Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon McKinstrie.
Hi Shannon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve been documenting everything since I can remember. I was always the friend who took all the photos and made scrapbooks full of photos as gifts.
But it wasn’t just photos… by the age of 8 my Dad had invested in a camcorder and I would beg him to use it. By the time I could hold it (they were heavy back then haha), I would record any and everything.
I loved using video to tell stories and simply document life. Fast forward to high school and I was watching TV and I saw No Doubt was going to be the musical guest on SNL in the coming weeks.
My mom had a friend at NBC and was able to get us tickets and it was that night when everything changed. Seeing how it all unfolds behind the scenes made me realize I wanted to work in TV, so I started taking TV Production classes in high school, then went to study Communications & Marketing at Virginia Tech, and landed what I thought was my dream job right outside of college.
I moved to Atlanta to work at CNN and while it was amazing to sit in the control room and live out my “dream”, I began having panic attacks (I worked there during Katrina & the Tsunami) and I realized this lifestyle wasn’t for me. The overnights, working holidays, etc. It was too much. But what kept me company during the late hours was MySpace (I’m showing my age here haha) and Facebook.
Back then it was just personal… not a business. But I loved how I was able to keep up with friends and family and share photos… my passion has always been to capture life, and tell stories, and this was like all of my passions rolled into one. So when social media went from personal to business, it was an ah-ha moment.
I realized this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to use my writing, photo, and video skills to help businesses build communities around their brands. The problem was, that social media was not taken seriously then. So I bounced around jobs after CNN for a while, until I landed a job at a company I really liked and although it wasn’t part of my job description, I asked if I could manage the Facebook page. And it truly lit me up.
I loved coming up with clever captions, designing images, etc. And this was right when social media was being taken more seriously. Then, when I was pregnant with my first, I had plans to go back to work but I had a very traumatic birth experience and could not bring myself to go back. In desperation, I started my business, got a couple of local businesses to hire me to manage their Facebook pages, and quit my job so I could stay home with my baby. And the rest is history!
I began showing up on Instagram and LinkedIn and Facebook to get my name out there (I was home with a baby so I couldn’t network in person) and the next thing I knew I was the go-to social media expert in my area. I hosted workshops and my name spread and it’s amazing what happens when you lean on your local community.
Since then, I’ve helped thousands of businesses grow their brand online… I have a membership, a management agency, I host workshops, and also a mentor. It’s been an incredible ride and it wasn’t an overnight success but it’s been the most incredible journey.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. In the beginning, I charged very low because I lacked confidence, but also… social media marketing wasn’t a shiny object then. It was not taken seriously at first.
So I had to fight through that. Also, my husband and I struggled financially in the first few years. I took a big pay cut by quitting my job. But it only makes me appreciate where this business has gone even more.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I help businesses grow a profitable brand online and make an impact through organic & proven social media strategies.
I have done-for-you offerings and manage the brand’s socials (meaning we do all the content, schedule it, engage on their behalf, etc.) but I also mentor, teach, and coach. I offer 1:1 consulting, host workshops, host team training, have courses, etc.
My mission is to help as many businesses as possible and help them actually enjoy social media and have fun with their marketing. This should be the fun part of the business! What I’m known for most is an Instagram strategy and bringing the fun back to social media. It shouldn’t be the time suck that many gurus make it to be.
What I’m most proud of is being able to help people take a deep breath and remind them this should be enjoyable… creating content is an expression of who YOU are as a business owner. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing and get to know YOUR audience and create a strategy that works for YOU.
And you can’t go wrong.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Transparency, passion, and trust.
But if I had to say the one I think it would be a passion, because my passion for what I do is why I’m so transparent and trustworthy. I have nothing to hide and don’t spit out tips or advice because they’ll get engagement… if it isn’t true to me, I’m not saying it. Period.
People tell me all the time they like my energy which truly means the world to me and I think it’s because I just show up authentically because I’ve always used social media in the way it was intended. To be personal, connect/bond, and just have fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonmckinstrie.com
- Instagram: @shannonmckinstrie
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoutiqueSocial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIx7VYt32UljdiDFfma_gow/featured
Image Credits
Sara Coffin Photography and Jamie Sutera Photography
