Imagine you’re scrolling through Twitter and you see two posts about climate change. One is from a well-known scientist, and the other is from a popular influencer. Who would you trust more? Who would you believe knows their stuff?

We wanted to see how people react to scientific messages on Twitter, whether they’re coming from scientists or influencers, and how personal vs. professional posts affect those reactions. We had over 1,500 people check out different Twitter profiles and rate them based on how authentic and knowledgeable they seemed. Plus, we looked at how these posts made people feel more connected to the poster (a concept called parasocial interaction, or PSI), and whether they would seek more information or do something positive (like donating to a climate organization) because of the posts.

People thought scientists were more authentic and qualified compared to influencers. When scientists talked about their professional achievements and research (professional self-disclosure), they were seen as especially knowledgeable. And regardless of the source, Twitter profiles with professional self-disclosure were rated as more qualified than those with personal details. So, talking about your work as opposed to your midnight mac & cheese snack will give you more street cred in the science world.

And when people felt a stronger connection with the poster (higher PSI), they were more likely to want to find out more and take positive actions based on the information. Scientists, with their higher perceived expertise, were better at fostering these connections.

But a caveat here: some people are less willing to trust experts (we call this anti-intellectualism). These folks were less likely to trust both scientists and influencers, but interestingly, influencers still managed to inspire more positive actions from them. This suggests that influencers might a tad bit more of an edge in reaching skeptical audiences.

So, lessons learned?

1. Understand Your Audience: Knowing that some people are naturally skeptical of experts can help tailor messages. Influencers might be a valuable ally in reaching these groups.

2. Be Authentic: Authenticity matters a lot. Whether you’re a scientist or an influencer, being genuine helps build trust and stronger connections with your audience.