of working, etcetera. I think it’s essential to keep up and know them. Because if you know them, you can break them.
You have to know what’s going on in your market and the latest fads in content and marketing. That doesn’t mean you have to jump onto everything.
Actually, I highly recommend not to do that. If you copy-paste what everyone is doing, you will not stand out. Just like with the templates, understand why and how it works, then give it your twist.
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Rules to break
As mentioned, I break the grammar rules. I’m going against the status quo with the way I write. But I do stand out and am recognizable without making an idiot of myself.
You can break the LinkedIn reach rules by not using a carousel for your job postings. If you know visual content works for job postings, create a bold animated .gif or short video with your job description. Make an effort to show you understand what the market asks for and to be slightly different than everyone else in your execution.?
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Final thoughts: you do you
Authenticity matters. Simply because there’s so much content out there, and the pile is growing by the day. If you want to stand out, you have to show who you are.
There are 3 things you can do
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Now, it's up to you to nail 2025.
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