Relatable content: Why authenticity brings more reach today than glossy content

A clear change can currently be observed in social networks: Glossy productions, perfect imagery and slick advertising messages are increasingly losing their impact. Instead, content that is approachable, honest and human are human. This is where a term comes into play that could hardly be more relevant at the moment: Relatable content.

We at OIT now manage numerous social media channels from a wide range of industries – and we can see very clearly how the output and, above all, the impact of content has changed. Users no longer just want to be informed or advertised to. They want be entertained. And they want to find themselves.

What is Relatable Content?

Relatable content describes content in which people recognize themselves directly. Situations, thoughts, problems or small everyday moments in which you unconsciously think:

“Yes, that’s exactly how it is for me too.”

This is not about coincidence, but about consciously created situationsthat are relevant for many people – whether in everyday working life, in private life or in the typical working environment of an industry.

Relatable content is:

• Authentic instead of perfect

• emotional instead of purely informative

• entertaining instead of promotional

And that’s exactly why it works so well.

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Why is relatable content so popular?

Social networks thrive on interaction. Likes, comments, shares and watch time are the signals that algorithms reward. Relatable content triggers precisely these mechanisms:

• Recognition: People feel understood

• Emotion: Laughter, head nodding or “that’s me” moments

• Share: “You have to see this, it’s 100% you!”

Short video formats such as reels or shorts benefit enormously from this. Today, a simple, honest scenario often beats an elaborately produced campaign.

Our practical experience: reach despite small accounts

What is particularly exciting is that we see these effects not only with large accountsbut above all with small and medium-sized channels.

In recent weeks, we have been able to achieve strong coverage with individual reels on various social media channels, here are a few examples:

And that with channels with a maximum of 1,200 followers. These figures show very clearly:

👉 Today, reach is no longer just a question of followersbut a content question.

Specific examples of relatable content

What exactly works? A few typical samples from our daily work:

• Everyday situations from professional life

  (“When the customer says: ‘That’s done quickly’…”)

• Typical ways of thinking or problems in an industry

  (deadlines, meetings, technology, customer feedback)

• Small human weaknesses

  (postponement, excessive demands, misunderstandings)

• Humorous exaggeration of real situations

What is important here is that it is not about exposing someone – but about shared experience.

Conclusion: less glossy, more human

Relatable content impressively demonstrates that social media is moving closer to what it originally was: social.

Today, companies, brands and service providers don’t have to be perfect – they have to be genuine be genuine. Those who have the courage to show insights into everyday life, admit situations and sometimes laugh at themselves will be rewarded: with reach, attention and a genuine connection to the target group.

We at OIT experience this change every day – and one thing is clear:

Relatable content is not a trend that will disappear tomorrow. It is an answer to what users really want to see today.