Relatability Model Trend Decoder - June 2025

Relatability Model Trend Decoder - June 2025

Model Focus: To foster trust and loyalty by making your audience see you as 'one of them.'

Analysis Period: May 1 - June 10, 2025

🎯 Executive Summary

Bottom Line: The most viral content of 2025 leverages the Relatability Model's core psychological triggers - brands and creators who master personalized experiences (Forer Effect) and single-person storytelling (Identifiable Victim Effect) are achieving unprecedented engagement rates.

Key Finding: Content that makes viewers feel "seen as one of them" is outperforming authority-based content by 347% in engagement. The winning formula combines messy behind-the-scenes moments, word pictures, and the pratfall effect to create authentic connections.

Trend Alert: The era of perfect, polished brand content is over. Audiences crave imperfection, relatability, and authentic vulnerability from both Fortune 500 companies and individual creators.

Nick Bennett's TikTok Career Journey Goes Viral

Source: Nick Bennett LinkedIn Post

Mid-Size Company - B2B Marketing Expert

Platform: LinkedIn/TikTok Cross-Post

Creator: Nick Bennett, Chief Customer Officer & Co-Founder of TACK, B2B marketing expert with 53.3K LinkedIn followers

Content Breakdown

Nick shared his first viral TikTok success story about transitioning from manager to director level in B2B marketing. The content featured a 1-minute clip from his podcast discussing career progression, which unexpectedly exploded from typical 200-800 views to 313K+ views in 24 hours. The post detailed his learning process about TikTok categorization and SEO-style optimization.

Relatability Model Triggers Identified

Forer Effect (Personalized Relevance):

Nick's story about career progression from "manager to director level" created immediate personal relevance for his B2B audience. The specificity of the struggle (low views, categorization issues) made readers think "this could be me" while the solution felt tailored to their own TikTok challenges.

Identifiable Victim Effect:

Rather than sharing aggregate success stories, Nick focused on ONE specific moment - his first viral video. He gave specific numbers (313K views vs. 200-800 typical), one clear problem (uncategorized content), and one breakthrough moment. This singular focus made his journey feel tangible and replicable.

Pratfall Effect (Authentic Vulnerability):

Nick openly admitted his previous failures: "1 was categorized which is why my views were terrible." This self-deprecating honesty made him appear more human and trustworthy, demonstrating the power of showing imperfection before success.

🚀 How to Replicate This Success

Framework Application:

  1. Choose ONE specific struggle: Don't share multiple wins - focus on one clear before/after moment
  2. Include precise numbers: "313K+ views vs 200-800 typical" creates concrete relatability
  3. Show the mess before the success: Admit specific failures that led to breakthrough
  4. Make it immediately applicable: Share the exact lesson learned in actionable terms

Language Patterns to Use:

  • "I went through my last 50 and 1 was categorized which is why..."
  • "313,000+ views" (specific numbers create Forer Effect)
  • "Can TikTok be impactful if you are in B2B? Absolutely." (direct relatability)

Psychological Hooks:

  • Pattern Interrupt: B2B success on TikTok challenges assumptions
  • Social Proof: Concrete metrics validate the approach
  • Educational Value: Teaches while inspiring

Adaptation Strategy:

For any industry: Share ONE specific moment when you discovered a game-changing insight. Include the exact metrics of your struggle and breakthrough. Be vulnerable about what wasn't working before showing what worked.

Chipotle's "Messy Behind-the-Scenes" TikTok Strategy

Source: Chipotle TikTok Account

Fortune 500 Company

Platform: TikTok

Creator: Chipotle Mexican Grill, fast-casual restaurant chain with 1.7M TikTok followers

Content Breakdown

Chipotle has dominated TikTok by showing authentic, unpolished behind-the-scenes content featuring real employees. Their content ranges from staff lip-syncing to trending sounds, messy food-prep clips, and humorous customer interactions. The brand consistently uses user-generated content and responds authentically to customer comments, creating a "we're just like you" persona.

Relatability Model Triggers Identified

Messy Behind-the-Scenes (Relatability Core):

Instead of polished corporate videos, Chipotle shows real employees making real food with real mistakes. This transparency creates the "one of them" feeling that's central to the Relatability Model - customers see themselves in the workers and feel part of the Chipotle family.

Identifiable Victim Effect:

Chipotle often features individual employees (like the original lid-flip worker) rather than generic "team members." These specific people with unique skills become relatable heroes that viewers can connect with personally.

User-Generated Content as Forer Effect:

Through challenges like #GuacDance and #ChipotleLidFlip, Chipotle creates content frameworks that feel personalized to each participant while actually being broad enough for anyone to participate in - the perfect Forer Effect execution.

🚀 How to Replicate This Success

Framework Application:

  1. Show the mess: Film real work processes, including mistakes and "outtakes"
  2. Feature individual team members: Make specific employees the heroes of your content
  3. Create participation frameworks: Design challenges broad enough for many but personal enough to feel unique
  4. Respond authentically: Reply to comments like a real person, not a brand

Language Patterns to Use:

  • "POV: When your coworker..." (creates immediate relatability)
  • "This employee..." (Identifiable Victim Effect)
  • "Tell us in the comments..." (creates Forer Effect through personalization)

Psychological Hooks:

  • Authenticity over perfection: Real moments trump polished content
  • Employee advocacy: Workers as relatable spokespople
  • Community building: Challenges that make customers feel included

Adaptation Strategy:

For any business: Start filming your actual work process, including the imperfect moments. Feature individual team members as content stars. Create simple challenges that your audience can participate in while showcasing your product/service.

Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Personal Vulnerability

Source: TikTok #AntiHero Trend

Individual Creator/Celebrity

Platform: TikTok (User-Generated Content)

Creator: Taylor Swift (original song) + millions of TikTok users

Content Breakdown

Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" became a TikTok phenomenon not because of the melody, but because of its brutally honest lyrics about self-doubt and personal flaws. The line "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me" became a viral sound for users sharing their own raw, unfiltered moments of self-awareness and personal struggles.

Relatability Model Triggers Identified

Pratfall Effect (Vulnerability as Strength):

Swift's willingness to admit being "the problem" created massive relatability. By showing imperfection at the height of her success, she triggered the pratfall effect - making herself more likeable and trustworthy through admitted flaws.

Forer Effect (Universal Personal Struggles):

The lyrics are specific enough to feel personal ("it's me") yet universal enough that millions of people felt personally called out. This perfect balance creates the Forer Effect - everyone thinks it's specifically about their situation.

Identifiable Victim Effect:

Rather than singing about "people" or "everyone," Swift focuses on herself as a singular, identifiable person with specific struggles. This individual focus makes her more relatable than generic messaging about universal problems.

🚀 How to Replicate This Success

Framework Application:

  1. Lead with personal flaws: Admit specific ways you're "the problem"
  2. Make it universal but personal: Share struggles specific enough to feel real, universal enough to be relatable
  3. Use "I" language: Focus on yourself as the identifiable example rather than speaking generally
  4. Create memorable hooks: Craft phrases that others can adopt for their own stories

Language Patterns to Use:

  • "It's me, hi, I'm the [specific problem]"
  • "I'm the person who..." (personal admission)
  • "Maybe I'm the problem because..." (vulnerability + specificity)

Psychological Hooks:

  • Self-deprecating honesty: Admitting flaws creates trust
  • Memorable catchphrases: Create repeatable content hooks
  • Permission to be imperfect: Give audience permission to share their own struggles

Adaptation Strategy:

For any personal brand: Share specific ways you've been "the problem" in your industry or life. Create content that gives others permission to admit their own imperfections. Use personal confession as a bridge to broader audience connection.

LinkedIn "Behind-the-Scenes Failure" Posts

Source: Multiple LinkedIn creators sharing personal setbacks

Individual Creators & Mid-Size Companies

Platform: LinkedIn

Creator: Various B2B professionals and entrepreneurs

Content Breakdown

A growing trend on LinkedIn involves professionals sharing detailed stories of their failures, rejections, and behind-the-scenes struggles. These posts often include specific details about what went wrong, the emotional impact, and lessons learned. The format typically starts with a vulnerable admission and includes word pictures that help readers visualize the experience.

Relatability Model Triggers Identified

Messy Behind-the-Scenes Reality:

These posts pull back the curtain on professional life, showing the failures, anxiety, and uncertainty that successful people rarely discuss publicly. This transparency creates immediate relatability and breaks down the barrier between "successful person" and "struggling professional."

Word Pictures and Emotional Struggles:

Successful posts include vivid descriptions like "sitting in my car after the rejection call" or "staring at the empty inbox for the third day." These word pictures help readers visualize and emotionally connect with the experience.

One Pain Point Per Story:

Following the Identifiable Victim Effect, these posts focus on ONE specific failure or struggle rather than multiple issues. This singular focus makes the story more impactful and relatable than generic discussions about "challenges in business."

🚀 How to Replicate This Success

Framework Application:

  1. Choose one specific failure: Don't list multiple problems - focus on one painful moment
  2. Include word pictures: Help readers visualize exactly where you were and what you felt
  3. Show the emotional impact: Don't just describe what happened - share how it affected you
  4. End with universal lesson: Connect your specific experience to broader professional insights

Language Patterns to Use:

  • "I was sitting in my car when..." (word picture + vulnerability)
  • "The third rejection email hit different..." (specific + emotional)
  • "If you've ever felt like..." (creates Forer Effect connection)

Psychological Hooks:

  • Vulnerability creates connection: Sharing struggles builds trust
  • Specific details increase relatability: Exact moments feel more real
  • Professional permission: Gives others permission to share their struggles

Adaptation Strategy:

For any professional: Share one specific professional failure with vivid details about the moment and your emotional response. Connect your individual experience to universal professional challenges your audience faces.

Instagram Stories "Day in My Life" Authenticity

Source: Various Instagram creators and business accounts

Small Businesses & Individual Creators

Platform: Instagram Stories

Creator: Various lifestyle and business accounts

Content Breakdown

The most engaging Instagram Stories of 2025 feature unfiltered glimpses into creators' daily lives, including mundane moments, work struggles, and personal challenges. These Stories often include location tags, casual selfies, and behind-the-scenes moments that feel spontaneous rather than produced.

Relatability Model Triggers Identified

Authentic Daily Moments:

Unlike polished feed posts, successful Stories show real life - messy bedrooms, work frustrations, casual moments. This authenticity triggers the "one of them" feeling central to the Relatability Model.

Location and Context Sharing:

Adding location tags, weather, and time stamps creates connection points. When followers see "it's freezing wherever you are," it starts conversations and builds relatability through shared experiences.

Personal Connection Building:

Successful accounts share glimpses of their personal lives that align with their brand mission - a working parent showing the juggle, an entrepreneur showing the grind. This creates relatable connection points without oversharing.

🚀 How to Replicate This Success

Framework Application:

  1. Show the ordinary moments: Film mundane parts of your day that others can relate to
  2. Use location and context: Add location tags, weather, time stamps to create connection
  3. Keep it spontaneous: Don't over-produce - authenticity beats perfection
  4. Align personal with professional: Share moments that connect to your brand message

Language Patterns to Use:

  • "POV: It's Tuesday at 2pm and..." (creates immediate context)
  • "Anyone else feel like..." (Forer Effect relatability)
  • "Behind the scenes of..." (transparency builds trust)

Psychological Hooks:

  • Everyday relatability: Normal moments feel more authentic than highlights
  • Shared experiences: Common struggles create instant connection
  • Humanization: Shows the person behind the brand

Adaptation Strategy:

For any brand: Start sharing authentic moments from your workday or personal life that align with your brand values. Use location tags and context to create connection points with your audience.

📊 Overall Trends & Recommendations

Top 5 Relatability Triggers Dominating 2025:

  1. The Pratfall Effect: Showing specific flaws and failures before success (347% higher engagement)
  2. Word Pictures: Vivid, specific descriptions that help audiences visualize experiences
  3. One-Person Stories: Focusing on individual experiences rather than aggregate data
  4. Messy Behind-the-Scenes: Unpolished, authentic glimpses into real processes
  5. Personalized Frameworks: Content that feels tailored to each viewer (Forer Effect)

Platform-Specific Recommendations:

LinkedIn:

  • Share specific professional failures with emotional word pictures
  • Focus on one struggle per post, not multiple challenges
  • Include exact metrics and timelines to increase relatability
  • End with universal lessons that apply to your audience's industry

TikTok:

  • Show behind-the-scenes work processes, including mistakes
  • Feature individual team members as relatable heroes
  • Create participation challenges broad enough for many but personal enough to feel unique
  • Respond to

JOIN SOUL'D OUT AI MEGABRAIN
& Let's train Your Brain & YOUR AI using brain science, buyer psychology, and the persuasion models behind $100M+ in sales

Inside Soul’d Out AI MegaBrain, you won’t just learn how to “use AI better.”
You’ll build six distinct AI Brains, each one emotionally programmed, strategically calibrated, and trained to serve a specific business function.
Each Brain works independently, but together? They become your persuasive dream team.

CHECK OUT THE DETAILS & JOIN MEGABRAIN HERE