Why “People Like Me” Is the Most Powerful Persuasion Tool
We’ve all felt it.
You open a social app to catch up with friends, see what people are up to, or kill a few minutes—and you’re immediately surrounded by marketing. Social platforms didn’t start as advertising channels; they started as places for human connection. Over time, brands followed attention into these spaces, not because audiences asked for more ads, but because people were already there. That shift matters. When marketing shows up in an environment designed for social interaction, the content that earns trust isn’t the loudest or most polished—it’s the content that feels human.
The posts that stop the scroll almost always feature someone we recognize ourselves in. Someone who feels like us.
Someone who feels like “people like me.”
The Psychology Behind It: Social Proof
At its core, this phenomenon is driven by social proof—a concept popularized by Robert Cialdini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Social proof describes our tendency to look to others to determine what’s correct, safe, or valuable, especially when decisions feel uncertain.
But here’s the nuance many brands miss: social proof works best when the “others” feel similar to the audience.
We don’t just follow crowds—we follow relevant peers. People with shared roles, challenges, values, or constraints.
A testimonial from “a customer” is fine. A story from “a founder like me” is persuasive.
Why “People Like Me” Beats Brand Claims
Traditional advertising relies on authority: we’re the best, we lead the market, trust us. But audiences today are highly aware of incentives. They know brands are motivated to persuade.
Peers, on the other hand, feel lower-risk.
When we hear someone describe:
the same hesitation we have
the same objections we’re weighing
the same risks we’re worried about
…it shortcuts skepticism.
Social proof reduces cognitive load. It answers the unspoken question: “Has this worked for someone like me?” If yes, the leap feels smaller.
Influencer Marketing: It’s Not About Reach — It’s About Relatability
This is why brands are investing heavily in influencer marketing. However, the most effective influencers aren’t always the biggest. They’re the ones whose audience sees themselves reflected back.
Research consistently shows that micro-influencers often outperform larger creators on trust and engagement because they feel more accessible and authentic.
Visually, this trust is reinforced through:
real environments (not studio perfection)
natural language
imperfect, human delivery
This perspective shapes how we work at Benco: strategy comes before style, ensuring the visuals we create don’t just look good, but actually help brands connect and perform.
This Isn’t Just B2C — B2B Buyers Rely on Social Proof Even More
But does this also work for B2B decisions that are often higher-stakes, slower, and riskier than consumer purchases?
B2B buyers aren’t just spending money—they’re protecting reputations, careers, and internal credibility. As a result, they spend extensive time validating decisions through peer input, due diligence and third-party confirmation.
In B2B, “people like me” might mean:
same job title
same industry
same company size
same stage of growth
A CFO trusts another CFO. A marketing director listens to a peer—not a brand slogan.
Choosing the Right Influencers Starts With Personas
This raises a critical question: how do you know who your “people like me” actually are?
The answer starts with customer personas.
Yes—companies should absolutely have more than one persona. Most brands serve multiple decision-makers, each with different motivations, fears, and success metrics.
And no—they should not be marketed to the same way.
Questions to ask when choosing the right influencers or voices:
Who does our ideal customer already trust?
What role are they in when they discover us?
What problem are they trying to solve right now?
Who feels like a credible peer to them—not an aspirational figure?
An influencer who resonates with one persona may feel completely irrelevant to another. That’s not a failure—it’s a segmentation issue.
How to Show “People Like Me” Visually
Social proof isn’t just about what is said—it’s about how it’s shown.
Strong visual signals of “people like me” include:
real people, not actors
real workplaces, not generic offices
specific details that signal context and identity
Weak social proof often looks like:
vague testimonials
stock imagery
overly scripted delivery
These factors help viewers subconsciously answer: Could that be me?
Belonging Is the New Persuasion
Today’s most persuasive marketing doesn’t shout. It reassures.
Audiences aren’t asking, “Is this the best?”
They’re asking, “Is this for someone like me?”
Brands that understand this stop chasing generic credibility and start building genuine connection. They replace claims with stories. Authority with relatability.
Because in the end, people don’t trust brands. They trust people—especially the ones who feel familiar.
