Social media is an integrated part of life in the U.S., with usage growing among adults. Pew Research Center reports that YouTube (84%) and Facebook (71%) remain the most widely used platforms for U.S. adults, followed by 50% of adults using Instagram.
What we should pay attention to is that people’s trust levels have changed. Americans turn to social media for local news and product research, but no longer trust every voice equally. According to Pew Research, trust in national and local news organizations is declining across all age groups. According to Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Monitor, only 22% of the public trusts social media companies.
With bots, fake reviews, and undisclosed AI-generated content flooding channels, authenticity becomes more essential than ever.
As trust in platforms’ ability to moderate or surface credible information has weakened, many users now look to individual creators they already trust, to help interpret or contextualize information, rather than relying solely on platform-level controls or algorithms. This is an opportunity for creators who can provide credibility.
This article takes a closer look at the factors that lose people’s trust, what rebuilds it, and what marketers can do to ensure they stay trusted.
What’s Not Working
Perfection and over-engineered AI-generated content are not what resonates with audiences and users. Companies that forget to be human-first could find their campaigns backfire, as in the case of this AI firm that commissioned a billboard featuring an AI employee and the tagline: “Stop Hiring Humans.” And Coca-Cola with its AI-generated holiday ad.
To keep building human-focused content and to engage with your audience through authenticity, avoid the following:
Overly Polished Content & Using AI Models
Audiences are quick to recognize overly “clean” content and AI models. While they’re usually a very engaging brand, Ryanair’s recent AI-generated TikTok didn’t land with people (pun intended):
@ryanair catch a grip 🙄 #ryanair
If you read some of the negative comments, they focused on how disappointed people are with the airline service. One commenter remarked, “Why is Ryanair using AI?” and another user added, “Saves money. That’s all they care about.”
For a brand that is usually so self-effacing and quick to respond, this time, it looks like they missed the opportunity to be themselves and connect.
While it is true that AI can save more money (according to a survey conducted by Ahrefs, human-written content costs 4.7x more than AI-generated content), it reduces believability.
Consider Trivago’s commercial, originally featuring German football manager Jurgen Klopp, who starred in the brand’s AI-powered ads; he was replaced with an AI lookalike to the dismay and confusion of viewers who posted about it on Reddit. Read the comments on the lookalike video.
Tone Deaf Concepts
While not a social media example, Apple’s “Crush” iPad Pro Ad is an example of a big brand that usually gets it right, getting it very wrong. Apple had to withdraw the ad after negative reactions, even though the production was high-quality and polished. Viewers called it “soul crushing.”
The ad depicted heavy instruments: pianos, guitars, cameras, and paintings, being crushed into a single iPad, suggesting that the thinnest iPad can replace the things that people cherished over hundreds and even thousands of years. But, inadvertently, it dismissed human creativity.
The concept was considered tone deaf and disappointed Apple fans, who are usually such ardent supporters of their creativity.
The example highlights how the right tone is essential to get your audience to connect with your messaging. Users will respond less to generic brand messaging that feels like it was scripted by ChatGPT. Invoking positive emotions in your content that tie in with your brand values should be your focus.
Undisclosed Synthetic Content & The Risk Of Misinformation
According to a study conducted at Rutgers University, public views on AI are mixed: While AI can assist with automation and data analysis, people prefer human storytelling for content. Users can spot AI-crafted texts and scripts easily because of tells like em-dashes and punctuation.
Suspecting undisclosed AI-generated content could drive your users away: Over half (52%) of social media users are concerned about brands posting AI-generated content without disclosing it.
And according to Ahrefs, 62% of respondents cited the biggest perceived risk of using AI as sharing misinformation. In the same study, most people (65%) regard human-written content as higher quality than AI-generated content.
Replacing The Human Touch
While AI can be cost-effective as mentioned above, LLMs erode trust when they replace the writing of lived real experience. As a case in point, there was immediate backlash to Google’s Gemini commercial “Dear Sydney.” A father asks Gemini to help him write a letter to Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone about how inspiring she is.
Viewers called it sad and disturbing, with one commenting that it “completely negates why someone would write a letter to an athlete or anyone for that matter.”
How Marketers Can Demonstrate Trust
Authenticity will always prevail in marketing. When you’re honest with your users about your product and what you can offer them, your campaigns will resonate more. Aside from avoiding the pitfalls, here are tips that we recommend for a proactive approach:
Collaborate With Micro-Creators And Subject-Matter Voices
According to a Deloitte survey, “roughly 50% of Gen Zs and millennials surveyed say they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than they do with TV personalities or actors.”
Meaning good influencer marketing for your niche, demonstrating real product use, pros and cons, and reasoning will help instead of hurting your brand.
Choose Credible Partners Over Famous Ones
Three in 10 U.S. adult social media users say they have purchased something after seeing an influencer or content creator post about it. However, they don’t rely on follower counts for reach to establish trust. Studies find that “authenticity’s direct effect on the number of followers is not statistically significant.”
Choosing a creator to partner with is less about reach and more about how they align with your brand values and their expertise they demonstrate. Select the creator with the expertise to effectively review your product and craft compelling content about it.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub’s Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2025, brands are shifting towards nano and micro-influencers for targeted, cost-effective collaborations. It works because smaller creators are widely seen to be more relatable and authentic, showing real product use and reasoning in their testimonials, and are trusted within their communities.
Ensure Transparency And Clear Disclosures
Sprout’s Pulse Survey in Q2 2024 found that 94% of consumers believe all AI content should be disclosed. While there’s no universal law yet, AI-disclaiming brands using AI need to disclose AI content. The FTC released a final rule in August 2024 that banned fake reviews and testimonials. To support responsible content practices, TikTok has labels for disclosing AI-generated content, and Meta began adding “AI info” to video, audio, and image content across their platforms. YouTube requires certain effects and synthetic content to be flagged as “Altered Content” during video creation.
Being transparent about partnerships and brand deals will help increase trust with your consumers. According to Sprout Social, 86% of survey respondents said that they would be more likely to give the company a second chance after a bad experience if it has a history of transparency.
As Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines have reiterated, trust is the crucial component of E-E-A-T, so keep demonstrating that you’re transparent about who is behind your content, maintain a positive reputation, and follow ethical content practices.
Monitor Your Brand Mentions Alongside AI
If you think you’re safe because your brand doesn’t use AI, think again. Users who are disenfranchised with AI may have a negative perception of your brand if they see unofficial ads on AI-generated, low-quality content.
In an email to Marketing Brew, Google spokesperson Nate Funkhouser said, “YouTube doesn’t currently offer advertisers the ability to opt out of appearing next to AI-generated content.”
It’s always good practice to monitor where your brand shows up and disassociate from fake content to remain trustworthy.
Tap Into UGC And Human-Led Brand Presence
Brands still need a human voice and faces to represent them, craft compelling narratives, and convey their messages professionally.
A good example is HubSpot’s Instagram content, which uses its marketing manager to humanize its marketing content (this example is about retargeting ads).
UGC gives your customers a sense of participation and is more trustworthy than content from a third party, since it isn’t commissioned. Not to mention, Google also surfaces more video, forums, and UGC in response to user behavioral shifts in seeking quality content.
Support Community-Led Content
Invest in creators and groups with genuine influence in your category.
Lastly, participate where the conversations happen. Niche communities on Reddit, Discord, and Threads are also great for truly connecting with your audience in a transparent way, while customers benefit by getting transparent feedback. What works in these communities is engaging in conversations, rather than just having them watch streams of your content.
What’s likely to work? Hosting AMAs and helping solve problems using Reddit vs. selling with an AI-generated avatar that misses all emotional connection to your audience? We recommend the former.
Trust Is Being Rebuilt Through People, Not Platforms
Instead of solely investing in AI to generate more creative assets, try partnering with nano-influencers, adding more context and disclosures to your campaigns, and facilitating lively UGC campaigns over communities in platforms like Reddit.
People don’t get inspired by a bot or someone who hasn’t actually lived the experience. Your brand earns your audience’s trust through relatable creators and thoughtfully crafted content.
The brands that win are ultimately the brands that feel more human, and the decision to lean into human-led content is yours.
More Resources:
- Effective Social Media Management Is Human-Centered
- Generative AI And Social Media: Redefining Content Creation
- Consumer Trust And Perception Of AI In Marketing
Featured Image: hmorena/Shutterstock
