Professional Instagram photographers, influencers, and models have to navigate a fine line on social media every single day. On the one hand, they want to show off their best possible, most aesthetic side. Human beings want to be adored and that’s only natural. On the other hand, they want the world to see them as they are, not a brushed-up improved version, and they want to ensure fan loyalty through being genuine.

In other words, how much to stage (and photoshop) pictures until you get the best shot that you can is always on Instagramers’ minds. After all, think about how many photos you take before posting a pic that’s important to you online. Now multiply that feeling by your anxiety to please thousands (and sometimes even millions) of fans and you’ll be more or less on the same level as the pros.

Fortunately, there’s something to be said for being honest about who you are in your photos and about opening up about how you make your ‘oh-so-perfect’ shots and about all the messy mishaps along the way.

In an earlier interview with Bored Panda, Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor at Cornell University from the Department of Communication, suggested that during the pandemic, people find “aspirational imagery and markers of privilege” to be less relevant.

Duffy said that female influencers have faced backlash for a long time for what their audiences determine to be “inauthentic, excessively self-promotional, or ‘fake’” content. And this has only strengthened in the wake of the pandemic.

In short, social media audiences appear to want more genuine, down-to-earth content. And some influencers seem to be responding and changing their strategies.