The Human Side of Content That Sells

Apr 14, 2026

They explain why human, unpolished content outperforms perfect polish. They show how sharing specific identifiers and personal perspective helps build trust and attract the right audience. They break down trend-driven reels, product demos, and scenario hooks that stop the scroll. They teach fill-in-the-blank hooks like "I wish more people knew" and give quick, clickable examples to try.

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INSIGHT

Human Content Outperforms Polish

Human, unpolished content outperforms polished posts on Instagram right now.
Shannon shows major brands (Taco Bell, Diet Coke, American Express) posting 'like people' to beat ad fatigue and rebuild trust.

ADVICE

Share Lived Experience Not Oversharing

Share personal perspective and lived experience rather than corporate-sounding posts.
Shannon warns this isn't trauma-dumping; use your viewpoint to build connection without oversharing.

ANECDOTE

Personal Reels Converted To Clients

Shannon's early stories and random personal reels (like mommy/daddy shark) generated client leads.
Another creator made clients from a reel rant about Summer House, proving unrelated personal content can sell.

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Get your notes app ready, my friend, because we’re going in today. If you’re still feeling a little confused when it comes to specificity and filling in the blanks for all the hooks I share with you, this episode will help everything fall into place. Have you noticed that the people growing the fastest on Instagram right now, are not the most polished, they’re the most human? This is what is working right now, and we are seeing it everywhere from huge corporate brands to smaller brands who have grown their audiences exponentially. We’ll look at examples from big brands, viral trends and everyday creators to show you how specificity and sharing your unique perspective can help you connect with your audience and grow your business.

In this episode we’ll be covering:

The problem with generic advice and what’s really working on Instagram right now.
The type of content helping people grow the fastest right now is human content.
Building real relationships with your audience when there is such a lack of trust online right now.
How to turn a generic hook into content tailored to your niche using identifiers and specificity that will resonate with the right people.
Finding the personal connection for your business content by sharing YOU (hint: sharing doesn’t mean oversharing!)

Featured content in this episode:

Ourwintonhome: Imagine having your kids grow up here
Glenwildartstudio: Dollar Tree DIY
Gadget.life.withme: Handy gadget you didn’t know existed
Candaces_canvasses x glazedoverstudio: Diet Coke
Candaces_canvasses x glazedoverstudio: Paint my tomato basil mozzarella plate
Thehousethatholds: How can I help?
Simplywell.lydia: No counter space but do have
Plant.forward.families: I wish more people knew
Dermarkologist: I wish more people knew (list)

Recommended episodes:

Episode 56: The Reel That Had Me Clicking Buy Immediately
Episode 60: Nail Your Short Form Videos with This Simple Formula
Episode 83: Use the REP Hook Formula and Start Filling in the Missing Pieces
Episode 92: This is the Era of Experiences and Belonging
Episode 100: Use Identity Driven Content to Connect and Engage with Your Audience
Episode 108: Why You NEED To Take Content Creation Seriously

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