Why Leaders Can't Fake Authenticity In The Age Of Social Media

"Aura farming, the practice of curating a highly stylized persona that's disconnected from reality, is flooding social platforms, and it's starting to experience a backlash. The term went viral after many celebrities began appearing a little too perfect in their online posts. Travis Kelce, for example, participated in a TikTok trend showcasing highly stylized, meme-worthy vibes. While playful and entertaining, this approach can backfire when you try to create a persona solely to capture attention rather than build trust."

"At its core, personal and corporate branding have always been about authenticity. In the age of AI, that foundation is even more important. AI can easily generate a shiny, manufactured persona and produce attention-grabbing content at scale. But attention is not the same as emotional connection, and it doesn't inspire enduring trust. Sure, it's tempting to take on an AI-generated perfect persona or engage in aura farming, but it won't help you reach your goals. Being real will."

Building an engaged audience requires authentic branding rather than a contrived persona or polished perfection. Aura farming, the practice of curating a highly stylized persona disconnected from reality, is flooding social platforms and generating backlash after celebrities appeared overly perfect. Playful trends can entertain but risk backfiring when personas are created to capture attention instead of building trust. Consumers, particularly Gen Z, are hyper-aware of authenticity and can detect engineered personas. AI can generate manufactured personas and attention-grabbing content at scale, but attention does not equal emotional connection, and 65% of consumers would stop buying from brands perceived as inauthentic.

Read at Forbes