Become Their Favorite Comfort Creator with Everyday Moments

Let’s just get right into it, I have so much I want to talk about in today’s episode, but first I want to remind you not to box yourself into one single type of content. Sharing a variety of different content types can be a far more effective way to reach and connect with your audience. We’ll dig a little deeper on this topic, exploring different ways to create a blend of content using my 4H Method that can actually captivate and convert your audience. We’ll also look at real-life examples of viral content that leverages everyday experiences to engage with followers.

In this episode we’ll be covering:

• Diversifying your content types and how that can help engage multiple buyer personas.
• Using the 4H Method to share different aspects of life and business in your content. 
• Returning to basics and using real-life experiences to create content that connects through relatability and trust. 
• Using storytelling, no matter how mundane or boring it seems, personal stories captivate and engage your audience.
• Create and share offline experiences, these real life experiences encourage inspiration, and lead to more engaging and relational content. 
• Make your audience feel as if they're interacting with a friend, this “comfort creator” content feels personalized and relatable.

Other episodes you might have missed:

• Episode 018: The 4 H’s Are the Only Content Pillars You Need for Reels
• Episode 026: Start a Signature Series That People Keep Coming Back For
• Episode 037: Personalization is the Key to Your 2025 Content Strategy
• Episode 040: Build More Connections with Everyday Moments

Links to reels  in this episode:

• Reel #1: Wedding Anniversary 
• Reel #2: Heatless Curls
• Reel #3: Heart Floor
• Reel #4: Alex on a Budget

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Transcript

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:00]:
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. I have so much I want to say, I have created so much content in the past week, it's kind of crazy. And I've actually had to hold back. Cause I'm like, I'm creating too much. I don't wanna overwhelm.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:34]:
But one of the main things I wanna talk about today is, you know, I came across this. It was a TikTok and it was this content creator basically giving advice. And she said, when you're first starting out, stick to one thing. You're either gonna educate or you're gonna inspire or you're going to entertain. And I was like, that's terrible. I here's the thing that could have worked for her. And if that sounds appealing, then yeah, do it. I mean, there's.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:56]:
If you're just like, Shannon, I only want to educate, you know, I only want to create helpful content. Do it. But again, these blanketed statements of like, this is what to do, this is the formula. It's just, ugh. So I just want you to know, this is why I created the 4H Method years ago, because I don't want to be boxed in. I create content sometimes just for the sake of it. Right. I love the H category and the four Hs that I've created because again, that's where you can really kind of showcase what's going on in your life.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:21]:
We're getting back to basics in 2025. We're doing transparency. Honesty. We are literally sharing our perspectives, our lives, what's going on behind the scenes, you know, which was missing for so long and it's finally back. So telling someone that they can only educate is like, first of all, boring. And second of all, if you're trying to sell something and you're only educating, it's going to be an uphill battle depending on what you're selling, right? If I strictly only educated, I'd be bored with my own account, I'd be bored with my own content, and I would feel like I probably wouldn't sell much because my story is what sells a lot of my courses and memberships and one on one things. And, you know, my story kind of falls under that heard category. Inspiring people. My gentle reminders help some people.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:04]:
My. My education helps some people. My humor helps other people. We have so many different buyer personas out there. I think it was my friend Brenna who did a masterclass years ago in one of my memberships and she said how, you know, think of buyer personas as the Friends characters. Right. One is Monica. She's going to want all the stats, all the.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:21]:
Right all the breakdown. The nitty gr. Someone like Chandler is probably going to buy for someone's personality humor. Someone else is going to want to know the bells and whistles. Someone else is going to want to know the transformational story. So boxing yourself into one content pillar is such damaging advice and it drove me crazy. So I did a reel on it and I want to talk about it on the podcast today. But I don't want to delve too much into it because if you're listening to this podcast, you already know a variety is key.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:44]:
But if you want to only educate, you only want to have a motivational quote account, you only want to do humor, do it. But again, there is no magical formula. There is no one way. You are the magic formula. You are the magic sauce. I hate to tell you that. Cause I know you're thinking, but Shannon, I'm not interesting. I'm not boring.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:00]:
We love boring. We love mundane. So stop it. Another thing I wanted to talk about was one that and basically that because we are getting back to basics in 2025. And I've been seeing it play out for a long time in the reels I'm about to share with you that are going viral. And what we can learn from these viral reels is how much it is coming back to. Hey guys, welcome back to my episode where I'm making my podcast studio. Hey friend.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:22]:
Welcome to another day of trying to walk 10,000 steps every day. Hey friend, I am on a mission to eat healthier this year. Come to Trader Joe's with me. That is what we are loving. Because here's. And I had a really great conversation with my mentor earlier today, Sara Wiles, and she said how what she call it, but it was something about like sales centric stuff, right? Which it's like we are. We're getting advertised to all day. We're getting content in our face all day.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:48]:
If we feel like if we're seeing the same thing we've already seen, we're out. If you haven't reframed it a little bit, we're bored. So instead of here's what to eat, here's what to buy, here's what to do, here's blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's like here's what I am doing, right? Here's what I'm making my kids for dinner. Here's the book I'm reading. Here's my favorite dog leash, right? It's like we want to feel like we're talking to our friend. That's where the whole comfort creater comes into play, you know, that whole thing. And I actually, it was the best compliment I got today.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:17]:
A compliment. One of my reels saying every time my talk to camera reels pop up, she feels like she's sitting down with a friend. And I'm like, that's the point. It made me so happy. Whether you're a plumber, whether you're a teacher, whether you are a corporation. Like we want to feel like we know the people. And you know, there's even a boutique in, I believe it's in Syracuse. And I, I think it's a consignment boutique.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:35]:
I think I've talked about it on the podcast, so forgive me if you've already heard me talk about them. But like they do try ons and they'll dress the mannequins and do challenges like who did it best, Lisa, Sarah or Siobhan. And it's like so fun. Everyone chimes in. So if I go to that boutique in Syracuse, New York, I know these girls, I know their style, I know who they are, I know what they have coming up because they've talked about it in their content. Again, this is a business with probably 20 employees and I know their names and I know the vibe and I know the energy and it's what social media is, right? So again, do not feel like you can only pigeon yourself. You have to put yourself in a box and only share one type of content. That is nonsense.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:10]:
But also don't feel like you have to put humorous content out if you don't want to. Okay, there is a magic little thing. But I will beg and plead with you to try, test and tweak. Someone actually asked me today on one of my reels about like, hey, is it okay if I just share something I think is funny? Cause I want to. I'm like, are you kidding? Yes. I shared a hangover flight that my sister in law we made up on New Year's Day. We were joking. It's like, you know, after a rough night, I'm like, I want water, but then the water tastes like crud, right? It's like I just want one sip of water, then I want to have a sip of coffee and then I want something super bubbly.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:43]:
And carbonated. And then I want my cocktail. The little hair of the dog. And we were cracking up about it. And she was saying, she's like, honestly, she's like, I've been saying this forever that restaurants should offer a hangover flight. And I was like, that is so funny. So she made one and we were joking around.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:57]:
I put it on Instagram. A million views. Put it on TikTok. I think it's close to a million. You guys, it brought in so many followers. And what's so funny is like, that would alarm some people cuz they're like, oh, but it's the wrong followers. No, it's not. No one's gonna follow me because of just that single reel.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:12]:
They looked at my profile, they decided they were interested in what I share and they followed me. And if they wanna stop one day, they can. And that's okay. The point is, if you want to share it, share it. So anyway, the main thing I want to say on this week's podcast is because we are going back to basics. I'm going to share with you again some viral reels that you can learn from in your everyday moments, your everyday experiences. The stuff that is so mundane and boring to you is so interesting to us because we love it. It's familiar.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:37]:
So if you are a fashion blogger, say, hey, I'm on the hunt for a leather jacket under 50 bucks. Let's go to TJ Maxx together. We are going to watch every second of that because we're on the hunt with you. If you are a interior designer and you're like, I'm looking for the perfect new bold color. My client wants xyz, let's go together. Stuff like that. Now again, if you're like, Shannon, I barely leave my house, I feel you. I've got you.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:00]:
Show me your workspace, tell me a hack you just came up with. Or like, this is great for like the virtual assistants, et cetera. Oh, you're a business coach. Record yourself on the call and record that whole 30 minutes if you can. Or when you know you're gonna have an aha moment with that client, trim it to 15 seconds and let me feel what it's like to be on a coaching call with you. Those real life moments. So when I had this epiphany last night, and that's what this whole podcast episode is about, I had this epiphany and I was like, you know what? The best social media content comes from offline. And we know that.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:28]:
That's why we posted our Latte art back in the day, that's why we posted our vacations, right? We didn't worry about our content. And 10 years ago, yeah, I would stress over my caption a little bit. Cause that's just who I am. Even before I was a business owner, I was worried about my caption, right? I think it's something witty and fun and cheeky. But we didn't worry that much about it. The reason we worry and overthink it so much is because there's all these stupid rules that 80% aren't true. Okay? But with that said, if you have nothing to post, you're like, Shannon, I have nothing to post. I have nothing to say.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:56]:
First of all, that's not true. You can take anything boring. It doesn't have to. You don't have to have an extraordinary life, an extraordinary day to create extraordinary content. Because the magic is in the mundane. So here's what I want you to do. This is your assignment this week. Before I go into the reels that are working, get out of your house more.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:12]:
And this is to say because so much happens offline. Go to a networking event, go to a coffee shop, go on a walk. Just record and document and take us with you. Something interesting happens when you leave the house, right? But even if you're just pouring your coffee, that's great B roll, as you guys know, and you put some really strong awesome copy on, on the front. That is the main character of your reel. For lazy creators like me, I need just B roll and I make the copy quote unquote, the text on screen. The star of the reel that is, it's. It's something that grabs them and makes them go, oh my gosh, I didn't know that.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:45]:
Or it's a new perspective. But again, your daily experiences, your morning run, going to Orange Theory, whatever it is, you can segue that to business. So again, let's say you do just have a photo dump of you at a coffee shop. Can you guess how many cups of coffee I had? 3. Know why? Because I'm debuting this new thing. Here's a sneak peek. You can segue everything to business. Your coffee consumption could be segue into a new offer you have your outing with your kid can be from a business coach saying, the reason I'm able to do this is because of my business.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:16]:
We want to see your life and we want the outcome. So you're a health coach, you're going to Trader Joe's. What are you buying? You are a local blogger. You're going To a park. Why are you going? What's cool about it? So again, real life. The best social media content comes from our real life daily experiences, even if they're mundane and boring. And then you use that content, the pictures, the video, whatever it is, to tell a story. Okay? So with that said, let's dive into some reels.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:43]:
So again, I think the epiphany I had was if you're really struggling to think of something to share, go outside, create an experience. Maybe you'll run into someone and have a really cool conversation. You can turn that into content. Maybe while you're watching the Today Show this morning, you heard something really like a stat, right? It's like, you guys, again, not that deep, but if you are like, Shannon, I'm. I'm just in the house all the time. Go out, make it happen. Okay. And real quick, I want to say there's an influencer on Tik Tok.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:08]:
I follow. And Poppi, you guys know I always am talking about my Poppi soda. This is what I mean by making something tangible and to connect with. Even if it's like, right, okay. The cans are on the grocery store rack. If you sell a product, ready, take notes, because Poppi nails it every time the product's on a Target rack, it's not. You can create experiences by showing what it's like to drink the drink, what it's like to open your. Your refrigerator and see them there, what it's like to order it from.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:32]:
Oh, yeah, I saw Chipotle has Poppi now things like that. You can create reels that show the experiences of drinking. Poppi buying Poppi, et cetera. Right? But here's what they did because they know they got up the ante. They are going to influencers that they've worked with in the past, showing up at their houses with a full closet, like a, like on wheels with merch for them to choose from. And they get to pick and choose their drink, their merch, et cetera. It creates an experience that is tangible. It's why so many people are creating events and immersive experiences.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:03]:
Because real connection happens offline. We know that we have to create connections online. So to do that, have the offline connection document it, put it online. Yay. Do you love that idea? Go do it. Create it. Create a meetup. Anyway, I digress.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:20]:
Let's dive into some viral rails and talk about it. Okay, here's one. Every year, right before our anniversary, I pull out this big hoop. She's a maker, and she takes you step by step. Now, she could say, here's how to make a hoop with this yarn. Instead, she said from her perspective, her story, her experience, that is the shift in 2025. Your boring life is so interesting to me, to everyone. Okay, you're probably going, but Shannon, it's not boring.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:45]:
Exactly. It's not. But she probably thought it was at one point. Oh, I'm just stitching this thing. Every year I do this. And she told the story of why she'd do it on her wedding anniversary. Okay. 49,000 likes.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:57]:
1.7 million views. Okay, another one. This girl is showing how she does her heatless curls. She doesn't use a heatless curl wand. She does it with leggings. And she talks about it. I do this all the time. She's talking about her experience with it.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:10]:
Not just here's how to do it. She's like, here's how I do it. 93,000 likes. She's demoing, which we love a demo. 93,000 likes. 2.8 million views. So crazy. Here's another one from another maker.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:23]:
Heart Floor Part two. She's in the process of. They're redoing their floor, and it's a whole episode. It's a whole series. So while her content is about documenting unique hotels is what her whole thing is. And she's taking you along the journey. So are you updating someone's website for a client? Are you creating an itinerary for someone's Disney trip? Show us. I know it feels boring.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:45]:
You think it's boring. It's not. We love to see. And guess what, it's instant social proof. We believe you. We see you doing it. You're talking the talk, walking the walk. All right, another one.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:12:54]:
This girl is Alex on a budget. She is, I guess, a money coach. She has budget templates you can Download. This has 193,000 views, but she also has ones with millions. And one of her over a million was under consumption. As a high earner, why I choose to spend less. So again, her journey, her story. Four million views, you guys.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:13:14]:
All right. But here's what I want to show you. She goes on to talk about the first part out of her. Her script, her reels hook. Verbal script. I film 98% of my videos in my 426 square foot apartment. And I want to show you a few of my tools. And then she goes in.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:13:30]:
So again, here's some tools you could buy off Amazon. Boring. We've seen it. We've seen it everywhere. She's saying, here's what I do. Here's my process. Do you see that subtle shift and how powerful it is? So again, your life isn't boring. You're not boring.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:13:42]:
She's filming her stuff in her 400 square foot apartment. When I first started creating content in my business, we were in an 850 square foot apart square foot apartment, old townhouse. The lighting was trash. I had to create all of my videos outside. I would have to leave the house and go to a coffee shop, shoot videos, shoot content. Trust me when I say if you want to do this and you want to take it seriously, find a way to do it. And I know you can do it. Next week we will be talking editing hacks, tiny little things to make your videos more engaging so that your boring content.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:14:12]:
We can make it bomb.com I love you friend. It's going to be an incredible year. Love you.