Renia (pronounced R-EE-n-a) Carsillo hates business silos and marketing hacks. So, she spends her days working with mid-size and small companies to integrate their business strategy with their impact strategy, design sustainable marketing frameworks, and find a growth cadence that works for their team and their lives. Renia believes founders are uniquely positioned to create a kinder, more equitable world. She is passionate about bringing C-level strategic support to the small and mid-size companies shaping their communities every day. Renia says, "Sustainable marketing is built on a solid business strategy. A solid business strategy is built on values-driven habits. Values-driven habits are built on healed/healing leaders. We can’t do these things separately. They’re all interconnected. ”
How to Leverage TRA-Digital Marketing to Be Discoverable in the Age of AI [Two on Tuesdays]
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Happy Tuesday, Reader! We've talked about how being discoverable in an AI-driven world means adapting your brand strategy and realigning your digital tactics. This week, I'm going to say something that might surprise you, especially coming from someone who's been advocating for digital marketing for over 15 years. We’re going old-school for community-based businesses. TRA-digital marketing means offline first, digital second.I’ve talked about the importance of TRA-digital marketing before. That’s what I call combining the best traditional, in-person networking strategies with today’s digital tools to create a powerfully sustainable referral-based marketing foundation. Since 2009, I've been advocating for community and small businesses to put greater emphasis on their digital marketing efforts as the most efficient, effective, and sustainable way to market their business. In 2025, I'm making a radical shift. For community-based businesses to remain discoverable, they must focus on offline tactics first, digital second. The algorithms have changed. The platforms have changed. And most importantly, how people connect and build trust has changed. For community-based businesses, the most powerful marketing strategy isn't about reaching more people online—it's about going deeper with the people in your physical community. Here's what's happening: National corporations and big small businesses are funneling massive budgets into the same zero-sum digital ad platforms we've been relying on—primarily Google PPC and Meta ads. We simply can't compete dollar-for-dollar on those platforms anymore. So, we have to go to alternatives. The reality is, building real relationships beats chasing digital metrics every time. This doesn't mean digital isn't important. Reviews platforms and Google Business are still critically important for reinforcement. But they can't be first in line for your marketing dollars anymore. The community-based businesses that will thrive in this new landscape aren't the ones with the most followers or the highest engagement rates. They're the ones building genuine connections with people who live, work, and spend money in their community. I know going back to more traditional, in-person marketing can feel scary. It’s easier to sit there and tap away on our phones or computers and feel like we’re “doing marketing.” But that's exactly why traditional methods are more powerful than ever: Your competition is avoiding them too. Here are two ways to lean into TRA-digital community marketing right now: #1: Get involved in local event marketing. One of the best and most affordable ways for community-based businesses to find their customers is through "old-fashioned" community-event-based marketing. But simply sponsoring a Chamber breakfast or a local baseball team is not enough. It's critical to the success of these events to show up, work the room or the sidelines, and talk to people about your brand. Bonus points if you can pair this work with local media coverage and a memorable setup. Our client, Mrs. Grout, has long used their cars and bubble machines as an affordable and effective way to stand out at local events. #2: Use online groups and communities to create IRL meetups. Instead of treating your social media accounts as an end unto themselves, try using your engagement in Facebook groups, local forums, and subreddits to create group meetups, coffee dates (in a public place), and connection moments. The most powerful (and affordable) use case for social media and local businesses right now is moving relationships into real life. These location and interest-based subgroups are great ways to do that. Try hosting a meetup for DIY home improvement folks at your local maker studio or a book club at a local coffee shop—or attend someone else's when you see it advertised. Bonus points if you get out in real life for a coffee with someone you talk to often online. The best marketing has always been about connecting with your people. TRA-digital thinking just gives us the roadmap. The digital tools are still important—they're just most powerful when they reinforce the real relationships you're building with people in your community. When someone meets you at a local event, then sees your Google reviews or finds your social media, magic happens. Looking for guidance on getting started? Grab our free relationship-building self-assessment here. What can you do this week to build deeper connections in your local community? Until next time, P.S. - An all-new Local Rock Star Alliance for an AI-dominated, chaos monkey 🙂 world is coming this winter. Get on the waitlist here.
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Renia Carsillo
Renia (pronounced R-EE-n-a) Carsillo hates business silos and marketing hacks. So, she spends her days working with mid-size and small companies to integrate their business strategy with their impact strategy, design sustainable marketing frameworks, and find a growth cadence that works for their team and their lives. Renia believes founders are uniquely positioned to create a kinder, more equitable world. She is passionate about bringing C-level strategic support to the small and mid-size companies shaping their communities every day. Renia says, "Sustainable marketing is built on a solid business strategy. A solid business strategy is built on values-driven habits. Values-driven habits are built on healed/healing leaders. We can’t do these things separately. They’re all interconnected. ”
Happy Tuesday, Reader! It's not groundbreaking news at this point, but study after study shows us that digital-first relationships make us less happy and aren't fulfilling in the same ways as face-to-face connections. Despite being more connected than ever, we're in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and AI tools only exacerbate the problem. This has a real impact on our humanity, which is (spoiler alert) also screwing over our work lives. The solution is simple, if not easy: Get...
Why Follow-Through is Still Human Work: Places AI Can't Help Your Business, Part 4 [Two on Tuesdays]
Happy Tuesday, Reader! Today’s AI tools make starting things easier than ever. For example, much has been written about how helpful ChatGPT is at getting from blank page to rough draft for writers. But here's what no algorithm can do for you: the discipline of finishing. There are 99 days left in 2025. We're in that magic momentum cycle where hitting those big goals and leaning into the intentions we set in our planning sessions becomes not just possible, but natural. Realign with the Human...
Happy Tuesday, Reader! We've been exploring where AI shortcuts can actually hurt your business. This week we’re focusing on the hidden cost of making your work too easy. Deep learning and maintaining creative skills require cognitive strain. If we’re not careful, what helps us in the short run (freeing up cognitive load with AI tools) can hurt us in the long run. It's crucial to make thoughtful choices about where the trade-off of short-term ease for long-term skill development is worth it,...