BeReal and the broader authenticity movement in social media have fundamentally changed how brands connect with audiences — particularly Gen Z and young millennials who reject polished, over-produced content. Authentic social media marketing means showing the real, unfiltered side of your brand: behind-the-scenes moments, genuine team interactions, honest product demonstrations, and transparent communication. In India, where social media users exceeded 500 million in 2025, the demand for “real” content is reshaping marketing strategies across industries. Last updated October 2026.
What Is BeReal and Why Did It Change Social Media?
BeReal launched in 2020 and gained massive popularity in 2022-2023 with a simple concept: once a day, at a random time, users receive a notification to post an unedited photo using both front and back cameras simultaneously. No filters, no editing, no polishing — just a genuine snapshot of your life at that moment.
While BeReal itself has seen fluctuating user numbers, its cultural impact has been enormous. Every major platform adopted authenticity-focused features: Instagram’s “Candid Stories,” TikTok’s “TikTok Now,” Snapchat’s dual camera feature. The message was clear — audiences were tired of the curated perfection that dominated social media for a decade.
For brands, this shift created both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge: highly produced, expensive content now feels inauthentic. The opportunity: genuine, low-production content that shows the real brand can outperform polished campaigns at a fraction of the cost.
Why Does Authenticity Work Better Than Polished Content?
Research consistently shows that authenticity drives engagement and trust:
- 86% of consumers say authenticity matters when deciding which brands to support (Stackla/Nosto research)
- Gen Z specifically ranks authenticity as the top quality they want from brands, above entertainment or information value
- User-generated content receives 4x higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click than branded content
- Unfiltered content generates 2-3x more comments than polished posts because people feel comfortable engaging with “real” content
In India, this trend is amplified by the massive adoption of short-form video. Indian creators on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and regional platforms like Moj and Josh have built audiences in the millions by being genuinely themselves — speaking in local dialects, showing real homes and streets, and addressing everyday Indian experiences without glamorisation.
How Can Indian Brands Adopt Authentic Social Media?
1. Behind-the-Scenes Content
Show your team at work, your office, your manufacturing process, your daily routines. A Jaipur jewellery brand showing artisans hand-crafting pieces generates more engagement than studio-shot product photos. A digital marketing agency showing team brainstorming sessions, whiteboard strategies, and Monday morning meetings humanises the brand.
Practical implementation: Designate one team member per day as the “BTS creator.” Their job is to capture 3-5 short clips or photos throughout the day. This content feeds Stories, Reels, and can be repurposed for LinkedIn posts.
2. Founder/Team-Led Content
Personal brands drive business brands. When your founder or team members share insights, opinions, and experiences on social media, it creates a human connection that logo-branded content cannot achieve. In India, founders like those at Zerodha, Boat, and Mamaearth have demonstrated how personal authenticity translates to brand trust.
What to share: Lessons learned from failures (not just wins), industry opinions, daily work life, event attendance, client meeting takeaways (without revealing confidential details), and genuine reactions to industry news.
3. Real Customer Stories (Not Scripted Testimonials)
Instead of formal video testimonials with perfect lighting and scripted answers, encourage customers to share their genuine experiences. A quick WhatsApp video from a happy client saying “yeh logo actually kaam karte hain” is more persuasive than a professionally produced testimonial.
4. Showing Failures and Learning Moments
Brands that only share successes appear inauthentic. Sharing what went wrong, what you learned, and how you improved builds credibility. A post about a campaign that underperformed and the lessons you extracted generates more engagement and trust than yet another “record-breaking results” post.
5. Real-Time, Unscripted Content
Live streams, real-time event coverage, spontaneous Q&A sessions, and unscripted “day in the life” content. The imperfections — stuttering, background noise, unexpected interruptions — actually increase authenticity signals.
Authenticity on Different Platforms: India-Specific Strategy
Instagram: Mix polished feed posts (1-2 per week) with daily authentic Stories and Reels. Use the “Add Yours” sticker to encourage community participation. Instagram Notes for quick, casual updates.
LinkedIn: The authenticity wave hit LinkedIn strongly in India. Personal stories, career learnings, and honest business reflections outperform corporate announcements. Write in first person. Be specific. Avoid jargon.
YouTube Shorts: Quick, unedited clips from your work life, office, or client meetings (with permission). The vertical, mobile-first format naturally encourages less-produced content.
WhatsApp (Business/Channels): With WhatsApp’s dominance in India (500M+ users), WhatsApp Channels offer a direct, authentic communication channel. Share updates, behind-the-scenes, and quick tips in a conversational tone.
Twitter/X: Real-time reactions, industry commentary, and genuine conversations. Indian brands like Zomato, Swiggy, and Dunzo have built massive followings through authentic, witty, real-time social media presence.
The Authenticity Spectrum: Finding Your Brand’s Position
Not every brand needs to be fully unfiltered. The key is finding where your brand sits on the authenticity spectrum and being consistent:
- Fully unfiltered (startups, personal brands, creator businesses): Raw, unedited, real-time content dominates
- Authentically curated (most service businesses, agencies): Mix of genuine moments captured thoughtfully — not scripted, but intentionally chosen
- Polished with authentic moments (premium/luxury brands): High production quality overall, but with regular “real” moments that humanise the brand
- Structured authenticity (B2B, enterprise): Thought leadership and case studies delivered in a genuine, non-corporate tone with real people and real stories
Measuring Authenticity: KPIs That Matter
Authentic content often produces different metrics than polished content. Focus on:
- Engagement rate (especially comments and shares): Authentic content drives conversation, not just likes
- Save rate: People save content they find genuinely useful or relatable
- DM volume: Authentic brands receive more direct messages — a strong buying signal
- Follower quality over quantity: Smaller but highly engaged audiences convert better
- Brand sentiment analysis: Monitor how people talk about your brand in comments and mentions
- Story completion rate: How many viewers watch your Stories all the way through
Cost Comparison: Authentic vs Traditional Content Production
One of the biggest advantages of authentic content is cost efficiency:
- Traditional branded video: ₹50,000-5,00,000+ per production (scripting, filming, editing, talent)
- Authentic behind-the-scenes Reel: ₹0-5,000 (smartphone, basic editing, team member’s time)
- Professional photo shoot: ₹25,000-2,00,000 per session
- Authentic team/office photos: ₹0 (smartphone, natural lighting)
This does not mean you should eliminate professional content entirely. The ideal mix for most Indian businesses is 70% authentic/low-production content and 30% polished/professional content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should brands actually use BeReal for marketing?
BeReal is primarily a personal platform. While some brands experimented with it, the platform actively discourages commercial content. The bigger opportunity is adopting BeReal’s philosophy — authenticity, unfiltered moments, real-time sharing — across platforms where your audience already exists (Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube).
How do we maintain brand consistency with unfiltered content?
Authenticity does not mean chaos. Establish guidelines: brand voice (casual but professional), topics to share and avoid, visual style (even unfiltered photos can have a consistent colour palette), and approval workflow for sensitive content. The tone should be consistent even when the production quality varies.
What if our product or office does not look “Instagram-worthy”?
That is actually an advantage. Audiences are fatigued by perfect aesthetics. A modest office with a hardworking team is more relatable and trustworthy than a staged, glamorous workspace. Show reality and let your work quality speak for itself.
Is authentic content risky for B2B brands?
B2B buyers are also humans who respond to authenticity. LinkedIn’s algorithm actively favours personal, genuine content over corporate announcements. B2B brands that show real team members, genuine expertise, and honest industry perspectives consistently outperform those posting generic corporate content.
How do we handle negative or imperfect moments in authentic content?
Not everything needs to be shared. Authentic does not mean unfiltered sharing of every moment. Use judgement: share learning moments and genuine challenges, but protect client confidentiality, employee privacy, and proprietary information. When a mistake happens publicly, address it honestly and quickly rather than deleting and pretending it did not happen.
