Episode Overview

Podcast: Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie
Episode: How to Get New (and Old!) Followers to Binge Your Content
Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Shannon McKinstrie

In this episode, Shannon dives deep into the powerful strategy of creating binge-worthy content through recurring series on social media. Her mission is to cut through the overwhelm and offer actionable, approachable tactics for building both a loyal audience and attracting new followers. Shannon breaks down why content series are effective, shares practical inspiration, and stresses the importance of consistency, personal branding, and authenticity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Purpose of a Signature Series

• Signature Series Defined: Regular, repeatable content or a "series" that followers come to expect, enhancing return visits to your page.
  • "These can be weekly... even something on your feed that you don't even call a series. It's just something people know you for and they know every week you’re going to share it." (01:35)
• Why Consistency and ‘Returnability’ Matter:
  • Your account should be "returnable"—a place people seek out, even if the algorithm isn’t pushing your content.
  • "You need to be returnable. Your account needs to be something that people want to actually ... go into Instagram and type your username or business name to find you." (02:13)
• Growth is Not Always Rapid:
  • Shannon shares her own slow, steady growth and why that's not only okay but often more sustainable.
  • "I've never been an account that has grown rapidly...I have grown slowly but surely over time." (03:05)

2. How to Launch Your Own Binge-Worthy Series

• Start with Your Own Journey:
  • Use "Day 1 of..." or similar hooks to document a new habit, challenge, or showcase (art, outfits, process, etc.).
  • "A really good series for you to start out with if you're intimidated by it... is just day one of sharing blank until I find my people." (04:25)
• Keep It Authentic and Easy:
  • Build your series around what you already do or enjoy—don't force trends or generic ideas.
  • "It needs to be uniquely you and really emerge in your life." (05:10)

3. Series Formats and Real-Life Examples

• Journey Series:

  • Example: A creator sharing recovery from burnout with "Day 1 of trying a new hobby" received massive engagement.
    • "[05:22] B: Day one of trying a new hobby to recover from burnout."
    • "That has 277,000 likes, 17,000 shares. She's sharing a journey she's on and why she's on it. It's incredible." (05:25)
  • Visual Reveal Series: Artists revealing their work day by day until they "find their people."
  • Local Business Series: Ranking all locations or menu items (e.g., "Rating and ranking all 12 Great American Restaurants, part 11.") (09:00)

• Top Picks/Expert Opinions:

  • Music Recommendations: "Five albums I consider perfect that every music lover should listen to. This is part three of the series..." (06:48)
  • Industry Adaptation: Take these formats and tailor them with AI tools like ChatGPT for any niche—real estate, interiors, books, lifestyle tips, etc.

• Edition/Themed Series:

  • Swap "episode" or "part" for "edition" to make recurring content feel fresh.
  • Example: "Are you buying the product or the brand? Eyewear Edition." (07:36)

• Challenge Series:

  • Seasonal (e.g., "10 Days of Fall Dinners" featuring daily recipes) (10:13)
  • Personal or community challenges ("Dollar Dinner Challenge," "Outfit Challenge," etc.)

4. Making Your Series Bingeable & Keyword-Savvy

• Vary Hooks and Wording:
  • Adapt day-by-day titles to test engagement and optimize for search and algorithm triggers.
  • Example: Fashion blogger using variations like "Day one of convincing you it's not your body, it's your clothes..." (10:47)

5. Rapid-Fire Series Ideas for Different Niches

• Coaching: "Save Yourself Series" (automations, permission-giving, tools)
• Food Blogging: "Pantry Chic Eats," "One Pot to Table Dinners"
• Book Lovers: "Books that live in my head rent-free," "Authors who owe me therapy"
• Product-Based Businesses: "Behind the Cart," "The Story Behind the Scent"
• Lifestyle/Yoga: "Unrush Your Week," "Tend to Your System"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the importance of series:
  "The key to a series that is going to be successful is something that is one, uniquely you, and two, is easy to repeat over and over and over again." —Shannon (04:37)

• On why followers seek out your series:
  "That's literally one of the top reasons we're on social media. Not just to connect with others, but to share each other's journeys that we're on." —Shannon (05:30)

• On adapting ideas for your industry:
  "You could literally write down that script and go throw it into chat GPT and say, 'How can I tailor this as an interior designer? As a realtor in Denver?'" —Shannon (07:01)

• On focusing on your unique perspective:
  "I don't want you to do something generic, boring, that they've seen before. It needs to be uniquely you and really emerge in your life." —Shannon (05:10)

• On testing hooks and keywords:
  "She changed the wording every time, which was brilliant... now she knows what identifiers people see in themselves and what words to use and what words the algorithm soaks up as a keyword." —Shannon (10:47)

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:35 | Defining a signature series and expectation-setting | | 02:13 | The importance of ‘returnable’ accounts | | 03:05 | Shannon’s personal experience with slow, steady growth | | 04:25 | How to launch your own journey-based series | | 05:22 | Example: Day one of trying a new hobby to recover from burnout | | 06:48 | Example: Music recommendation series with explicit call to binge | | 07:36 | Example: Product vs. Brand—Eyewear Edition (series in disguise) | | 08:54 | Local business series: Ranking Arlington’s Great American Restaurants | | 09:30 | Cafe example: Day one of trying new drinks for fall menu | | 09:51 | Interior design example: “A little luxury” smart lamp series | | 10:13 | Seasonal content: 10 Days of Fall Dinners recipe series | | 10:47 | Fashion series testing various hooks and keyword strategies |

Conclusion & Action Steps

Shannon encourages listeners to embrace the series model—*but only if it feels authentic and easy to maintain—and to make it uniquely reflective of your brand and lifestyle. She concludes with a suite of series ideas to jumpstart the creative process, emphasizing that there are endless variations and one (or more) will almost certainly help you gain new followers and deepen loyalty among your existing community.

"I hope you create a series because honestly, every time I do a series, it’s led to such great growth... it's uniquely you, it’s ingrained in your life and it’s easy to create." (11:38)

Useful for Anyone Who Didn’t Listen:
This episode is a comprehensive, down-to-earth guide to leveraging content series on social media, offering both strategic context and concrete starting points for anyone seeking to grow or re-energize their online presence—without burning out or feeling overwhelmed.