How to be human on Instagram, without showing your face
Many social media professionals and agencies will tell you that you need a camera-facing community manager to see success on social in 2025. And while it is correct that a face… or two… or several, does help dial up authenticity and trust with audiences, and quickly too, there are other ways to get the same result.
If you’re a small team or business, that pressure to always be camera-ready can be a big contributor to inconsistent content, deviation from or failure to keep up with a planned social media strategy, and ultimately… it can lead to burnout. And no one wants that.
If you’re a larger team, responsibility often falls with the least experienced members of your team to put themselves out there. Log on to LinkedIn and you’ll see any number of Social Media Manager job descriptions stating that applicants need to be comfortable in front of camera, even modelling the brand’s products, in order to even get an interview. But forcing the office junior to perform awkward choreography or share their life story on the internet is a big ask, and one that goes hand-in-hand with a weighty power dynamic that could leave them feeling pretty uncomfortable.
Let’s dive in first to the why, and then to the how of showing up on social and executing a successful faceless strategy:
Why go faceless?
Faceless ≠ anonymous, or at least it doesn’t have to. There are plenty of ways to get personality into your content using good storytelling, especially if you’re up for using your hands, or your voice. Both of those options still give the viewer the sense that you’re a real person, and convey transparency to your community.
Try packing an order on camera with a top-down view, or set a voiceover to b-roll footage of your workspace. Voiceovers are a really lovely way to explain your why to customers, or to share a personal story that’s relevant to the way you deliver your product or service, especially if you have valuable expertise or experience.
It stands the test of time Generally, camera-facing content is much more likely to be trend-based and personality driven, which means it can age real quick. Other types of content -like educational carousels, aesthetic product spotlights, customer stories– are generally evergreen and won’t date as fast. This means they not only look good on your grid for longer, but they can be recycled and repurposed more often too.
It means making content is more accessible When you’re not waiting for good light, or a neighbour to quiet down, or for your make-up to be perfect to start filming or snapping, you can produce more content in more convenient task-batching ways. This makes it easier to stick to the schedule defined by your strategy, which is so important for growth and for nurturing a community.
It centres the viewer Maybe this is a hot-take, I don’t know, but sometimes I think one central camera-facing figure (or several very similar ones–all of a similar age or look) can become a barrier to finding new fans. If a user doesn’t look like the person they see, they can easily be tricked into thinking your brand/product/service isn’t for them. By showing authenticity and brand consistency via other methods, it becomes easier for the potential customer to plant themselves into the scenario, and picture themselves buying, wearing or using whatever your have to offer them.
So, what should you try instead?
Be visually consistent, if you’re not giving your audience a human to recognise in your content, (and to be honest, even if you are!) make sure your branding is consistent and clear. This way, when they see you in the feed, they still know it’s you.
Stick to your brand colours, use your logos, include IRL branded products if you have them. And don’t forget your brand voice. Being instantly recognisable on social is a reliable way to convert viewers > followers > customers. Sophie from Pretty Little Marketer –although some of her content does include her speaking to camera– does a brilliant job of this.
Use your hands, or voice, as we mentioned earlier, you can add a personal touch without speaking direct to camera. Use your hands to demonstrate how to do something - try a whiteboard, or film a process video on a screen – a great one for digital product or app makers. Tell a personal story, explain your why or share expertise by recording a voiceover to describe a product or experience you had.
Victoria from Elysian Living has built a following just short of 100K from entirely faceless content.
Take things long-form, if you’ve tried adding personality-based content in other ways and you know your community like it, take the storytelling off-feed for those who opt-in. Consider pushing email sign-ups or an Instagram Broadcast Channel for a place to double down on that personal storytelling and behind the scenes stuff, with a bit less pressure, and without having to film it.
Provide social proof, one of the best ways to develop trust and authenticity with an audience is to show them that what you do works. You can do this through customer testimonials (as long as you get creative with it), UGC, even behind-the-scenes of jobs you’re doing or services in action. Don’t just promise, demonstrate.
