Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:05]:
I am your host, Shannon McKinstrie. Welcome to Good Content, the podcast where I remove the never ending content creation guesswork and overwhelm so that you can actually enjoy being on social media again and growing your business with what has always worked. Good content. Well, hello friend. Last week I was recording this on the floor of an airport, which is why today I'm wearing a shirt from a little boutique here in Cary that I love, Villa 19, that says jet lagged because I am still recovering. Let me tell you guys something. I went to Baltimore, was it 2 weekends ago, with friends, went to a concert. Obviously we stayed up way past our bedtime, so I was exhausted. Got back to North Carolina Sunday night, flew out to Savannah Monday, and had to speak on Tuesday.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:49]:
It was the best conference. And let me tell you, before the conference I got my makeup done because I knew I was gonna be exhausted from the concert and traveling to Baltimore, back to North Carolina on a plane, all within 24 hours. So I went on Instagram. It was so weird. I was scrolling on Instagram. This is about a month ago. And this reel pops up and this girl's makeup is gorgeous. And you can tell she got it done for her wedding because it's like a video.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:12]:
I go to the creator's profile because I'm just curious. And it says Savannah, Georgia. I write her immediately. Well, first I went to her profile and I saw she was following me and I was like, this is hilarious. And I followed her right away. I was, and I filled out the form and I booked with her. As I'm sitting there in the chair and she's doing my makeup in the hotel room, I mentioned that I was born in Hinesville, Georgia at Fort Stewart because my dad's Army. She goes, I'm sorry, what? She was born and raised in Hinesville.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:38]:
Hinesville is definitely a place in Georgia like most people, you know, it's not, it's not as well known, right? It's a suburb of Savannah. So all that to say, like, It's so funny how these apps work. And the fact that we bonded over that Hinesville thing, and now I'm like, want to be your best friend, right? Because not only did she do my makeup, now she's always going to be top of mind because I'm like, oh my gosh, we, we have this connection beyond just she did my makeup one day. So it was a conference for the International Caterers Association. So these are all like big-time caterers and it was absolutely incredible. They were the most fun group. They were a great time. So a huge thank you to them.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:17]:
It was called the Ascend Conference. So if you're in the catering world, definitely go there. Just like the best of the best and just the nicest people. And I just love that I get to do what I do. But let me tell you, I went around the room with these caterers and we created reels on the spot and it was so, so, so fun. And then of course, going to the conference, being around all the people, just connecting, you know, there was this one group from Seattle and we bonded. We were laughing it up, like just having conversations, right? Having conversations. Even when I'm on stage, I'm having conversations with people.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:45]:
I'm very, um, it was funny. Someone was like, oh, this was like the best session. And well, I don't I just love that so much was just off the top of your dome. I'm like, this is just what it is, right? But it's so cool to get that feedback. So all this to say, whether I'm going to Savannah and having a speaking engagement, or I'm posting some content, or I'm in stories, the feedback from my audience shapes everything I do in business. It shapes my next post. It shapes my next offer. It even shapes my tagline copy on my website.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:15]:
I have always leaned on, and the first time I started doing speaking engagements in DC where I'm originally from, or that's where I grew up after moving from Hinesville. That connection, and I would, after the speaking engagements, people would come up to me and ask more questions. I would note those down and I would create content from it. Every single thing that I've ever created comes from y'all, because if one of y'all has that question, I know more have it. Getting out and talking to people is one of the best ways to energize your brain. Every single person at that conference after said, wow, I've really been overcomplicating this. Every single one said that, and they all had content up before they left my session, and it was amazing. So the conversations I had with them will turn into content.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:02]:
And even someone today commented on my post and mentioned something. I don't want to say it here because I really do think we're going to use it, and it's how we're probably going to rebrand the Reels Lab because I've been thinking about rebranding it for a while because we do carousels in there, we do all sorts of stuff. So But again, the name of, of what we're going to rebrand the Reels Lab will come from my people, my audience. I let y'all tell me what you need, what you want, what you don't like. Hear you loud and clear, right? When a post doesn't do well, I'm like, all right, well, so I think having just conversations with people is the most underrated marketing skill out there. And again, the Reels Lab didn't come out because I wanted to create A membership that made me $2 million. I didn't think anyone would join it. I knew at least a few would, 'cause they asked for it.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:49]:
I had people in my DMs asking me for something that would give them their content every week and get my feedback on it. I was like, okay. So I created it. It came from them. And I get so many people saying, what do I share? What do I post? I'm like, you just gotta start posting and see what resonates, who bites. Even with the caterers, while I was talking, Yeah. I was sitting in that room with them or standing in that room with them and letting them decide what they wanted. After I talked, I was like, all right guys, let's do it.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:16]:
What do you want? You know, what do you want to create? I let them dictate and then I learn where their struggles are. What, right? Like as I'm editing these reels for them, I'm like learning exactly where they're struggling. And then that helps me help you guys because I know you guys have the same struggles. My audience, point blank period, you, the listeners, the people who follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, you have built my entire brand. Yeah. Everything came from feedback. And I want to put this into the words of someone who, because I know you're going, yeah, yeah, yeah, Shannon, whatever. I was scrolling TikTok the other day and I wrote it down.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:50]:
Someone recently interviewed Alix Earle and they basically said, what would you tell your younger self if you were first starting to create? Like you would, you're starting from zero. And she said, share what you're doing, share your journey, share your story, share what you're learning. And I was like, this is what I've been screaming for for years. And this is why so many people are struggling to grow. All these people that grew and blew up in 2020, 2021 during the pandemic because everyone was home baking sourdoughs. All these people got on Instagram Reels and blew up, and then now their content is dead and they're struggling and their, their account is dead. They can't get traction. I'm like, because y'all lost the plot.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:25]:
It was so value, value, education heavy. It turned into a classroom, and that's what social media is. Social media is a conversation, just like I had all week in Savannah and I've had all week in the DMs and the conversations I have in the comments section of my post. Now you're probably But Shannon, I can't get people to comment. That's because you and I together are going to create content that starts conversations, and that's what we're going to get into in just a second. But again, I want to make sure you know that sharing your life, sharing your journey, does not mean exposing every detail. You do not have to do that. You're just kind of sharing things you notice and pick up on, right? And what I told the caterers, I was like, just take little videos of everything.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:04]:
What are the cool, like, things at the event that you couldn't believe? Oh, they had You know, I showed a reel to them of like some guys serving cookies and milk at the end of a wedding. And they all were like, oh yeah, we've seen that before. I was like, I haven't. I go, you guys think we've seen everything. We haven't. And they're like, oh, that was like a big epiphany for them. I'm like, have conversations, watch the guests' reactions. And if they react, then honey, that needs to be a reel because it's something the event industry knows and sees all the time.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:30]:
The caterers see it all the time. We haven't. We go to what, on average, maybe one wedding a year or two, right? Yeah. I think the purpose of this episode is I want you to start noticing. I want you to leave your house sometimes. If you're like me and you work from home, notice your clients' faces. Notice what people ask you. Take note of these things.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:51]:
That's your content right there. Because if it's starting a conversation with someone in the wild, it's going to start a conversation online. And I think one of the best places to do this, and this is where I'm going to get into brand deals. When you're trying to start conversations and you're unsure and you're a little nervous to post on your grid stories, y'all, I would say about 90, I'm not even joking, 90% of the content, my offers, everything came from DMs and conversations from my Instagram stories. Back in 2000, I want to say '15, '16, I discovered oat milk, right? I am lactose, dairy and I, we don't get along. I still dabble because apparently, you know, can't, can't stop, won't stop. But I started on stories sharing about this oat milk latte I found. I was like, oh my gosh, what is this? It was Northside Social in Arlington.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:38]:
I've talked about this on the podcast before. Then people were so invested. They're like, what is oat milk? I start going around DC every time. 'Cause I would bring Cam with me in tow and I would, I would work and I would go find another oat milk. I created an entire highlight on coffee, DC coffee shops, and I believe it's still up. This is where I realized my clients actually people but was I going to make content about oat milk on my feed? No, but in pictures would be my oat milk latte. I reference oat milk lattes in my caption because it would give people a reason. So again, there's little things that you can start kind of testing in stories to really figure out what your audience knows you for, what they bond with you over, right? Then I was like, oh my gosh.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:18]:
Then I started sharing all sorts of stuff. I realized people loved it. Right now, what do people DM me about all the time? I literally get DMs every day from someone talking either a reel Making fun of, or an actual picture of someone's wine stem. Because I did a reel a month ago and I talk about it in stories all the time, how a bad wine stem will ruin my entire meal, right? It's like a joke. We joke about it in stories. Now, is my content going to be about wine stems? No, but that is where you test out ideas. And again, you give people a reason to have a conversation. Now you'll notice my reel the other day, I have a gorgeous wine stem.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:53]:
Next to me with Pinot Grigio in it as I'm talking about creators right now in 2026. This is what I mean about just like little things that you let the audience tell you what draws them to you. You can throw little things out and your brand is going to always be evolving, right? So with that, I want you to focus this week on just sharing what you know, sharing a journey you're on, something you've discovered. Your content is literally hidden in all these little moments of your day that you just aren't noticing and you need to start noticing. I think the best marketers just notice human behavior and they notice things that are interesting to them. And the more that you share in stories behind the scenes of your life, the more you get to know what your audience wants from you, because this is what happens. I share something about oat milk. It leads to, oh my gosh, I love that brand.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:37]:
By the way, do you offer one-on-ones? I'm telling you, it happens all the time. And then the conversation starts where they're asking you about your offer and what you do. And then you get to understand what they're struggling with. You guys, we are intimidated sliding into most people's DMs and being like, oh, if you give us something to conversate with you on, maybe it's a show you both are watching. Maybe it's the new Netflix true crime that everyone's obsessed with, the toxic, whatever, like put it up in stories. And if you're like a corporation, you're more of like, oh, you're like, oh, well, Shannon, we're like a big, we're Fortune 500, whatever. Okay. Show me what's in your break room that everyone is obsessed over.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:13]:
I even told one of the caterers, I said, show me your break room, like bougie things in your break room that just makes sense because you're caterers. Maybe it's like the $1,000 Espresso machine. This is the basic stuff that gets basic human connection and basic conversations. We got to get back to having conversations and stop treating social media like a classroom. That is where we all lost the plot. As you're sharing these things in your stories, these will lead to brand deals. Tag it up. If you are in the caterer world, or maybe you work for a caterer, but you also have your own personal brand, you better, when you're in You're making your morning coffee, you're at the grocery store, you're whatever, tag these people in your stories.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:53]:
I've gotten so many people that are like, hey, we'd love for you to— now I am one of those, unless I'm using the product or already obsessed with the product, um, I'm like, no thank you. But I'm also like, I don't do products. But ManyChat, I've done brand deals with ManyChat. I have now done probably like 10 or so reels for ManyChat. I've got all their swag, right? It's like some of these brands will reach out to you, but some it's like just tag them and then they'll DM you and be like, oh, thanks for that. It doesn't matter if you have 2,000 followers. You tag e.l.f. Cosmetics because you're obsessed with their lip tint.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:24]:
You tag Home Depot. Maybe you're even your local Home Depot has its own page. They might reach out and be like, hey, you want to collab on a reel? I'm telling you guys, the creator economy is so insane, and these huge companies know that they have to start shelling out money to people to build trust. You see it everywhere. You see it with apps. You see it with obviously clothing companies. And again, next week I'm talking all about brand deals. So this is just to kind of tease it up, but like these brands aren't looking for a huge following.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:54]:
They're looking for conversations in your comments. They're looking for the fact that that is something that you talk about regularly in your stories and whatever. Right. I've literally tagged Sweet Lorenz, the coffee or the cookie company. They sent me stuff. I've tagged Biscuitville, which is a local fast food chain in North Carolina. They sent me a bunch of stuff all because I tagged them in a story and they see that I have an engaged Audience, you guys, conversations is what we need to get back to. And the best way to have conversations is, like I said, sometimes if you're a little intimidated, get out and start having conversations.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:13:30]:
Take note of those conversations, create content around that, get on stories and talk about the conversation you just had and see what happens. It all starts with a conversation. And if you're introverted, no worries. I got you too. So let's end with a couple hooks to help you out. I'm sorry, this one was a little long. I was on a little rant, but we got this. All right, here's a great one.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:13:50]:
Expensive things that changed my life. And as you scroll, it's like Hatch alarm, Oura Ring. This is easy ways to have conversations. Again, if you're like, but Shannon, that's not my thing. No worries. We figure out something. Things in my, again, in my, in our break room that just makes sense as a blah, blah, blah company. Then you're sharing products that most people might have in their home or they've heard of.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:14:10]:
This opens up conversations. You've got to lower the bar to entry. You got to make it easy. So again, you're a dentist or you're a holistic functional medicine doctor. A lot of the stuff you might share is above my head or in words I don't understand. You got to dumb it down. What are the things at Target drugstores that you're like, oh my gosh, this is as good as any dentist can do? I want to know that. And again, this is a great one.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:14:31]:
What to buy for the host who says not to bring a thing. Get, and then under it in a subtitle to carousel, gifts that say thank you without stepping on her table. So what happens in the comments? Go look at the comments. This is, these are where the comments. Oh my gosh. I love when someone brings. XYZ to my house. I would die if someone showed up with this, blah, blah, blah.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:14:49]:
What do you mean? It's also people disagreeing with her, right? And again, for people who don't want to talk on camera, look, this one's perfect. It literally says a reception crowd favorite from this weekend's wedding. So what did they do as the event planners? They noticed. They noticed what people were going gaga over, and it's a Mahjong table. I'll do one more. Oh my gosh, this is it. I'm obsessed. 10 things I do on a flight as a nutritionist.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:15:11]:
So again, what did she do so brilliantly? The fact that most people are probably on a flight or they're going to be on a flight. So right away they're like, ooh, I, I could use this because this is something that, yeah, we're not nutritionists, but we go on planes and I want to know what she does on the plane. And I guarantee someone either asked her, maybe one of her clients was like, oh, I'm flying soon. I don't want to end up eating all that. Oh, cool. And created a carousel on it that did really well for her and a ton of opt-ins for her too. Another great one, how to have the best weekend without spending a fortune, your budget weekend itinerary. And people in the comments are adding in, chiming in.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:15:46]:
And somebody even goes, well, I don't know what my toddlers are doing this weekend, but I'm doing this. Hysterical. We need to get back to having conversations and creating content that just makes us excited to comment. Because guess what? Those comments lead to more content. We got to get back to basics. We got to get back to having conversations. And if you're stuck and no one's responding to your content, I hate to say it, but dumb it down. What are some things that you've had conversations around? Talk to the camera, talk about the conversation you had, talk about the thing you noticed, or what was something that came up? What's something that's in your notes? Show us.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:16:14]:
All this amazing content that's going to grow your account is just hidden in your phone already, or your brain, your house, your car. Next week we'll talk about brand deals, but I want to say over the next week, start maybe slow, like really small, just, you know, the restaurants you're going to, the subscription service you get every week, whatever you— Instacart, tag Instacart. You never know. And then next week I'll talk about how to make sure you're set up to be ready for those brand deals, because once you get conversations and people going and talking. And letting more people into your life and having conversations in the DMs and bonding with people, buckle up. I love you, friend. I'll talk to you next week. Mwah.