The Importance of Belonging on Social Media - Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: "The Importance of Belonging on Social Media"

Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie
Host: Shannon McKinstrie
Episode Title: The Importance of Belonging on Social Media
Release Date: June 24, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Good Content, Shannon McKinstrie delves into the pivotal role that the sense of belonging plays in social media marketing. Recognizing the overwhelming noise on digital platforms, Shannon emphasizes how creating a community where individuals feel seen and heard can significantly enhance engagement and brand loyalty.

Understanding Belonging in Social Media

Belonging as a Core Principle
Shannon begins by highlighting the essence of belonging, urging content creators to internalize and prioritize it in their strategies. She advises, “The word belonging is something that you need to literally, like write down and have it wherever you create your content or somewhere in your phone” (00:02:30). This serves as a constant reminder to craft content that fosters a sense of community.

Community Building vs. Traditional Advertising
Shannon contrasts community-focused marketing with traditional advertising. She notes, “Advertising doesn't really do that. They're just saying, you know, buy this” (00:05:45). Instead, she advocates for building a community where people feel they belong, drawing parallels to how Airbnb transformed its messaging to emphasize belonging over mere accommodation (00:03:15).

Influence of Emily Hayward’s Insights
Referencing Emily Hayward's book Obsessed, Shannon underscores the importance of belonging in marketing. She recounts how Airbnb’s initial messaging was weak until they pivoted to highlight the sense of being a local and part of the community, thereby enhancing customer connection (00:04:10).

Practical Examples and Case Studies

Airbnb’s Transformation
Shannon discusses how Airbnb shifted its marketing strategy to focus on belonging. By interviewing past customers, they discovered that the allure of Airbnb was not just about staying in a different place, but about feeling integrated into a new community. This insight led to stronger, more resonant messaging (00:04:10).

Veronica Romney’s “Be This” Philosophy
Shannon praises her friend Veronica Romney, who coined the phrase “not buy this, but be this.” Veronica’s approach encourages brands to foster a sense of identity and belonging rather than just promoting products. Shannon references Veronica’s story about the Savannah Bananas, a baseball team that creates an inclusive and emotionally resonant fan experience (00:06:20).

Instagram Trial Reels Example
Shannon shares a personal example of encountering a successful trial reel on Instagram. She describes a reel by Allie Knutson, which effectively communicates her lifestyle and vibe, making viewers feel they belong to her community. “This is a brilliant trial reel. Because what does well in trial reels is saying, this is the vibe of my account” (00:08:50).

Strategies to Foster Belonging

Creating Relatable Content
Shannon emphasizes the importance of B-roll in videos to showcase the creator’s vibe. “Make sure your B-roll... shows your vibe” (00:09:30). This visual representation helps viewers connect and feel a sense of belonging.

Engaging with Your Audience
She advises reaching out to current clients or target audiences to understand what makes them feel connected. Conducting interviews to ask, “Why do you follow me?” can provide valuable insights into enhancing community building (00:12:00).

Consistent Messaging
Shannon highlights the need for consistent messaging that reinforces the community’s values and beliefs. Whether it’s through helpful, humorous, or behind-the-scenes content, the underlying message should always convey, “this is what you do here and this is they belong here” (00:10:15).

Assignments and Takeaways

Weekly Assignment
Shannon assigns listeners the task of creating trial reels or similar content that clearly communicates their community’s vibe. Additionally, she encourages interviewing clients and customers to gather feedback on why they follow and engage with the brand (00:14:00).

Upcoming Topics
Teasing future content, Shannon mentions that the next episode will explore crafting the right messaging and writing techniques to further enhance the sense of belonging within a community (00:15:30).

Conclusion

Shannon wraps up the episode by reiterating the significance of belonging in social media marketing. She underscores that building a community where members feel accepted and valued leads to sustained engagement and loyalty. With actionable strategies and real-world examples, listeners are equipped to elevate their social media presence by fostering genuine connections.

“Shannon McKinstrie: Have the best week and take care of yourself. Sam.” (00:16:45)

Notable Quotes

Shannon McKinstrie (00:02:30): “The word belonging is something that you need to literally, like write down and have it wherever you create your content or somewhere in your phone.”
Shannon McKinstrie (00:05:45): “Advertising doesn't really do that. They're just saying, you know, buy this.”
Shannon McKinstrie (00:06:20): “Not buy this, but be this.”
Shannon McKinstrie (00:08:50): “This is a brilliant trial reel. Because what does well in trial reels is saying, this is the vibe of my account.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of Good Content serves as a compelling guide for marketers and content creators aiming to build meaningful communities on social media. By prioritizing belonging, brands can transcend traditional advertising, fostering deeper and more enduring connections with their audience.

Timestamp References:

00:02:30 - Importance of writing down and prioritizing belonging.
00:03:15 - Airbnb’s marketing transformation.
00:04:10 - Insights from Emily Hayward’s Obsessed.
00:05:45 - Contrast between community building and traditional advertising.
00:06:20 - Veronica Romney’s “Be This” philosophy.
00:08:50 - Example of Allie Knutson's trial reel.
00:09:30 - Importance of B-roll in videos.
00:10:15 - Consistent messaging to communicate belonging.
00:12:00 - Engaging with the audience through interviews.
00:14:00 - Weekly assignment details.
00:15:30 - Teaser for the next episode.
00:16:45 - Closing remarks by Shannon.

Note: All timestamps are based on the provided transcript and may not correspond to actual episode timings.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
Shannon McKinstry
Foreign. I am your host, Shannon McKinstry. Welcome to Good Content, the podcast where I remove the never ending content creation, guesswork and overwhelm so that you can actually enjoy being on social media again and growing your business with what has always worked. Good Content. Today we're going to talk the importance of belonging. And I actually saw a reel that I know is a trial reel because you'll see why in a second. That really drives home this point and why this is so powerful in social media marketing, especially in all marketing, but especially on social media, especially in times like these, where a lot of really heavy stuff going on, right? It's a lot we want to follow accounts, products, brands, people, businesses that make us feel like we belong there. Okay? We love to feel seen and heard. I talk a lot about that here on the podcast. But the word belonging is something that you need to literally, like write down and have it wherever you create your content or somewhere in your phone. It's just somewhere to remind yourself when you're creating content. I'm making sure people understand that this is a place where they can belong, whether it's core values based or the vibe of your account or your beliefs, things like that. So Emily Hayward talks about this a lot in her book called Obsessed. Highly recommend. Like one of the best marketing books I've ever read. And it's interesting because she talks about how, and I know I've talked about this on the podcast before, but Airbnb, how, you know, when she and her marketing agency were working with them, they really, you know, their messaging was weak at first, right? And so what they did is they do what any good marketing agency does or marketer does is reach out to either current clients or their target market. But so when they interviewed past customers and things like that, they said what was so cool about staying at an Airbnb property was the sense of belonging, right? Because you don't feel like you're staying in a hotel. You feel like you're a local, you are a part of the community. So we talk community a lot in social media marketing. It's literally my Instagram, my very first Instagram bio ever said, building a community around your brand, right? And I realized back then people really didn't know what that meant. Now I feel like now people kind of understand and, you know, get the gist of that. But really that's what it is. You're building a community where people belong. And that's the biggest shift, right? Because advertising doesn't really do that. They're just saying, you know, buy this. And like my good friend Veronica, who's a brilliant marketer, Veronica Romney, make sure to follow her. Listen to her podcast. She coined this phrase of not buy this, but be this. And she actually even did an email Anna post the other day about the Savannah Bananas, the baseball team, and how she cried at the game. And she kind of gave a breakdown of why it was such a powerful experience with her kids and her husband. And it kind of was like this sense of belonging to, like, they really make you feel like you belong here, right? It's almost like when you walk in a church, right? Like that's their whole thing. Like, you belong here. When you walk in certain stores, it's like if they give you the right attention and they say the right things, you feel like, oh my gosh, I belong here. Like restaurants, coffee shops. But while this is online and on our phones and our hands, don't let that distract you. It's. You can create a sense of belonging without a physical, actual store, event, et cetera. Okay, here's a perfect example. So I'm scrolling on Instagram this morning and I come across this reel and it says, actually, wait, I kind of love this too. Actually, real quick, pause. I just opened the app and there's a reel that shows a bunch of clips of this girl's like house activities. She does. And it just says pov, liking your regular life is the goal. And that right there tells you if that's your vibe, you're like, I belong here. I should be following this person. Okay, all right, so, and again, this, even if you're not a one person shop and you're a company or whatever, this applies to you as well. So here we go. Let me read you what her says. It's her just standing and it will be in the show notes. If you're watching on YouTube, you can see it. It's her just showing her little outfit, having her matcha, right? And smiling at the camera. And let's hear the audio. What a vibe. It's showing her whole vibe. She shows her hairstyle. She's got cute little things in her hair. It looks a lot better than my hair today. Beach hair. What's up? And it says on the screen, 5 second B roll, cutesy audio, cute outfit. With her matcha. You can tell right away, like what she does on her account is probably fashion lifestyle, right? And it says, this is brilliant. I want you to do it. Ready? It says, this is a trial reel. So I know you aren't following me, but can you swipe left and tell me your thoughts about my content. Brilliant. Over 1500 likes, which we know. For trial reels, that's really good. No matter what you're following, as trial reels are really tricky, right? Until you figure out the one. I have a whole episode on this. Be sure to listen to that one about what's working on trial reels. Because a lot of people are like, sure, my trial reels aren't working. I'm like, that's because you're not doing these type of trials. So this is a brilliant trial reel. Because what does well in trial rails is saying, this is the vibe of my account. Almost like you're advertising your own account. So when you swipe left, what happens? It goes right to her profile. And you can right away see what her bio says, where she lives. It says San Diego. Right away, it's very clear. She's got really good pinned posts. So again, right away you're like, okay, it's coastal living, it's outfits, it's lifestyle, et cetera, right? So what you could do, let's say. Let's say you're a construction company, right? You guys build houses. You could say, this is a trial rail. So. So we know you aren't following us. Or you can say, so I know you aren't following me, but can you swipe left and tell me your thoughts on the houses you built? Right? Or just like she said about my content, It's a brilliant hook. Let me give her a shout out. Her name is Allie Knutson. So anyway, like I said, she'll be in the show notes. Brilliant. So that's your assignment this week. You gotta make sure your B roll. The video also shows your vibe. So we'll be talking more belonging next week as well, because again, even if you sell a product, let's say you sell stickers or candles, you're building a community. That's what social media is. And when you. When they feel like they're part of your community, they're gonna show up, they're gonna actively search for you. And it's interesting. I watched the documentary on the Joplin tornado that hit over 10 years ago. I believe it's on Netflix. It's really good. You know, this person is saying how he couldn't wait to leave Joplin, like he didn't like it. And after the tornado, he's like, I belong here. These are my people. And it unfortunately took a tragedy for him to really see how much he was loved in his own community. And now he never left. He was like he didn't feel accepted. And he was like, I don't want to be here. I only want to live. You know, he even said stuff like that and he said, you know, after that tragedy struck and you know, he helped save lives and the community around him, just people just came around him, supported him, loved on him, and now he's never leaving. Social media works the same way. Okay, so there's your assignment. And every time you're putting that piece of content out, whether it's something helpful, humorous, a behind the scenes of your life, some sort of happening, or if it's a herd type of piece of content, just remember, ask yourself, like, even if it is something helpful in the caption, what are you saying that makes them know, like, this is what you do here and this is they belong here, right? So next week I'll be talking all about that, how to make sure you're writing the right words, what that messaging is. But for now, just to get started, do that trial or do real similar of just showing, helping people understand you belong. So what to do between now and next week's episode? Interview current clients, customers, people you would love to be, your clients and customers, and just ask them straight up, why do you follow me? Right? And I even had someone join the reels lab. And the first thing she wrote in the community space was she loved my enthusiasm for what I do. And it's funny because like I would tell someone, oh, I, I help people create better content and get sales and followers, right? That's surface. I guess what I do is make it fun and exciting and so that they actually want to create content, right? So that's what we need to get to and that's what the message we need to make sure we're getting from your people. So that's your assignment this week. I hope that helped. I love you, friend. Have the best week and take care of yourself. Sam.