For many years, social media feeds have been filled with lovely, curated, and well-polished images that leave people wowed by users' lifestyles. While this form of content was effective for some time, it eventually backfired as people grew weary of watching fake lifestyles.

Since polished content feels staged, users feel disconnected from their everyday reality. The need for constant perfection also results in fatigue, as users feel like they are scrolling through content that doesn't feel authentic or resonate with their target audience. 

The result was a rise in the popularity of unpolished content, allowing for the creation of relatable brand stories. This article examines why unpolished content is gaining popularity on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.

What is Unpolished Content?

Unpolished content is raw, unedited, and unscripted. It includes various types of content, such as behind-the-scenes images, customer interviews, training sessions, candid conversations with the creator, and town hall meetings. The content is typically raw and may appear unsuitable for publication. 

Why Unpolished Content is Very Valuable

Since younger audiences often grow up in a world filled with ads, they can easily detect increased content. They are turned off by brands that don't align with their values. Instead, they prefer to work with influencers who don't mind showing their flaws. This is why authentic content has become very popular, even leading to the popularity of the de-influencing movement.

Since the content typically consists of informal conversations, it often feels candid, authentic, and insightful. These are the factors that audiences are searching for, making the content perfect for repurposing. Unpolished content also works well as it taps into the human psychology, since people find it to be:

• Relatable. When people feel that something is real, they are more likely to connect with it. That is why they envision the content of an influencer's messy bedroom as a well-polished advertisement.
• Trust. People are more likely to trust unpolished content than polished content. When people share their honest opinion, it appears more credible.
• Emotional connections. People are more likely to react emotionally to authentic content, especially when it stirs positive or negative emotions that can drive engagement on Instagram or other platforms.

How Can Authentic Content Put You Ahead of Competitors?

In this social media era, consumers are often overwhelmed with a vast amount of content, making it challenging for them to find genuine content that meets their specific messaging needs. While it's easy for anyone to create polished content for their brand, it takes savvy marketers to understand that customers can now differentiate between genuine and fake content. You can set yourself apart from the competition with unpolished content. Here are ways authentic content can help you stand out from the competition: 

Helps Appeal to Gen Zs

Unlike older folks, who had few options in the content they watched, Gen Z have grown up in an era when they can choose what to watch at their convenience. This means that this generation can be very choosy with the type of content they watch. And with a lot of content to choose from, they will only select your content if you have something unique to offer.

Unpolished content enables you to stand out from the competition and attract Gen Z audiences. This can put your brand ahead of the competition, as studies show that there are over 139 million Gen Zs in the United States.

An Emotional Connection with Customers

Emotional marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods. That means if you want to attract potential customers to your brand, you need to connect with them emotionally. According to a Harvard Business Review Article, fully connected customers will provide you with 52% more value than highly satisfied customers.

That means building and maintaining a strong connection with customers can increase your audience's satisfaction and help turn them into brand advocates. 

How to Leverage Unpolished Content For Brand Marketing

Here are ways in which brands can leverage unpolished content for their brand marketing:

User-Generated Content

The fact that the content is unpolished doesn't mean you have to create it yourself. Instead, you can have your audience generate the content, which will demonstrate the power of authenticity. In fact, various studies indicate that consumers tend to trust content created by other social media users more than content created by brands. A brand should leverage the content their customers are creating for several reasons, such as:

• Higher customer satisfaction level. Customers are often happy to share their experiences with brands. In fact, the majority of them suggest that they are always ready to share positive information about the brand.
• Increasing engagement. When brands share videos, photos, or posts from their customers, it encourages them to continue engaging with the brand.
• Create lasting relationships. Consumers suggest that user-generated content (UGC) has a significant impact on their purchasing decisions. This can be attributed to the fact that they perceive such content as more authentic.

Ensure Consistency

If you want to earn your audience’s trust, you need to stay consistent. You can achieve this by maintaining a consistent voice and tone throughout your brand messaging. This works because it enables customers to identify your brand based on the tone and voice it uses across different channels.

Therefore, ensure that all your brand messaging, including the core values, mission statement, and social media content, uses the same tone and voice. Once you stay consistent, customers will see your brand as familiar, which will, in turn, result in a higher level of trust. You can, therefore, have a firm foundation for a lasting and meaningful relationship.

Higher Engagement

According to a recent meta-study, customers are more likely to engage with brands that show their imperfect side than those that present polished content, in terms of both viewing content and users' ability to recall it. Another YPulse research study also found the same among Gen Zs. The study showed that  84% of users prefer imperfect content and are put off by ads.

Even influencers are now affected by the demand for authentic content. According to Entribe, social media users are now put off by content from large influencers and prefer engaging content from micro influencers. This can be attributed to the fact that 85% of users find the content from mega influencers to be unrelatable and inauthentic.

Therefore, it would be a great idea for brands to leverage their customers, staff, and supporters to tell their brand stories. Such content is usually more relevant to viewers.

Creating Platform-Specific Content

When creating unpolished content, it's essential to ensure that you use content specific to each platform. Doing that will make it easy for the content to be more relevant to their regular users. For instance, if you are creating TikTok content, you can consider mimicking videos. Such videos are usually made by audiences in their homes using their mobile devices, and these are some of the most popular forms of unpolished content.

Behind-the-scenes Content

This is one of the most popular forms of unpolished content. It is randomly made using a phone or a handheld camera to provide fans with a glimpse of the action that goes behind the making of their favorite brands. This content can take various forms, such as asking the support staff to create a film about their daily experiences or showcasing the real steps involved in baking and decorating a cake.

Giving a Lo-fi Feel Using Technology

When you create video shots using technology, you can achieve a lo-fi and authentic feel. This can also occur in other areas, such as when using sounds or editing. All you need to do is ensure that your footage editing remains minimal and add flashier stinger transitions between the scenes. The most important thing is to keep cuts simple.

Engaging with Your Audience

Authenticity isn't only about creating unpolished content. It also means connecting with customers on social media platforms. You can do that through several methods, such as:

• Sharing content that starts conversations.
• Asking and answering the right questions.
• Sharing relevant news.
• Getting customers’ feedback.

When you take time to listen to your customers and even empathize with them, you can also find the right solutions for their pain points. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and a deeper human connection, which, in turn, fosters greater brand authenticity.

Final Thoughts

To build meaningful and lasting relationships, you must demonstrate empathy and authenticity. This is also important for brands communicating with their target audience. One way of doing that is by using unpolished content. If you're wondering how to leverage unpolished content, our guide will help you do so.