The psychology behind familiarity, trust, and why consistent communication matters.
A parasocial relationship is a one-sided relationship where someone feels they know a person despite never having met them.
For decades, these relationships formed around television and radio personalities. Viewers became emotionally invested in the people they watched regularly, celebrating their successes and feeling disappointed by their failures—even though the relationship existed only on one side.
Today, parasocial relationships are more prevalent than ever.
They're just as likely to form around a podcast host, LinkedIn creator, YouTube educator, or business owner who consistently shares helpful, authentic content.
Think about it.
Who's your favourite YouTube creator?
Which business owner do you enjoy following on LinkedIn?
Chances are, a few names came to mind immediately.
Marketing and communications are a crucial business function.
There is psychology and proven theory behind why, and even how, marketing works.
Diving into simple human behaviour can offer even more useful insight.
Parasocial relationships develop through repeated exposure. Every helpful article, LinkedIn post, newsletter, podcast, or video creates another opportunity for people to become familiar with you and your business.
Familiarity alone doesn't create trust—but it often creates the opportunity for trust to develop.
Businesses often assume social media exists to generate immediate sales.
In reality, one of its greatest strengths is helping people become familiar with your business before they ever contact you.
That's why the most effective content educates, informs, and demonstrates expertise rather than constantly asking for the sale.
A professional and consistent content plan
Social media should be taken as seriously as any marketing initiative - perhaps more-so because of people’s expectations and perceptions.
The digital age has provided several platforms for any business to initiate and maintain a parasocial relationship, thereby creating a loyal fan base to increase sales and repeat business.
Social media can create authenticity if used correctly and it’s this authentic approach that leads a person to feel connected. This connection forms a trust and loyalty that may not otherwise be achieved quite so easily without face-to-face interaction.
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Where Businesses Build Familiarity Today
- LinkedIn helps professionals share expertise and build credibility with decision-makers.
- Facebook creates opportunities for community engagement and authentic conversations.
- Instagram showcases your people, products, projects, and company culture.
- Email newsletters keep you connected with people who have already shown interest in your business.
- Blogs and articles demonstrate expertise while building long-term visibility through search.
Why This Matters
Every article you publish.
Every newsletter you send.
Every social media post you share.
Every video you record.
They're all opportunities to become more familiar to your audience.
Over time, that familiarity contributes to your digital credibility—and digital credibility is one of the foundations of trust.
If you're interested in how familiarity, consistency, and trust work together online, you may also enjoy our article on Digital Credibility.
If you’d like to learn more about Parasocial Relationships, click here to read David C. Giles, The University of Winchester, PDF that dives even deeper into this psychological phenomenon.