Episode Overview

Podcast: Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie
Host: Shannon McKinstrie
Episode: Start Thinking Like a Marketer So People See Themselves in Your Content
Date: October 28, 2025

In this episode, Shannon McKinstrie digs into the mindset shift needed to create compelling social media: truly thinking like a marketer. She helps listeners move beyond generic messaging (“busy moms” or “small business owners”) toward understanding the real scenarios, emotions, and desires of their target audience. Shannon shares actionable advice and relatable stories, all aimed at making your content more resonant and effective—so your ideal customers see themselves reflected in what you post.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Thinking Like a Marketer

• Audience Obsession: Shannon stresses that real marketing starts with empathy and deep understanding—be “so obsessed with connecting with people, your people, that you know them almost more than you know yourself.” (05:10)
• Beyond Generic Identities: Generic messaging, like “busy mom,” is too broad to be effective. Instead, ask “Why?” and get specific with scenarios.
  • “What mom isn't busy? What corporate person isn't? … It gets really vague. But that's why you got to get into the psychology of it all. This is why I talk scenarios. So, so, so much.” (06:40)

2. Go Deeper: From Identifiers to Stories

• Move past surface-level tags: Instead of labeling someone a “tired mom,” dig into what’s making her tired—e.g., dreading the four to seven window (dinner, bath, bedtime routines).
  • “So instead of like, you're a busy mom. Okay, yeah. Or you're a tired mom. Yeah. Why?” (07:40)
• Storytelling Roots: Use specific, relatable moments to appeal to your audience’s lived experience.
  • “Let’s say your candles are non toxic. Well, again, there's a lot of non toxic candles. Why did you create the candle? Maybe you're a cancer survivor. We need the storytelling.” (09:00)

3. Connection, Community, and Belonging

• Why People Buy or Follow: It’s not just the product—it’s the sense of belonging and community they find with your brand.
  • “At the end of the day, why are people following me and buying from me? Connection, community, belonging. That's thinking like a marketer.” (11:50)
• Real-life Example: Shannon shares how her daughter is influenced to buy certain lip glosses—not because of need, but because of social trends and a desire to belong.

4. Content That Makes People See Themselves

• “Heard and Humor” Content: Engaging content comes from showing you really get your audience’s feelings and situations.
  • “The way you get [more DMs] is through that content that I talk all the time about, heard and humor. Because that's where they see themselves in your content.” (12:30)
• Viral, Relatable Moments: Use real-life scenarios and testimonials (yours, competitors’, or from reviews) as foundation for stories.
  • “Go through your testimonials. If you don't have any yet, go to your competitors’ testimonials. See why people are buying and what they're getting out of it. And honestly, go to Amazon reviews.” (22:25)

5. Social Media is Community, Not Billboards

• Long-Term Play: Social isn’t about hard sales—it’s about building a place where your audience feels seen and understood.
  • “Social media is a long game. It is a community. It is a, like I said, a belonging.” (13:45)
• It's About the Emotion: People follow for shared values, stories, and the feeling they get—more than for overt offers or features.

6. Quick Wins and Practical Tips

• B-roll Reels & Messaging: Pair specific, audience-minded messages with simple, real-life visuals for maximum impact.
  • “The quickest way to get a quick win is, again, you gotta nail the messaging first ... the second is to type it out and put it over some cute visuals. A cute little B roll.” (17:05)
  • Example prompt: “Not to be dramatic, but if you wear this perfume, you’ll get stopped everywhere you go.” (18:15)
• Borrow Scenarios from Real Life: Watch what your friends, family, and audience buy and ask, “Why?” Build content around those discoveries.
• Assignment for Listeners: Think of a specific scenario your audience finds themselves in, rather than generic identifiers.
  • “Your assignment this week is think of a scenario that your people find themselves in instead of saying something vague like busy corporate person.” (26:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Knowing Your Audience:
  “You have to be literally so obsessed with connecting with people, your people, that like, you know them almost more than you know yourself.” (05:13)

• On Moving Past Generic Messaging:
  “You gotta get into the psychology ... What are the scenarios they're going to find themselves in?” (07:45)

• On Content That Connects:
  “If they can see themselves in your content, game over.” (28:30)

• On Storytelling in Marketing:
  “Storytelling is not that deep. Not to be dramatic, but if you put this perfume on, everyone's gonna stop you. That's a story.” (19:20)

• On Social Media as Community:
  “It's less about pushing your offer ... It's more about why they're scrolling social media in the first place. Connection.” (15:22)

• On Using Testimonials and Reviews:
  “I'm going to trust that [review] over what you say as the fashion designer, as the candle maker.” (23:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Intro, gratitude for audience, show growth
• [05:10] – The mindset of a marketer: being audience-obsessed
• [06:40] – Problems with vague identifiers; importance of scenarios
• [09:00] – Storytelling tied to product origin and audience’s life
• [11:50] – Why people follow and buy: connection and belonging
• [12:30] – Content that encourages DMs: heard and humor
• [13:45] – Social media as community, not just a sales medium
• [17:05] – Quick wins: B-roll reels and messaging tips
• [18:15] – Practical example: creating a perfume reel
• [22:25] – Using testimonials, even from competitors or reviews
• [26:50] – Weekly assignment: craft specific scenarios
• [28:30] – Final encouragement: help people see themselves in your content

Summary Takeaways

• Ditch generic labels. Instead, build scenarios that reflect your audience’s real life.
• Dig for the ‘why’. Understand the situations and emotions driving buying decisions.
• Lean into storytelling and testimonials. Let your audience see themselves in your stories.
• Social media is connection. Successful content builds belonging and community, not just sales.
• Action beats perfection. Nail your messaging, use real-life moments, and watch your audience resonate.

Assignment:
Think of a specific scenario your audience is facing, and use that in your next social media post. Tell a story that helps them see themselves in your content—because that’s what makes content “good.”

For more from Shannon, catch future episodes or connect on her social profiles.