Crafted Social Media Content: How It Builds Trust, Brand Awareness, and Perception

Crafted content in social media marketing is about creating distinctive posts where every detail is intentional. These are high-quality photos and videos designed to stop the scroll, evoke emotions, and communicate your brand’s identity with clarity and authenticity.

When a brand chooses a crafted-driven approach, it invests in a visual language that feels human, relatable, and deliberately made. This is what audiences increasingly value in a digital landscape saturated with templates and repetitive formats.

How can you build a crafted content strategy that actually drives results? Below, we break down the core principles, current market data, and the real client cases.

Global Share of Crafted Content in Brand Communications

According to updated IAB research, brands worldwide increasingly rely on crafted, high-quality content to strengthen recognition and engagement:

• 2018 — 42% of brands reported prioritizing crafted content
• 2023 — 89% of businesses achieved performance from high-quality branded content
• 2025 — 91% employ crafted content as a core element of their social media strategy

Format distribution across platforms in 2024:

• Instagram: crafted — 49.6%, mixed (50/50) — 35.5%, design-driven — 14.9%
• Facebook: crafted — 56.4%, mixed (50/50) — 32.2%, design-driven — 11.4%
• Telegram: crafted — 34.6%, mixed (50/50) — 29%, design-driven — 36.4%
• X (formerly Twitter): crafted — 33.3%, mixed (50/50) — 43.2%, design-driven — 23.5%

The rapid growth of TikTok accelerated this shift. Short-form, authentic, “handmade” content became the cultural norm, and other platforms — especially Instagram Reels — quickly adopted similar formats.

Why Crafted Content Works: Key Features and Benefits

Crafted content stands apart from conventional, template-based formats. Its advantages include:

1. Authenticity. It avoids generic patterns and instead creates a distinctive, human-centered brand presence.
2. Originality. Crafted content relies on fresh ideas, not stock solutions — reinforcing uniqueness.
3. Quality over quantity. A single well-executed asset brings more value than dozens of indistinguishable posts. 
4. Consistency. Every element works together to build a recognizable, unified communication system.
5. Emotional impact. Visually expressive, “alive” content drives stronger reactions and interaction.

In a world where users scroll through hundreds of messages daily, what they remember most is work that feels real, intentional, and aesthetically meaningful.

Why Brands Need Crafted Content

Crafted content is more than a visual choice — it is a strategic instrument that influences business performance:

• Builds trust. High-quality visuals communicate care, precision, and reliability.
• Strengthens recognition. A distinctive visual makes a brand instantly identifiable.
• Drives engagement. Emotion-driven content encourages reactions, shares, and conversations.
• Supports product storytelling. Particularly effective for demonstrating real use cases.
• Extends content lifespan. Сrafted assets are saved, reshared, and referenced more frequently.
• Creates a premium impression. Even with modest budgets, a brand can look modern and refined.

Insight: According to the aesthetic–usability principle, visually appealing brands are perceived as more trustworthy, high-quality, and user-friendly.

Client Cases: How Crafted Content Transforms Brands

Crafted content impacts not only visual perception but also measurable business outcomes. Below are three MixDigital client examples.

FMCG brand 

The sunflower oil brand aimed to move beyond a restrained, traditional style and connect more meaningfully with consumers’ everyday lives.

What we did:

• Shifted away from templated visuals and developed a consistent crafted system
• Produced photo and video content in real household settings 
• Used warm color palettes, custom graphic elements, and thematic content series such as “Taste of Home” and “Comfort Food”

Results:

• Facebook engagement tripled (from 0.8% to 2.3%)
• +3,571 new Instagram followers
• The brand strengthened associations with care, warmth, and family values

This case demonstrates that crafted content in FMCG builds an emotional bond and significantly boosts engagement.

Pharmaceutical Brand 

Originally positioned narrowly as a remedy for lymphadenitis, the brand wanted to expand into the broader wellness segment.

What we did:

• Reframed the positioning: pharma efficacy + wellness aesthetics
• Launched a crafted Instagram presence with minimalist, calming visuals
• Created content that looked like part of daily self-care rituals

Results: 

• 6.2% engagement rate and 2,000+ interactions monthly  
• Brand perception shifted from “medical treatment” to “treatment + self-care”
• Sales increased by 16% in early 2025

This example shows how a crafted visual identity can help a pharma brand enter the wellness space and strengthen trust.

Snack Brand 

The brand aimed to refresh its identity and build a modern, energetic image.

What we did:

• Updated visual communication using a crafted, detail-driven creative approach
• Brought together a team of models, videographers, and stylists 
• Developed a bold, high-contrast feed with saturated colors and signature graphics

Results:

• +157% engagement on Facebook and +82% on Instagram
• 5,000+ new followers
• Crafted creatives became top-performing assets by saves and comments

This case demonstrates that expressively crafted visuals stimulate organic activity and increase brand visibility among younger audiences.

How to Work with Crafted Content in Social Media 

Step 1. Research and Strategy

• Conduct a brand audit: values, tone, key messages
• Analyze competitors’ crafted approaches
• Study your audience’s lifestyle, needs, and barriers

Based on these insights, define the visual direction, content formats, and communication style. Involve social media specialists, designers, and production early on to ensure feasibility and consistenсy.

Step 2. Choose the Right Content Formats

Crafted content can take multiple forms:

• Product photography — styled product shots and videos 
• Lifestyle shoots — real-life usage featuring models
• Compositional photography — static, atmospheric scenes
• Video storytelling — narratives-driven, human-centered stories

Step 3. Production and Post-Production

To ensure professional, coherent visual quality:

1. Maintain a unified visual style
2. Balance authenticity with brand messaging
3. Apply your brand palette, typography, and signature elements
4. Plan your shots thoroughly (storyboards, scripts, shot lists)
5. Avoid visual clutter (use 2–3 typefaces max)
6. Edit with attention to pacing and flow
7. Optimize formats for each platform

Step 4. Analysis and Optimization

Track key performance indicators:

• Engagement Rate (ER)
• Click-Through Rate (CTR) 
• Conversions (purchases, sign-ups, etc.)
• Reach and impressions
• ROI (Return on Investment)

Consistent analysis helps refine your approach and understand what formats drive the strongest results.

How to Measure the Effectiveness of Crafted Content

To measure the impact of crafted content in social media, analyze these metrics:

• ER (Engagement Rate) — percentage of interactions relative to followers or reach
• CTR (Click-Through Rate) — percentage of users who click your links
• Conversion rate — completion of target actions (purchases, sign-ups, etc.)
• Reach and impressions — unique users reached and total number of views
• ROI (Return on Investment) — financial return generated from the activity.

While these metrics apply to any content strategy, a crafted content approach typically drives significantly stronger performance across all these indicators.

How Crafted Content Impacts a Brand

• Drives engagement. Authentic content feels more human and encourages interaction. 
• Builds loyalty. Audiences form a stronger emotional connection and trust.
• Boosts recognition. A distinctive style becomes a recognizable brand signature.
• Increases conversions. Intentional messaging motivates action.
• Creates long-term value. Crafted content supports scalable communication and premium perception.

Crafted social media is no longer a trend — it is a strategic investment that helps brands stay relevant, attract new audiences, and build lasting trust.