#266: Building an Organic Social Media Following with Lindzi Shanks, XO Marshmallow

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Lindzi Shanks, founder and CEO of XO Marshmallow, to unpack how she built an organic social following of 1.4 million across platforms and turned it into real, trackable sales.Lindzi started XO Marshmallow 10 years ago with a background as an influencer and blogger, designing the brand from day one to be visually shareable. As short-form video took off, she realized the marshmallow-making process itself was perfectly suited to content, from ASMR-style pulling and pouring to behind-the-scenes factory footage. That instinct, paired with a willingness to constantly experiment and adapt, has turned XO into one of the most recognizable brands in confectionery, generating millions in revenue through social content and more than $2 million in TikTok Shop sales alone.Daniel and Lindzi dig into how each platform (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook) plays a completely different role in her strategy, how she turned a single negative comment into a 26-million-view video and a still-converting ad, why viral views don't always translate to sales, and how she batches content, keeps customers coming back, and now approaches an upcoming retail expansion.Listen in as they discuss:Why Lindzi designed XO Marshmallow to be visually shareable from day one, before short-form video existedHow TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube each reward completely different types of contentWhy "blame your content, not the algorithm" when something stops performingHow a single negative TikTok comment turned into a 26-million-view video and a still-converting adWhy viral views don't always translate into sales, and which platforms actually drive purchasesHow XO Marshmallow batches content one day a week and uses a freelance editor to scale outputWhy reusing years of old B-roll footage can create content that feels brand newHow XO Marshmallow drives repeat purchases and reorder rates through community programs like Troop XO and Camp CapWhy TikTok Shop customers are hard to retain, and how postcards and discount inserts help win them backWhy XO Marshmallow is redesigning its packaging and shelf life ahead of a retail expansionEpisode Links:Lindzi Shanks LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindzi-shanks-6689b6101Lindzi Shanks Instagram: @lindzi.shanksXO Marshmallow LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xo-marshmallowXO Marshmallow Website: www.xomarshmallow.comXO Marshmallow Instagram: @xo.marshmallowXO Marshmallow Facebook: www.facebook.com/xomarshmallowXO Marshmallow YouTube: xomarshmallowXO Marshmallow Pinterest: za.pinterest.com/xomarshmallowXO Marshmallow TikTok: @xo.marshmallowDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danscharffQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics