In an era of AI "slop," content that signals humanity—background noises, unpolished phone videos—converts better. Instagram's head even advocates for including imperfections like a dog barking to boost engagement, as it signals authenticity to viewers.

Breeze's most effective ads are raw, unedited videos of the founder. In one example, he filmed himself calling a customer to refund their $560 order after a coin flip. That single ad cost $560 to make but generated an estimated $500,000 in sales, proving authenticity trumps production value.

As AI tools enable marketers to produce more content, engagement is dropping for overly polished materials. Marketers are seeing better results with authentic, "lo-fi" content like screenshot testimonials and "day-in-the-life" videos that feel more human and trustworthy, even in formal B2B industries.

Highly produced video ads can feel jarring and inauthentic in a social feed. In contrast, user-generated style content that looks like it was filmed on a whim on an iPhone feels native to the platform. This authenticity leads to better performance, encapsulated by the DTC phrase 'the shakier, the better'.

To get leadership buy-in for less polished content, performance data isn't enough. Heike Young advises presenting a holistic case by including budget data (cost savings) and speed-to-market data (hours to produce vs. weeks). This reframes the decision around efficiency and relevance, not just views.

Rippling's marketing team discovered that expensive, high-production content doesn't always deliver better results. Scrappy, low-cost assets like iPhone-shot videos often perform just as well because their authenticity is more effective at stopping the scroll. This validates a lean, iterative approach to content creation, regardless of budget size.

Data shows raw, authentic 'lo-fi' content significantly outperforms polished material. LinkedIn posts see 144% more engagement, Instagram gets 220% more, and email click-throughs rise 88%. This strategy works for all industries, including 'boring' B2B, because authentic human connection wins.

Overly polished video content in B2B can signal "advertisement" to users, causing them to disengage. Lower-fidelity, more authentic content often performs better because it feels more organic and native to social media feeds, focusing on the message rather than slick production.

In an era of highly produced brand content, raw, unpolished videos can feel more authentic and are more likely to stop the scroll. This "imperfect" quality is a strategic advantage, not a weakness, as it stands out against overly polished feeds.