Podcast Summary: "Why Your Content Isn’t Connecting w/ Brendan Kane"

The Futur with Chris Do | Episode 404 | Dec 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful conversation, Chris Do (The Futur) sits down with digital strategist and author Brendan Kane to unravel the true reasons why so much content fails to make an impact on social media. The focus is on understanding what makes content connect, the elements behind engineered virality, and actionable strategies for creators. The discussion is practical and candid, debunking myths of luck and emphasizing the importance of emotional storytelling, hooks, and authentic human connection in content creation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Core Problem: Content as Ads vs. Stories

• Brendan Kane argues most people treat their profiles like websites, posting product shots and discount codes, misunderstanding why users visit social media in the first place.

  • Quote [00:00]: “People are not logging onto these platforms to find an ad, to see a great product shot… They want to connect with a piece of content. They want to feel something.”

• Chris Do underscores how this mindset persists among business owners who just want leads.

  • Quote [09:02]: “A lot of people do want to go viral and they go and make content to go and sell more stuff… But I can’t tell you how many people I talk to... That’s ultimately what they want.”

2. Virality: Not Luck, But Engineered

• Brendan insists virality can be systematically achieved by understanding and utilizing repeatable formats and structures in storytelling.

  • Quote [01:50]: “Virality can be engineered. Remember what happened last time we talked about ‘man on the street’ and you went out and did it? It's outperformed your post by like 5 or 10x.”

• Man on the Street Format: A classic structure (dating back to 1954) of approaching strangers, creating inherent tension, and eliciting unscripted, emotional narratives.

  • Quote [02:52]: “That format has been around for decades before social media, and it's used today to have success. Why? Because it’s a repeatable structure that’s proven to work.”

Key Components to "Man on the Street" (MOS) Content

• Tension: Approaching strangers creates unpredictable outcomes.
  • [03:37] Brendan: “There’s an inherent tension that is built when you’re approaching somebody… You don’t know the dynamics that’s going to happen.”
• Audience Reflection: The question posed should get viewers to reflect on themselves.
  • [06:07] Chris: “You ask the question, and then the audience gets to reflect on themselves.”
• Perspective Shift: The best MOS content leads to an ‘aha’ moment—an emotional or intellectual shift.
  • [06:51] Brendan: “It gives you an amazing opportunity to take people on a journey, to teach them a lesson… There’s a lot of weight to that specific question that can have a meaningful impact.”

3. Emotional Connection Over Transactional Content

• Success comes from building “know, like, and trust” through relatable storytelling, not direct selling.

  • [09:35] Brendan: “True success comes from getting people to know, like, and trust you… If people know like and trust you, they want to take that next step with you.”

• Stories must be designed with the viewer’s emotions in mind, not the creator’s business goals.

  • [09:53] Brendan: “You have to separate what your goals are and put yourself in the viewer [position]... What do I want them to feel, what do I want them to think?”

4. Hooks and Retention: The Importance of Pattern Interrupts

• Effective content repeatedly hooks the audience—not just at the beginning.

  • [47:09] Brendan: “A great video usually has two or three hooks within it because you need to keep that attention… A lot of people, when they hear ‘hook,’ they just think, oh, I just got to hook people in the first three seconds. No, you need to hook people throughout the story.”

• Exercises to Develop Hooks: Study headlines on magazine stands and billboards for ideas to make content stand out.

  • [26:26] Brendan: “If you just imagine you’re standing in front of a magazine stand… What would I say to get that person to pick up that magazine... over all the other ones out there?”

5. Why Most People Fail at Virality

• Most creators don’t analyze why high-performing content works (and why others fail).

  • [31:29] Brendan: “The real learnings are when you compare it to the ones that don’t break through… What are the elements that show up in those high performers that don’t show up in the ones that underperform?”

• Many expect quick success because social media is “easy” to use, confusing accessibility with mastery.

  • [55:58] Brendan: “The biggest detriment of social media is that anybody can pull out a phone, click, record and post… They think they deserve millions of views.”

6. Authenticity & Format Fit over Mimicry

• "Man on the Street" isn’t just for charismatic extroverts; it works if it fits your authentic style.

  • [49:36] Brendan: “The most important thing with any storytelling format is: does it feel authentic to you? Are you excited about doing it? And if you do, like, that’s going to come off.”

• Many formats—“reaction,” “two characters, one light bulb,” etc.—have existed for decades and can be adapted for different styles.

  • [53:35] Brendan: “There’s another format you’ve seen… ‘two characters, one light bulb’… The first time that was used was in the 1920s by Buster Keaton…”

7. What to Do After You Go Viral

• Ensure your viral content aligns with your expertise; have business systems ready to capture and monetize attention.

  • [64:28] Brendan: “What content caused you to go viral? Is it related to what you actually do?... Do you have a solid business foundation under it?”

• Accept that virality without direction (e.g., not related to your niche) or infrastructure (no lead capture, no product) leads nowhere.

  • [66:01] Brendan: “It depends on how big your vision is, how big your business is… What is the foundational vision that you have for your business and that you have for your brand…”

8. Privilege, Mindset, and Access

• The debate: Does being in LA (or a major city) give an unfair advantage? Both agree that access and privilege matter, but mindset and study are more important for long-term success; location is not a fixed barrier for social media.
  • [73:51] Brendan: “You have the Internet at your disposal. Any limitation that you face, you have information that you can garner for free… You can fix your mindset. If you choose to fix your mindset, you can work through those things. I’m not saying it’s easy, but… I don’t think you need to move to LA to be on social media.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Virality can be engineered." — Brendan Kane [01:50]
• "People want to connect with a piece of content. They want to feel something." — Brendan Kane [00:00]
• "If you treat your social media profile like it's your website... you will ultimately fail time and time again." — Brendan Kane [09:53]
• "A great video usually has two or three hooks within it..." — Brendan Kane [47:09]
• "The real learnings are when you compare it to the ones that don’t break through." — Brendan Kane [31:29]
• "The biggest detriment of social media is that anybody can pull out a phone, click, record and post..." — Brendan Kane [55:58]
• "The most important thing is: does it feel authentic to you?" — Brendan Kane [49:36]
• "What is the effect that you want to have on the viewer? What do you want them to feel?" — Brendan Kane [23:19]
• On hooks: "If you just imagine you're standing in front of a magazine stand… What would I say to get that person to pick up that magazine?" — Brendan Kane [26:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------------|:-------------:| | Brendan’s opening advice on content disconnect | 00:00 | | Introduction to virality & "man on the street" | 01:31 | | Components that make MOS work (tension, emotion) | 03:37 | | The problem with transactional content/ads | 09:02 | | Building relationship vs. running ads | 09:35 | | The journey to building a great MOS format | 14:31 | | Hooks & breaking through the noise | 26:26 | | Studying communication patterns for success | 31:29 | | Why virality feels like luck (but isn’t) | 53:35 | | What to do after you go viral | 64:28 | | Location, privilege, and the myth of needing LA | 73:51 | | Final exchange and closing plea for authenticity | 75:28 |

Actionable Takeaways

• Stop treating your social profiles like billboards—focus on emotional storytelling that provides an “aha” moment for viewers.
• Structure and repetition matter: Research what works, compare top performing and underperforming content, and study story frameworks from other media.
• Always design with the audience’s feeling and perspective in mind.
• Use hooks, not just at the start, but throughout your narrative to maintain engagement.
• Choose formats authentic to your personality and skillset—MOS is just one of hundreds of viable patterns.
• Virality tied to your expertise and business goals is most valuable. Set up backend systems to capture and capitalize on spikes in attention.
• Privilege and infrastructure help, but dedication to craft, studying what works, and adopting the right mindset are the real long-term differentiators.

Closing Thought

Brendan Kane distills the episode's wisdom:

“You have no excuse with a phone. Like, you have no excuse at this.” [68:42]

Stop blending in. Start studying, experimenting, and telling human stories that matter—and the sales, followers, and impact will follow.