Scrolling on Instagram, we’re often presented with ‘Insta-perfect’ lives from influencers – from back-to-back holidays, to the latest designer purchases. Yet with a new report from VoxBurner revealing that over three-quarters of Gen Z scrollers would prefer to follow influencers with “like-minded values”, it is evident that many are getting tired of disingenuous and unrelatable online posts. Showing failures, inefficiencies, and flaws of everyday life, the value of authenticity online forges a deeper connection between influencers and their followers. Now, un-filtered posts and genuine conversation build a community of engaged followers.

In this new era of authenticity, as Instagram users search for influencers they can trust and relate to, The Room – which provides a marketplace that connects those with a profile to brands offering products and services they genuinely love – unveils the inspiring creators who share original and authentic content on their accounts.

Stacey Solomon
With 5.3m followers, Stacey Soloman has built a community online by keeping it real. From DIY hacks and recipes for her children, to her ‘tap to tidy’ Instagram stories, Stacey’s online feed shares the good, the bad, and the frank realities of raising kids while working. Reflected in her #ADs, Stacey’s paid posts similarly keep it real, with her latest supporting body positivity through a sustainable swimwear brand.

Stephanie Yeboah
Addressing issues of race, body image, and mental health, Stephanie Yeboah’s content centres around straight-talking self-love. Alongside sharing beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle posts, Stephanie opens up about her own challenges of experiencing fatphobia, bullying, self-esteem, and confidence issues to her 236k followers.

Mrs Hinch
Mrs Hinch discovered her love for cleaning whilst battling low self-esteem and anxiety. Rising to fame through her incredible cleaning hacks and family posts, Mrs Hinch’s content encourages people to gather the motivation to complete one small, but effective task that will bring with it that sense of achievement. Sharing cheap and effective hacks, Mrs Hinch has built a community of 4.5 million followers who share her passion for cleaning.

Dr. Alex George
As a junior doctor for the NHS, Dr. Alex George uses his platform to voice issues that affect us all, including both physical and mental health. From sharing experiences working on the front-line throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to raising awareness for mental health by leading the #postyourpill campaign, Alex shares kind, realistic and heartwarming posts to his almost 2 million followers.

Kate Lawler
Sharing the realities of parenting as not just sunshine and rainbows, Kate Lawler has created a community of 444k engaged followers. Sharing “not an ad, not a sponsor, I just love it” posts and voicing an opinion on causes that really matter to her – such as hygiene poverty – Kate keeps her feed un-filtered and authentically her.

Alex Payne CEO and co-founder of The Room comments:

“If social media was an organic playground at the start – the place we occupied to be informed, challenged, amused and entertained – brands spotting the opportunity turned it into an advertising channel, awash with #ads and #spons. Audiences have lost interest, faith and belief in over-commercialised feeds.

“The backlash against fillers, filters, free holidays and photoshop has been significant, and brands are quick to follow the trends away from meaningless collaborations. The descent has been triggered by a growing aversion to the fake – increasingly audiences want their influencers to be genuine, authentic, real and accessible. And the brands have had to follow this trend. Audiences are showing that the impact of love is far greater than the impact of paid. Increasingly on socials, honesty is proving to be the best policy.”