Why authenticity is important in your content
Last updated: September 2026
There’s a ton of content out there today.
Some of it’s useful and genuinely connects with you. Some of it’s a bit dry and stuffy. And some of it is full of jargon, written by people who are trying very hard to sell you something.
That’s where authenticity comes into play.
For me, authentic content is about honest communication, building trust, and letting some of your personality come through.
It doesn’t mean sharing everything about yourself or turning your business into a personal brand. It doesn’t mean you have to be informal all the time either. It just means communicating in a way that feels genuine to you and gives people a realistic sense of who you are, what you do and what they can expect from you.
When people are deciding whether they want to work with you, buy from you, or follow what you have to say, they’re not just looking at what you offer. They’re also trying to work out whether they like you and can trust you.
Your content can help them do that.
Why authenticity matters
We’re surrounded by information.
There’s fake news, misleading claims, sensationalist headlines, greenwashing, endless social media posts and more content being created every day. It can be hard to know what to believe and who to trust.
Honestly, it can all feel a bit overwhelming.
That’s one reason why I think authenticity matters. When there’s so much of that other stuff around us, a little straightforward, honest communication can be like a breath of fresh air.
People are much more likely to connect with your business when they can see the real person or people behind it.
That doesn’t mean you have to share your whole life online. It means giving people enough of a sense of who you are, what you care about and how you work so that they can decide whether you’re someone they’d like to do business with.
Your content can help:
A useful blog post can show how you think
A case study can show how you work
A photograph can give people a feel for your business
The way you write can give them a sense of your personality
None of these things needs to be carefully curated to create an impression. In fact, the more you try to sound like the business you think people want to buy from, the harder it can be to connect.
Being yourself doesn’t guarantee that everyone will connect with you, and that’s okay. The people who do connect with your approach, your values, and the way you communicate are more likely to be the people you want to work with.
What does authentic content look like?
There’s no single formula for authentic content. It will look different depending on your business, your personality and the people you’re trying to reach.
But there are some things I think can make content feel more genuine.
Say what you mean
You don’t need to use marketing language for everything. If something is complicated, explain it clearly. If you don’t offer something, say so. And if there’s a better option for someone than working with you, it’s okay to tell them.
I’ve always been happy referring people somewhere else if it’s not something I want to do or have the expertise to work on. I’d much rather help someone find the right person than try to sell them something they don’t need from me.
Share your experience
Your own experience can make content much more interesting and helpful than a generic version of the same advice. Talk about what you’ve learned, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what you’d do differently now.
Let your personality show
You don’t have to become the funniest person in the world, but your content shouldn’t have to sound as though it was written by someone else either. The words you choose, the examples you use and the things you notice can all give people a feel for who you are.
Be honest about the messy bits
Not everything goes perfectly in business. Sharing a mistake, explaining something you changed your mind about, or talking about what you’ve learned can make your content more relatable. It will also help people understand more about how you work.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep
Sensational headlines and big claims might get attention, but they can quickly damage trust if the content doesn’t back them up. If you say you’re going to help someone understand something, make sure you do.
Talk about what matters to you
If there are things you genuinely care about in the way you run your business, don’t be afraid to talk about them. You don’t have to turn them into a marketing slogan, but showing your values through your actions and your content can help the right people recognise that you’re a good fit.
For example, the outdoors is huge for me, so you’ll see lots of outdoor images and an environmental policy on this website. They’re not there because I think they’ll make a good marketing story. They’re there because they’re a genuine part of who I am and how I run my business.
Authenticity doesn’t mean sharing everything
There’s a difference between being authentic and putting your entire life online.
You don’t have to share your breakfast, your weekend plans or every behind the scenes moment of running your business. You don’t even have to be particularly personal if that’s not how you want to communicate.
For me, authenticity is more about consistency.
The person someone gets a sense of from your website should match the person they meet when they talk to you. Your values should show up in how you work, not just in a page on your website. And the way you communicate should feel like you, not a version of your business you’ve created because you think that’s what good marketing is supposed to sound like.
So it could mean being chatty and informal. It could mean being calm and straightforward. It could mean using humour, sharing strong opinions, or explaining things clearly without using industry jargon.
There isn’t a right personality for your content - it’s your personality.
Look for authenticity in the businesses you admire
One of the ways I’ve learned to think about authenticity is by noticing it in the businesses I already like.
Patagonia is a good example for me. Its environmental values aren’t just something you see in its marketing. They show up in the way the company talks about its products, its approach to business and the things it supports. I’ve always liked that, and the way founder Yvon Chouinard’s values have remained such a visible part of the business.
There are lots of smaller businesses that do this too.
They might not have a big marketing budget or a carefully constructed brand strategy, but you can see what matters to them in the way they work, communicate and treat their customers.
That’s what I find interesting about authenticity.
It isn’t really about having the perfect words. It’s about whether the words, the actions and the experience of dealing with a business all feel like they belong together.
You can probably think of businesses you feel that way about too. They might be companies you buy from, people you follow, or small businesses you’ve recommended to someone else. Think about what makes you trust them - it’s often a useful place to start when thinking about your own content.
Authenticity is about being yourself
You don’t need to reinvent the way you market your business to make your content more authentic.
Start by looking at what you’re already saying:
Does it sound like you?
Are you being honest about what you do and don’t offer?
Are you sharing useful information rather than trying to impress people?
Can someone get a sense of the person or people behind the business?
You don’t have to appeal to everyone. You just need to give the right people a genuine reason to trust you.
Want an outside perspective on your content?
If you’re wondering whether your website content sounds like you, gives people the information they need and reflects the business you run today, I can help.
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