Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie

I know a lot of people make it seem easy, they have a viral reel, sell a bunch of stuff and then suddenly become millionaires. Fun fact: It's actually not that easy, because if it was, we would all be millionaires. I know it appears to happen overnight, but for most people they’ve been doing this for a long time, myself included. My Reels Lab recently hit over $2 million in sales and I’m going to tell you exactly how I did the dang thing without fancy funnels.

In this episode we’ll be covering:
How those overnight successes aren’t so overnight, in fact they are often years in the making.
A peek into my business journey and how I started monetizing my Instagram account.
How I started building my business, showing up and getting my name out there.
Early marketing strategies including personal outreach to family and friends, even if they didn’t need what I was offering. 
Building my local community in person at networking events and workshops.
Evolution of my services and price points, and how I ensured they were the right offers for my community and for me.

Recommended episodes:
Episode 98: Start Selling on Social Media without Feeling Salesy
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously
Episode 109: The Human Side of Content That Sells
Episode 113: This Instagram Story Strategy Became My Biggest Sales Funnel

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Join me in the Reels Lab!
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Connect with me on Instagram!

I’ve been navigating this strange “white space” after a whirlwind few weeks filled with nonstop busyness now that everything has slowed down. Instead of feeling relaxed, I was hit with a wave of anxiety and feeling like maybe I’m not doing enough. So, I’m working on letting myself just be, that means no big launches, no new projects, just enjoying where I’m at right now.
If you’re running on empty or stuck in a creative slump, remember that it’s okay to repurpose your content or simply take a break. The truth is, our audiences won’t vanish if we step back or reuse a great post from a few months ago. If you still want to show up, there are easy content hacks you can lean on like reaction videos or sharing relatable moments, they really work when your creativity is all tapped out. So here’s your permission to give yourself some grace this summer, trust that “enough” is truly enough, and know I’m right there with you. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:
Navigating busy seasons and down time in life without the pressure of expectations. 
Permission to pause for rest and resisting the temptation to work on new projects and ideas.
How to maintain a social media presence while taking a summer break or vacation.
Creative content ideas like sharing trending articles and familiar brands.
What the BENS (Big, Easy, New, Safe) Method is and how to apply it to your posts.
Hooks and formats for high-engagement reels, including borrowed familiarity and relatable moments

Featured content in this episode:
Shannonmckinstrie: How to Yap without Rambling
Zakbcreates: The new status symbol nobody talks about
Heart.led.wellness: Using food as a buffer from life
Thestomachdoc: If peas get their marketing right

Recommended episodes:
Episode 57: Repurpose Your Content for More Impact with Less Effort
Episode 94: You Want Your Content to Fit Your Life, Not Become Your Life
Episode 97: We All Love Familiarity, Here’s How to Create that Familiar Feeling in Your Content 
Episode 107: Where To Find Content Ideas So You’re Always Ready To Post
Episode 110: Become More Memorable When You Stop Overthinking and Start Repeating

Send a message!
If you use the send a message option above, be sure to include your email address if you would like a reply! (Please allow 3-5 business days for a response)

Join me in the Reels Lab!
Love this conversation? Make sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Connect with me on Instagram!

Right now is the easiest time to grow on social media, especially with the rise of yapping videos. What is yapping exactly? It’s basically just a talk to camera reel. Whether the idea of yapping on camera feels scary for you or you’re just not sure where to start, I’m going to walk you through my favorite tips and a simple formula to help you start creating your own yapping videos.

In this episode we’ll be covering:
Why we all love yapping videos on Instagram so much right now, especially with the rise of AI content. 
Do yap videos actually convert? We'll look at real examples of successful yapping videos.
How to create yap videos when speaking on camera feels scary and the real reason you hate how you sound on camera.
A peek behind the scenes of creating a yapping reel and why I usually do three takes of all my videos.
A walkthrough of my simple 30 Second Reel Formula.

Featured content in this episode:
Lonelinessdoctor: Making friends as an adult
Sabrinakaylor: I own three coffee shops in GA
Hindirlane: Smartest things we did was create a family email
The thirty second yap formula

Recommended episodes:
Episode 103: Hot Take: We’re Following Accounts Where We See a Reflection of Ourselves
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously
Episode 109: The Human Side of Content That Sells
Episode 114: Intellectual Property vs. Content Inspiration: Protecting Your Work as a Creator

Send a message!
If you use the send a message option above, be sure to include your email address if you would like a reply! (Please allow 3-5 business days for a response)

Join me in the Reels Lab!
Love this conversation? Make sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Connect with me on Instagram!

We're diving into a hot topic: content copying. I’m breaking down the difference between inspiration vs copying, how to protect your intellectual property, and I’m sharing personal experiences of copyright infringement and the best ways to handle it all.
We'll talk about what you can do when your content is taken without credit, the right and wrong ways to get inspired, and why it's so important to celebrate your own originality in the online space. If you’ve ever wondered when to shout someone out or how to make sure your ideas are protected, this episode is for you!

In this episode we’ll be covering:
The difference between content copying, inspiration, and intellectual property and why it matters. 
My own experiences with copyright infringement, how I handled it and what I wish I had done differently.
Deciding when to take legal action vs. letting things go and what options are available to you for dealing with content theft.
Trending or viral content vs Intellectual Property: enjoying when others use the concept and knowing what’s “teachable” vs. just “inspired content.”
Best practices when it comes to other people's content: obtaining explicit, written permission before reposting others’ content and knowing when to tag another creator to give credit where it is due. 
My method for handling content inspiration when I can’t recall the original creator.

Recommended episodes:
Episode 35: Turning Inspiration into Unique and Original Content
Episode 42: Your Simple B-Roll Can Become Easy Reels That Actually Convert
Episode 63: Was That an Ad? Even the Big Brands are Making it Personal
Episode 95: Building Real Community with Stories and Shared Moments
Episode 107: Where To Find Content Ideas So You’re Always Ready To Post
Episode 111: It’s How You Fill in the Blanks That Makes the Hook Unique to You

Send a message!
If you use the send a message option above, be sure to include your email address if you would like a reply! (Please allow 3-5 business days for a response)

Join me in the Reels Lab!
Love this conversation? Make sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Connect with me on Instagram!

Instagram Stories have become my biggest sales funnel to date, even rivaling my email list, and I’m going to walk you through my proven strategy that works for both launches and daily content. This strategy includes how I start my day, incorporating interactive elements like stickers and sliders, with a mix of both business and personal content to keep followers engaged. I’ll break down how I structure stories like a sales page from introducing offers to sharing testimonials and we’ll also touch on real life marketing brilliance that leans on nostalgia and relatability to build trust and boost conversions. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:
How Instagram Stories became my most powerful sales funnel for business growth.
My step by step Instagram Stories strategy for launching high-ticket offers.
Mixing personal life and business in Stories to encourage audience interactions.
Using Instagram insights to analyze which Stories get the most engagement.
Increasing Story conversions with link stickers, sliders and ManyChat.

Recommended episodes:
Episode 62: Why You Don’t Need Fancy Content to Stand Out
Episode 72: Creator Style Content is for Everyone, Even You
Episode 73: Staying Top of Mind with Instagram Stories
Episode 95: Building Real Community with Stories and Shared Moments
Episode 109: The Human Side of Content That Sells

Send a message!
If you use the send a message option above, be sure to include your email address if you would like a reply! (Please allow 3-5 business days for a response)

Join me in the Reels Lab!
Love this conversation? Make sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Connect with me on Instagram!