Why and How Should Influencers Cultivate Authenticity?

If you work in a consumer-facing industry, you already know that trust is one of the most valuable assets a brand can build. Research shows that 88% of buying decisions are highly influenced by how much a consumer trusts a brand, with 81% of consumers reporting that they won’t even consider buying from a brand if they don’t already trust it. Authenticity and connection-building are paramount for today's consumers. If brands want to survive, they have no choice but to focus on cultivating these two important values strategically. 

But how do businesses hold attention long enough to build authentic relationships with their customers? That’s where influencer marketing comes into play. However, for this type of marketing to work, influencers need to cultivate authenticity themselves, in order to earn the trust of their followers.

Today, we’ll discuss how influencers build trust and maintain authenticity, and why these values can have such a powerful impact on your brand’s bottom line.

What Is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands team up with standout social media personalities who have built loyal, engaged followings. These influencers use their credibility and reach to showcase products or services, often becoming the recognizable face or trusted voice of the brand.

Types of influencers include athletes, celebrities, home chefs, parents, fitness gurus, and web personalities. Successful influencers turn their online popularity into a viable business through content monetization or influencer marketing. 

Influencer marketing works by leveraging the trust built between influencer and consumer. Because social proof is one of the most powerful forms of advertising, it’s no surprise that 86% of US marketers have utilized influencer marketing in 2025. On the other end, 69% of consumers fully trust social media recommendations from influencers. It’s not hard to see why it's important for influencers to maintain that trust by representing themselves with authenticity.

Why is influencer authenticity important for your brand?

It takes time to build up a reputation, and brands can benefit from the way an influencer has cultivated theirs. And how customers feel about your influencer partners can have a direct result on your business's profitability. Here’s why authenticity in influencer marketing is so important.

1. Trust is won through consistency

‌Influencers build trust by proving themselves to be honest and genuine again and again. If an influencer chooses to share a brand, it suggests to their followers that they’ve already vetted it. When they share an opinion about a product, whether good or bad, their followers are likely to trust their opinion until proven otherwise. 

However, that trust can be quickly lost if the influencer starts creating posts that appear to be blatant advertisements or if they begin promoting a brand they don't actually use. 

Say there’s a particular female fashion influencer known for her strong views against fast fashion. If she suddenly starts hawking Shein and Temu, her followers would quickly call her out for acting against her own values. It’s likely that this would cause her reputation to plummet, as her followers lose trust for her. 

This is a great example of the kinds of events that can lead followers to abandon influencers in droves. And if this influencer is partnered with your brand, this type of situation can seriously affect your profitability. That’s why it’s important to choose your influencer partners wisely. 

2. Your consumers tend to identify most with influencers

Before the age of the influencer, celebrities were the driving force for lifestyle trends and purchases. But now, influencers have surpassed celebrities as the leaders of where to spend your dollar. In fact, research shows that 85% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over celebrity endorsements. 

Younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha tend to trust influencers over celebrities, with some even describing their favorite social media influencers as if they were close friends. The parasocial relationship between influencer and follower feels like a deep connection for many, and the trust that comes from it can hold great value. 

It's also worth noting that Millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers spend a good deal of time on social media platforms as well. Though they may tend to follow established celebrities and media figures, these generations also tend to cultivate parasocial relationships with YouTube creators and other social media influencers. These consumer populations may represent an overlooked audience for influencer marketing.

3. Authentic stories create emotional investment 

When people feel they’ve witnessed the real journey behind a brand or creator, they form an emotional bond that’s hard to break. Just look at the recent partnership between breakout global girl group Katseye and legacy clothing brand Gap. Their campaign collaboration became a viral sensation, outperforming its previous four campaigns in less than a month. Gap drew on the diversity and talent of the group to reposition itself as a cooler, edgier brand — to great success. The brand saw a 171% increase in mentions post-commercial, with a 286% surge in positive mentions. 

Thanks to a Netflix reality show that documented the creation of Katseye, fans got a unique window into the personalities and struggles of each group member hopeful as they worked for over a year to be chosen as part of the six-girl group. Not only did fans get to watch the girls strive to impress the judges, but their votes also helped determine which six ultimately made the group. Although this type of competition show is popular in some countries, it had never been attempted on a global scale, and it’s been proven successful. Katseye has now been propelled to international fame. 

Fans not only feel a sense of ownership over the six members, but by being invited to witness their struggles and growth, they also feel a deeper connection to the group’s authenticity. And Gap wisely chose to capitalize on it. Katseye’s rise shows how transparency and shared experiences can turn casual followers into loyal supporters.

Like Gap, brands can tap into the trust influencers have earned through authentic connection. But that partnership can only work when both share the same values and stay true to them.

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How do influencers build trust and maintain authenticity? 

On the other end, it’s not a simple task for an influencer to build up a trusting relationship with their followers. This type of connection gets solidified over time through content creation that aligns with an influencer’s genuine values. Here are five ways that influencers help cultivate and maintain authenticity with their content: 

1. They show their true selves

Influencers build trust the same way anybody else does — through vulnerability and relatability. Consumers are less likely to relate to an Instagram personality who showcases a perfect life with flawlessly airbrushed filters on every photo and video. They’re more likely to connect to an influencer who knows how to laugh at themselves and who isn't afraid to talk about their imperfect reality from time to time. Vulnerability helps build connection, and that connection translates into loyalty and trust.

2. They hold to their values within all partnerships

Influencers shine a light on their authenticity by promoting the brands they believe in. Before partnering with an influencer, consider scheduling a meeting with them to discuss whether their values are aligned with yours. It’s also a good idea to look into their following to determine if their follower base is a good fit for your business demographic. 

3. They ask to make the final choice in what they promote

Consider giving your influencers some of their own decision power regarding the products they'd like to promote. Because they tend to know their audience very well, they’ll already know how to gear their marketing toward that audience to produce results. 

In some cases, an influencer may opt to promote your brand instead of your specific products, because they want to associate your brand with their lifestyle message. This can have a good outcome, since over time, consumers may start to think of your brand when they see the influencer, creating a positive feedback loop.

4. They maintain long-term relationships with businesses

It’s a good idea to cultivate long-term partnerships with the influencers you choose to collaborate with. Don't think of influencer marketing as a quick fix to boost sales for the quarter. Instead, think of an influencer as a "brand ambassador" who can increase the credibility of your whole company, helping you to build long-term successful relationships with consumers.

5. They choose brands that they truly love

Ideally, you'll want to partner with an influencer who is genuinely excited about your brand and products. It’s much easier to work with an influencer who is already eager to share your message with their followers. Brand excitement is contagious. A good partnership between a brand and an influencer can lead to enthusiastic consumers, creating real and sustainable engagement.

Although there are many types of influencer partnerships to choose from, authenticity remains the key to success in every influencer marketing strategy. Whether you’re working with a nano influencer, a micro influencer, or a larger creator, your brand’s reputation depends on how much trust their followers place in them. An influencer’s follower count or engagement rate may help measure reach, but genuine authentic relationships and transparency build lasting brand trust.

Authentic influencers recognize that effective content goes further than product promotion. It also builds trust by reflecting shared values and honest communication. When marketers emphasize credibility over quick reach, they end up with better outcomes by connecting with the right influencers for their target audience. Those partnerships can then foster high-quality engagement and help grow brand awareness more successfully.

Today’s social media influencers know that authenticity fuels both consumer trust and social proof. Brands that invest in authentic influencer collaborations see higher engagement and a deeper sense of trust from their audiences. When influencer relationships are genuine, they resonate with the influencer’s audience, creating the kind of connections that are worthy of investment.

Build strong marketing partnerships with LeadDyno

If you’re looking to simplify influencer marketing for your brand, LeadDyno lets you manage your affiliate and influencer campaigns from one intuitive dashboard. Track performance, strengthen your influencer partnerships, and ensure transparency with powerful, real-time data your partners can trust.

Beyond simplifying campaign management, LeadDyno empowers marketers to identify relevant influencers, evaluate engagement, and track real-time ROI across all channels. By combining automation with analytics, you can make sure your influencer marketing strategy stays in line with your goals, whether that’s increasing brand trust or deepening connection with your audience. With the right tools and the right influencers, your next campaign can be both authentic and impactful.

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