Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie

For years I thought I had nothing valuable to share on social media. When I first started posting on Instagram, nothing I was sharing was mind blowing, I was just documenting. So, I started posting a little more, showed up in stories, and took people along on my journey, and suddenly I'm getting people asking me, “How do I work with you? Will you come into my office? I'll pay you.” All I was doing was documenting something I did not find valuable or interesting, but it was valuable and interesting to other people. It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out just yet, your audience will tell you what is valuable, but first you have to hit post. Once you start posting, you learn what your audience loves the most. So I want to reassure you, even if you feel like you don't have anything valuable to share, you do. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:
How to find inspiration when you feel stuck. Try reading a book, sitting at a coffee shop, or having a conversation with someone.
You don’t need to have everything figured out yet, just start posting to figure out what works.
Moving past your own self doubt to find success, you’ll be so glad when you get out of your head and start recording.
Take your audience on a journey with you, document your day (even if it seems boring and basic) and share the moments that matter to you.
Start posting and let your audience tell you what is valuable, it might surprise you!

Featured content in this episode:
ShannonMcKinstrie: Hot Dog Beach Hack

Recommended episodes:
Episode 104: How to Create Viral Reels From Everyday Video Clips
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously
Episode 115: It’s Time to Get Yapping On Camera
Episode 116: Easy Content Ideas for When You’re Not Feeling Creative
Episode 119: Your Boring Life Moments are the Shortcut to Success

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!

I tell people this all the time and I don’t think they realize that you are literally just one post away from blowing up on Instagram. But here’s the thing most people don’t think about, you need to have the systems in place before it ever happens. I’m not saying don’t post your content, or use my hooks, in fact I want you to do that today! If you’re sharing online and people are connecting with you, eventually people will start reaching out, and I want to make sure you have systems in place to handle it, because trust me, once the ball starts rolling, you might feel overwhelmed. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:
The three most important systems to have set up in case you blow up on Instagram (or other social media platforms.)
How I’m leveraging ManyChat for the podcast and other ways you can use it for your business to create effortless automations that work for you around the clock.
Creating a Canva account for digital products so you can start selling your expertise, I know you have something sitting in your notes that can make you money.
Making sure you have a way for people to contact you, whether it’s brand collaborations or speaking opportunities, you need to have a simple way for people to get in touch with you. 
It’s ok to start small and simple, I used Google Docs for years, your people don’t care about the packaging, they want your brain and your knowledge. 

Featured content in this episode:
Social.varsity is your ManyChat Expert!

Recommended episodes:
Episode 87: How to Get New Followers on Instagram: Trial Reels, Bios, and More!
Episode 98: Start Selling on Social Media without Feeling Salesy
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously
Episode 117: How to Start Making Money Without Fancy Funnels
Episode 119: Your Boring Life Moments are the Shortcut to Success

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!

If you feel like you are boring, or your niche is boring, I need you to hear me: you are not boring. Those random and mundane life moments are exactly what we are craving on social media right now, and if you feel like you have nothing to say on Instagram, get out of the house, go for a walk, meet with a friend, read a news article and take note of what lights you up. Go do something interesting and talk about it. We see all this content on social media and it’s so edited and perfect, sometimes we just need to feel something real. Our brains are dying for more mundane and boring, and to just connect with you over the silliest stuff.

In this episode we’ll be covering:
The value of “boring” content and how seemingly mundane things from your day can actually be the key to more conversations.
Remember how I’ve been begging you to document your day with photos and video clips? Now is the time to use it!
How to get out of a boring content rut and find some inspiration in your day. 
Get outside your niche, your life isn’t all business, we want to see and hear about your day.
Sharing your journey helps connect with people who are on a similar path, or share the same values and beliefs. 

Featured content in this episode:
grace_lanker: How to pick the perfect watermelon
Doctora_edith: Unhinged things I’ve recommended as a pediatrician
Laurennortonbeauty: The art of knowing when to stop
Hollydawnkuni: Your toddler does not care if the craft is aesthetic 
Shannonmckinstrie: The Anti-Edit Edit

Recommended episodes:
Episode 103: Hot Take: We’re Following Accounts Where We See a Reflection of Ourselves
Episode 104: How to Create Viral Reels From Everyday Video Clips
Episode 106: Spark Conversations with Reels Your Audience Will Want To Respond To
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously
Episode 109: The Human Side of Content That Sells
Episode 116: Easy Content Ideas for When You’re Not Feeling Creative

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!

Identity maxxing is taking over Instagram right now and I’m here for it. We are getting thrown so much content these days, that you need something to help you stand out from everyone else. Because we don’t want to simply blend in, we want to create content that resonates and connects with our audience. This looks like sharing pieces of you (aka your identity) that other people can connect with so they see themselves and stop, thinking “wait, that’s me!” If you’re struggling with low views or you just want to stop the scroll, I have tons of examples (linked below!) to help you start owning your identity on Instagram.

In this episode we’ll be covering:
What is “identity maxxing" and how to start using it when you create content for Instagram.
How identity influences connections online and in person, and how our identity goes beyond simple demographics.
Discussing identity based content hooks to call out our audience and increase engagement.
How the Instagram algorithm serves content based on your specific identity and tastes. 
Multiple content examples and POV ideas for identity maxxing your posts.

Featured content in this episode:
Noellebybee: Rules I have for myself
Littlebugtogs: The library books I borrowed
Arthousecharlotte: I sell original local art in Charlotte, NC
Taylorjackzen: Making dinner for my family
The_intuition_dietitian: Convenience eater
Welltraveledchild: New non-stop international flights
Prestonkonrad: Simple and lux table upgrades
Shannonmckinstrie: Identity Maxxing

Recommended episodes:
Episode 103: Hot Take: We’re Following Accounts Where We See a Reflection of Ourselves
Episode 110: Become More Memorable When You Stop Overthinking and Start Repeating
Episode 111: It’s How You Fill in the Blanks That Makes the Hook Unique to You
Episode 117: How to Start Making Money Without Fancy Funnels

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!

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

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!