How to Build Trust With Authentic, Human Content
Written by niki juhasz
what’s in the Blog
In an era of AI-generated word soup and curated social feeds, audiences are experiencing perfection fatigue. This post explores why authenticity outperforms polish in modern marketing, grounded in the Source Credibility Theory. By moving away from unrealistic standards and stock-heavy content, organizations can build deeper, more resilient trust with their supporters.
Key Takeaways for Human-Centered Marketing:
The Science of Trust: Understand why being perceived as a credible human is more persuasive than presenting a flawless facade.
Humanizing Your Brand: Strategies for elevating real spokespeople (like CEOs and Directors) to become the face of your mission.
The Power of Raw Content: Why low-fi, smartphone-filmed videos often drive higher engagement and trust than splashy productions.
Moving Beyond AI: How to use personal experiences and strong, human perspectives to cut through the noise of AI-generated donor letters and articles.
By embracing a perfectly imperfect approach, advocates and nonprofits can move past digital skepticism and foster genuine connections that drive real-world impact.
Last week, Katie was talking about trying a new Pilates class. I shared that I don’t like group exercise classes, because frankly, I don’t want people judging me for doing an exercise wrong.
It got me thinking about why.
We’re so used to chasing perfect. Perfection in our work, presenting the perfect image online. For me, apparently, perfecting that… hundreds exercise? (I don’t know y’all, I Googled Pilates poses. I never plan to go to a class.)
But the thing is, people are tired of perfect. And that needs to impact the way we do our work and the way we advocate. Here’s what’s going on – and what to do about it.
What does the science say about trust and perfection?
In grad school, I took a class called Communications Theory. Beyond making me never want to hear the word “theory” ever again, it helped me learn about the psychology behind how we communicate. Think: what builds trust, why some people are more successful communicators than others, how we engage with one another and more.
What we learned about trust. One theory that stands out is the Source Credibility Theory. In an (extremely simplified) nutshell, it says we are more likely to be persuaded about something or believe something if we think the source is credible. They don’t have to BE credible. We just have to BELIEVE they are. Now let’s connect that with the current world. If we suspect something is AI, or fake, we are much less likely to trust it. We don’t see it as credible. (There are ongoing studies about this phenomenon.)
What we learned about perfection. In another theory, we read about perfectionism. We learned that constantly striving for perfection sets unrealistic standards, and can often lead to anxiety, increased self-criticism and even depression. As many of you know, activists like Bell Hooks and Alice Walker famously advocated against perfectionism, with Walker saying "Perfectionism is a form of self-abuse.” Seeing perfect content feeds into these feelings of negativity. Today, audiences want raw, relatable, authentic content over the perfect.
Simply put: we want to see humans who we can trust, and we don’t want them to be perfect.
How can we make perfectly imperfect content?
We want to build trust and positive relationships with our target audiences – but AI and perfection simply don’t help us do that.
So what’s next? I’m not saying don’t use AI at all. What I’m saying is, when you’re putting together materials, make sure they feel real and authentic. Here are four ways to do that:
Spokespeople. Choose the real human being you want people to know from your organization. For example, this could be your CEO or Director of Advocacy. Then, help people “get to know” them as the human face of your organization. Sign your newsletters from that person (just like you see Forthright’s newsletters come from me and Katie). Put them front and center in media interviews. Share their real perspectives through your social media and marketing materials. This helps your audiences associate a trusted human with your work – building trust overall.
Video. A 30-second video, filmed on your phone (perhaps using a basic ring light), can do more to build trust and engagement than that perfect $50,000 benefit video (thought these videos still have their time and place, too). For example, this could be quick social media interviews with your clients or a video on your About Us page that gives a breakdown of what you do and why it matters.
Pictures. The other day, I saw a Mother’s Day post on my LinkedIn from a company I worked with in a past life. Since I know them well, I know for a fact that dozens of moms work at the organization. However, the photo was so, soooooo clearly a stock photo. It would have been easy to ask the moms working within the organization if they would be willing to share photos with their kids for the post. (I know the answer would have been an excited yes, since I worked with many of the moms myself.) It was a real missed opportunity to build personal connections between their audience and the team working at the organization. Using real photos when possible is the gold standard.
Messaging. I don’t know about you, but I’m so tired of seeing clearly AI-written LinkedIn articles, blog posts and ESPECIALLY donor letters. They don’t feel personal or like they’re sharing anything new, and oftentimes read like word soup. When possible, lead with a strong perspective, your personal experiences, the why behind your work. This will go much further than that AI article we’ve all read 10 times already.
So give yourself permission to stop chasing perfection in your campaigns, and build even stronger connections with your audience.
You’ve got this!
About the Author
Niki is a Communications Strategist and advocate with over 12 years of experience leading high-impact campaigns across the nonprofit, healthcare and government sectors. Holding a Master’s Degree in Communications, she specializes in bridging the gap between academic communication science and real-world advocacy. From designing campaigns that secured unanimous legislative victories to placing child poverty questions in presidential debates, Niki’s career is defined by building authentic trust in complex landscapes. As a vice president at Forthright Advising, she leverages her deep expertise in messaging and behavioral psychology to help organizations ditch perfectionism and create human-centered connections that drive systemic change.
