Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie

Episode: A Crash Course in Social Media Marketing

Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Shannon McKinstrie

Episode Overview

In this focused “crash course,” Shannon McKinstrie draws upon her decade-long career in marketing to break down the core differences between traditional and social media marketing. The episode is designed to strip away confusion and anxiety around content creation, especially for business owners who juggle social media with myriad other responsibilities. Shannon emphasizes human connection, storytelling, and creating a sense of belonging in your digital content—arguing these are now non-negotiable practices if you want to thrive online.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shannon’s Background and Perspective

• [00:48] Shannon introduces her professional journey, spanning communications, marketing, and media, including behind-the-scenes work at CNN.
• She positions her approach as “timeless” marketing:

  “Even though with Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, everything I teach, it’s still very much timeless marketing. It’s traditional marketing in a sense, right?” — Shannon McKinstrie (01:46)

2. Traditional vs. Social Media Marketing

• [02:09] Explains the distinction between traditional marketing (campaigns, sales pages) and social media marketing.
• Traditional marketing focused on features and benefits, always “selling” with methods like billboards and postcards.
• Social media marketing, by contrast, thrives on community, emotion, and belonging.

  "Social media is not a sales page. A caption can read like a sales page. But the real, the carousel, etc., needs to build connection and resonate." — Shannon McKinstrie (04:45)

3. The Shift: Building Emotional Connection

• [05:10] People come to social platforms to feel, not to be sold to.

  “People are on social media to feel rather than to be sold to—this will fix everything with your content, literally, every time.” — Shannon McKinstrie (06:05)

• As a content creator, Shannon considers her audience’s mood and needs daily:

  “I haven’t posted yet today, ’cause I’m trying to think like, how are my people feeling today?... Do they want tips and tricks today or do they want to laugh?” (07:12)

• She keeps content plans loose to stay attuned to her audience.

4. Social Media Marketing in Real Life

• [08:50] Most listeners aren’t full-time creators; they juggle business, family, and life—social media shouldn’t be daunting.
• Social media managers do much more than posting and replying. There’s instinct, trend-watching, and constant adjustment:

  “A lot of marketing is like a gut instinct, right? We’re constantly scrolling for inspo, we’re constantly testing, constantly trying, constantly tweaking. It’s a lot of frickin’ work.” — Shannon McKinstrie (09:23)

• Job titles matter: Social media experts’ work is undervalued when seen as merely administrative.

5. Content that Resonates: Storytelling & Authenticity

• [11:15] Content that creates a sense of identity and community prompts followers to think: “I belong here.”
• Shannon encourages more storytelling:

  "Start telling more stories, work more storytelling into your content… Show up as a human." — Shannon McKinstrie (12:15)

• Even for corporations, showcasing the people behind a business is key.

6. The Value of Ongoing Connection

• [13:00] Not every audience member is prepared to buy immediately, especially for high-ticket or long-lead purchases (like real estate); maintaining connection is essential.
• Social media adds relational depth over time, creating “a relationship, not just content.”

7. Practical Examples from Instagram

• [15:15] Shannon scrolls Instagram to spotlight content that skillfully blends authority with personalization:
  • Travel Creators: “Eight apps we never travel without…”—establishes trust and connection before offering a free resource (lead magnet).
  • Plant Influencer Trend: “Life with plants”—humor and relatability spark conversations.
  • Etiquette Coach: Mixes authority (“I may know the difference between a strawberry fork and an oyster fork…”) with inclusivity and everyday values.
• She emphasizes that “connection over sales” is the model:

  “Sell, sell, sell, sell. But lead with the connection.” — Shannon McKinstrie (19:30)

• The best content—humorous, empathetic, or educational—makes viewers feel seen and fosters belonging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On what makes social media marketing unique:

  “Social media… needs to build connection and resonate… We’re picking up our phones to feel something.” (04:45, 06:05)

• On the shift from hard selling to community:

  “When you create content that makes people go, that is so me. I belong here. I align with this person. That is where they start following. But they also think about you a lot.” (11:12)

• On storytelling as a business strategy:

  “Show up as a human… I don’t care if you’re a corporation with a hundred people, show the humans in the company.” (12:30)

• Practical wrap-up:

  "Your content needs to look like connection. And then in the caption, hit them with more of the sales copy." (14:52)

• On feelings and belonging:

  “Next time you post content, just ask if this gives some sort of sense of belonging, a reassurance, whatever that is.” (22:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48 — Shannon’s background and introduction to timeless marketing
• 02:09 — Difference between traditional and social media marketing
• 05:10 — Social media is about feelings, not just sales
• 08:50 — Real life realities for business owners and content creators
• 11:15 — Storytelling, authenticity, and fostering belonging
• 13:00 — The value of ongoing connection
• 15:15 — Live examples: Instagram content that connects
• 19:30 — Summing up: Connection over sales
• 22:52 — Final challenge: Does your content foster belonging?

Takeaways

• Stop treating your feed like a sales page: Good content leads with relatability, humor, authority, and real human stories.
• Storytelling and personality convert strangers into loyal followers.
• Feelings drive the social scroll: Ask what your audience wants to feel, not just what you want to sell.
• The journey to sale is now relational—connection first, sales second.

For deeper dives into storytelling, connection, and conversion, Shannon recommends checking out her other episodes focused on niche topics within social media marketing.