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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. So by the time this episode airs, I will have spoken to social media marketing world, which is actually insane. Social Media examiner is a website that when I was a baby social media manager in 2013, 2014, that I would go to to learn about social media marketing. Because again, it was such a new thing and Social Media examiner was like one of the first kind of websites out there helping people understand and navigate this new thing of turning social media from personal to business. I still can't believe I get to do this as a career. I can't believe I get to do what I love. You know, I've been in television production in high school, right? I was always the girl with the camcorder. I would beg my dad to hold it when I eight years old. It was like £20 million. And I would document everything. I had the camera and everyone's faces. So like, this was like what I was meant to do, right? But back then they were like, this girl's just annoying and how's she gonna make any money with doing whatever she likes to do? And then I major in communications and I remember even like, my dad was like, oh, you're not gonna make much money in her life. I'm like, that's fine. I love it, right? I love writing, I love editing. I could sit in edit bay all day anyway. So I studied TV production in high school and then went on to CNN and Internet, C Span. And just like, then I was like, oh my gosh, the broadcasting world is actually kind of crazy. I always wanted to direct. I wanted to sit in the director's chair at cnn and I got to sit in the control room. I controlled the fonts and graphics. So I felt it. I knew what it would feel like and I loved it. But I worked overnights, I worked holidays for years and it just, it was hard. I worked during Katrina, I worked during the tsunami and trauma. So that was a lot. And during my late nights at CNN when I would work overnights, you know, I was living in Atlanta at the time. My, all my family was back home in the D.C. area. That was when Facebook came about. This was like 2006 and 2005 ish, and Facebook and MySpace were my connection back home. And like, oh my gosh. I mean, MySpace, my gosh, I didn't even know what I was going to talk about this podcast episode. So this is kind of fun. We're, we're going this route of nostalgia, which I will be talking about actually at social media marketing world. But it's just crazy to look back on. Like you ever look back on your life? Like, how did I end up in this job? Like, how did I end up passionate about this stuff? And really it's been since I can remember is I love documenting everything. I was always the friend with the camera. Thank God Facebook and stuff wasn't around when I was in high school and college because that would have been problem. My girlfriends would hate me. And literally where I am right now, there's boxes over here, boxes and boxes of VHS tapes. I need to get digitized photos. Like I was the friend with the camera that went to Walmart every weekend at Virginia Tech and would get the photos developed and they'd be mortifying and like hilarious. And again, I was the friend who has all the videos. Like everything of that my sister did as a little girl. All the things me and my brother dancing in sync. Like I was the cousin who would make, I would make all the cousins do commercials with me and we do fake news shows. And so this was definitely what I was meant to do. And I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to say that. And I think that's why I get so passionate about stuff. And sometimes people might be like, why is she so upset that people are telling people to post daily? And why is she so upset that people are saying hashtags are done? I'm like, because like, I do take this very, very seriously and I know this, the world is very heavy right now. There's a lot more serious stuff going on. But I also know the power that social media has and if you are listening, I know my community. I know my people are good, servant hearted people. So I want to help you right? And especially do good in this world. So again, it's crazy to me that I'll be speaking on stage in just a few days. It's crazy to me that people trust me and the tips I'm doing actually help people go viral. And it's just crazy that this is this, this is life, that this is what I get to do and that everything in my life led up to this point and I will get emotional so I will stop. But just wanted to say that just thank you so much for listening and being a part of this community. It just, it means everything to me and I truly do love this and I love you and I'm here to help. So with that said, the past 30 days, all March along, I did. I've never posted every day on Instagram in my entire career have I ever posted every day. I was typically post four times a week, then I went to five. And because the less one on one work I was doing, I was like, wow, I actually have a little more time on my hands with, you know, my memberships. And I was like, I can actually post a little bit more to help people. So I've been posting more, but my clients and students who content creation is not their job do not post every day. Okay? So I want to make sure you know that you do not have to post every day. Quality over quantity. There's even a creator on Instagram and I cannot remember her name. I think she posts once a week. She's got way more followers than I do. She's growing like crazy. She does spend a lot of time editing though. So it's kind of one of those things. If you want to post one or two times a week, that's fine. Just make sure the quality is epic so that that video goes crazy. Now she again, they're amazingly done videos. But for most of my people, like, and most people listening, we don't have time to do fancy edicts and have all these fancy things and we're just like, B Roll slap. Some text and some audio and we're good to go. So that's what the series was like. A lot of the all the hooks and stuff I gave can go over some simple B Roll and a trending audio and you're done. And you know, I shared a reel the other day saying how B Roll is not dead and people are like, oh, B Roll. B roll's boring. The reason your content sucks because you're B Roll. Here's the thing with B Roll. B Roll's been around forever. It's not Instagram didn't invent it. Social media didn't invent it. B Roll was literally my job at CNN was to document and timestamp B Roll and all that stuff. That was like my first position at CNN was in the feeds department. B Roll is literally, if you watch the news and as the reporter is talking and they're showing like, maybe it's a storm and they're showing the waves, that's B Roll. When you're watching the Golden Girls and they go from this scene and then it's at a hospital, they show the outside of the hospital, that's B Roll. It's secondary footage. It's not a main character talking directly to the. It's secondary footage. That's all it is. It's just cutaway is the best way to say it. It's cutaway footage. So I shot some B roll this morning in a coffee shop and I will be using it for years, probably because I use the same B roll over and over again. So when people say you're boring, B roll is the problem. No, it's not. My B roll could not be more boring, but my B rolls work because I pair it with good trending audio, audio that I see doing well. And again, all you have to do, make sure you have a business professional account. You go to professional dashboard on your profile and you scroll the bottom, tap trending audio. You get all the trending audios. I try to find ones with less than 10,000 uses at the moment. And then when I look at that, I look to see if the first few videos are like in the millions or at least over 500,000. That to me signals this is going to be a good audio. So I will take an audio and right now I'm using the Selena Gomez audio, Benny Blanco one. And I'm going to use it a lot because I see it going crazy and it's going to be the song of the summer. I know it. So again, these are the things I'm looking for when I'm picking out audios for the Reels Lab and this series I've been doing. So this was the first time I posted every single day for a month. And let me say, I'm exhausted. So I don't recommend, but I've had so much fun with it because I'm getting DMs every day, every day from someone saying they've gone viral or at least like they got 200 new followers from it or whatever it is. People are absolutely loving it. And let me tell you, all 30 of these reels, all 30 of these hooks can be used by any industry. And all it is is the simplest, simplest prompt. But what you put in those blanks is really, really important. So that's why I say your B roll can be boring. It's fine. The copy better come with it then. And that's what I specialize in, right? Because again, I've got two kids at home. I've. It's crazy up in here. It's freaking crazy. That's why I keep joking every week. I'm like, I'm gonna make the podcast studio cute. Probably not. It will probably be like this forever because we just. It's crazy over here. I rely on B roll reels a lot. So with that said, if you're struggling, make sure you go to my Instagram account and look. Because every single day in March, I did a reel with a prompt. And with the prompt, I put examples for you taking run with. So I'm like, if you're a hair stylist, do this. If you're a contractor, do this. If you're a copywriter, do this. Right. Be sure to look. But I just want to share a few of the hooks that went crazy for people. Okay. So you can take them and run with them. One was the one that went actually most viral for me. Not viral. None of these really went viral. And again, I didn't do this to go viral. I don't create content to go viral. So again, this series, this was not a, oh, I'm gonna grow like crazy. This was really a series to make sure everyone sees that, like, I know what I'm talking about. And you should get into the reels lab or listen to my podcasts. This is more of content to help just people know who I am and what I'm obsessed with. So here is the one that did best for me. And what's funny is it did best for the people following along. And it was googled my symptoms and turns out blank. So with this, they've said, and I'll make sure this in the show notes, okay? So it says, google my symptoms. Turns out. And one of the examples I showed says, turns out I just needed farm animals, and that's B roll. So again, everyone's saying B roll's dead. I'm like every single viral reel. Like 90% of the viral reels I see are literally B roll, trending audio and simple text. That one googled my symptoms and turns out I just needed more farm animals. 60,000 likes. So many views. Another one googled my symptoms and turns out I just needed a cute little activity. And in the video, it's little clips, right? But the first one about the farm animals is literally a five second video. 17,000 shares, over 60,000 likes. And it's just a woman with her farm animals. So I put examples as. And I will say someone actually wrote and was like, well, what, what would I say as a, as someone who creates digital products? Not all these reels have to be about business. And especially this one. This should be funny and relatable. So a bunch of them I put were like, google my Simpsons. And turns out I just needed A me day full of blank and blank. So maybe you are in marketing like me and your brain never turns off. I would have said couch rotting for 10 hours and watching whatever, something like that. Google my sentence. Turns out I just needed to go have a mimosa date with my bestie. And the video would be that the reason this works so well is because it's super shareable. So that was one that did really well. So especially if you're a restaurant, that's a great one because then you can kind of showcase. But again, it's not just about what they needed, it's about the experience too. So make sure the video shows that that one went viral for a lot of people. The other one that did well for people was the one I tell people all the time because every time I share it, it goes absolutely insane. And it's simply where it just says I wish more people knew. And then under it you say I wish more people knew that you could make your own non toxic laundry detergent buy. And then you tell them exactly how I wish more people knew that if you don't have a blank, you can actually use blank to blank. And in the video you demo it, I wish more people knew there was a blank in Raleigh that serves XYZ and has a whatever for kids. You guys. I wish I knew goes stupid crazy every time. And again, when I'm telling you B roll, simple text that resonates and some trending audio. So that one so googled. I wish I knew. And last one is did you know? You literally start, I'm sending it to Steph so all three of these will be in there so you can actually see the prompts I gave everyone. You just say did you know? And you just back it up with it. Did you know there's a blank in DC that da da da da da. Did you know if you add whatever to your hook that you can double your views? Did you know Home Depot has a da da da on Saturday mornings that you can take your kit? And again, in the video you show what you're talking about. That is the magic of Instagram. That is why it does so well. So when I think back to my CNN days of B roll and I think back to my CNN days of fonts and graphics, it's all the same thing. It's telling a story with a quick little clip of video and making sure there's some text on there that gives context and makes them feel. My 4H method is all about feelings, making them feel seen and heard, making them laugh, making them feel relief that, you know you gave them a tip, making them feel with the stories you tell. That's all social media is. And remember, you don't have to take these prompts and always keep them business if you can. Great. The Googled my symptoms. Have a little fun with it. But the did you know? And the I wish more people knew, I'm telling you right now, those just stand the test of time. And I've gotten so many DMS from people over this series saying, oh my gosh, I went viral. Oh my gosh, this is the most views I've ever had in my life. You're. I'm like, you guys. That's what I mean. We overcomplicated this, this so much because you're hearing B roll's dead, you're hearing this doesn't work. You're hearing all this stuff and it's like, you guys, all of this is timeless marketing. Simple, specific, shareable is what I always say. Make sure it's helpful or humorous, makes them feel heard or it's some sort of happening in your life and you cannot go wrong. I love you, friend. Watch those reels. Have some fun. Hopefully by the time this airs. I have now taken a breath because I spoke in front of hundreds of people on the main stage. I'm freaking out. But again, I'm telling you, I think this podcast is the only reason I'm out. I'm. I do trust that hopefully I will help people at that conference because every time I hear from you guys, it makes me so happy. So thank you for listening. I don't know, this was a little longer than normal. Love you, friends, and happy creating. And don't listen to the nonsense and keep it simple.
Podcast Summary: Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie
Episode Title: We Love B-Roll Because Simple, Shareable Content Never Goes Out of Style
Release Date: April 1, 2025
Host: Shannon McKinstrie
In this episode, Shannon McKinstrie delves into her personal journey and passion for content creation, emphasizing her long-standing relationship with media and storytelling. Beginning with her early days in television production during high school, Shannon shares how her fascination with cameras and documentation naturally transitioned into a career focused on social media marketing.
"I was always the girl with the camcorder. I would beg my dad to hold it when I was eight years old... This was definitely what I was meant to do." [00:00]
Shannon reflects on her time at CNN and other broadcasting roles, highlighting how these experiences shaped her understanding of visual storytelling and the importance of B-roll in conveying narratives.
Shannon passionately defends the use of B-roll in social media content, countering the notion that B-roll is outdated or ineffective. She defines B-roll as secondary footage that complements the main content, enhancing the storytelling without being the focal point.
"B Roll's been around forever. It's not Instagram that invented it. Social media didn't invent it either." [09:30]
She explains that B-roll is simply cutaway footage used to provide context and depth to the primary narrative. By pairing B-roll with trending audio and engaging text, creators can produce compelling and shareable content without the need for elaborate edits.
Shannon recounts her recent experiment of posting daily on Instagram for an entire month, a first in her career. This initiative was part of her "Reels Lab" series, designed to help her community harness the power of simple B-roll combined with effective hooks and trending audio.
"All 30 of these reels, all 30 of these hooks can be used by any industry. And all it is is the simplest, simplest prompt." [14:15]
Despite the exhaustion that came with daily postings, Shannon emphasizes the positive feedback received, including increased engagement and follower growth among her audience.
Shannon shares several successful hooks and prompts from her Reels Lab series, illustrating how simple, relatable statements paired with B-roll can resonate widely with audiences.
"Google My Symptoms. Turns Out..."
"Everyone's saying B roll's dead... but every single viral reel I see are literally B roll, trending audio and simple text." [20:45]
"I Wish More People Knew..."
"I wish more people knew there was a blank in Raleigh that serves XYZ and has a whatever for kids. You guys. I wish I knew." [26:10]
"Did You Know?"
"Did you know if you add whatever to your hook that you can double your views?" [28:30]
These examples demonstrate that with the right hooks and complementary B-roll, content can achieve high levels of engagement without overcomplicating the production process.
Shannon outlines her strategy for selecting trending audio to pair with B-roll, ensuring that her content remains relevant and engaging. She advises using Instagram's professional dashboard to find trending tracks with fewer than 10,000 uses but showing strong initial performance.
"I try to find ones with less than 10,000 uses at the moment. And then when I look at that, I look to see if the first few videos are like in the millions or at least over 500,000. That to me signals this is going to be a good audio." [19:00]
By incorporating popular but not overly saturated audio, Shannon ensures her content stands out while riding the wave of current trends. She cites using specific songs like Selena Gomez's "Benny Blanco" as examples of timely and effective choices.
Shannon reinforces the idea that simplicity and shareability are key to enduring social media success. She draws parallels between her B-roll strategies and classic storytelling techniques used in broadcasting, underscoring that the fundamentals of good content remain unchanged despite evolving platforms.
"All of this is timeless marketing. Simple, specific, shareable is what I always say. Make sure it's helpful or humorous, makes them feel heard or it's some sort of happening in your life and you cannot go wrong." [33:00]
Her emphasis on emotional connection — making audiences feel seen, heard, and entertained — aligns with her "4H method," focusing on eliciting feelings through content.
In her concluding remarks, Shannon expresses gratitude towards her listeners and the community she's built. She encourages creators to embrace simplicity, leverage B-roll effectively, and focus on creating content that resonates emotionally with their audience.
"I love you, friend. Watch those reels. Have some fun. Hopefully by the time this airs, I have now taken a breath because I spoke in front of hundreds of people on the main stage." [35:45]
Shannon underscores the importance of authenticity and passion in content creation, reminding her audience to disregard the noise and stay true to what works.
B-Roll is Timeless: Far from being obsolete, B-roll remains a powerful tool for enhancing storytelling and engagement on social media.
Quality Over Quantity: While daily posting yielded positive results for Shannon, she emphasizes that high-quality, engaging content is more crucial than sheer volume.
Effective Hooks Drive Engagement: Simple, relatable prompts like "Google My Symptoms. Turns Out..." can significantly boost content visibility and sharing.
Trending Audio Enhances Reach: Selecting the right trending audio can complement B-roll effectively, increasing the likelihood of content going viral.
Emotional Connection is Key: Creating content that makes the audience feel seen, heard, or entertained ensures long-term engagement and loyalty.
"B roll's been around forever. It's not Instagram that invented it. Social media didn't invent it either." [09:30]
"All of this is timeless marketing. Simple, specific, shareable is what I always say." [33:00]
"I was always the girl with the camcorder. I would beg my dad to hold it when I was eight years old." [00:00]
Instagram Professional Dashboard: For accessing trending audio tracks.
Reels Lab Series: Shannon's initiative to help creators develop effective B-roll and hook strategies.
Shannon McKinstrie’s episode serves as a testament to the enduring power of simple, well-executed content. By leveraging B-roll, trending audio, and relatable hooks, creators can craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences and withstand the ever-changing landscape of social media. Shannon’s authentic passion and practical strategies offer valuable insights for anyone looking to elevate their social media presence with good content.