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 Realign Your Digital Marketing to Be Discoverable in the Age of AI [Two on Tuesdays]
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Happy Tuesday, Reader! We’ve been discussing how to equip small businesses like yours to still be discoverable in the age of AI. The playground of keyword-driven search and pay-per-click advertising has fundamentally changed, but there are actionable steps you can take to maintain and grow that vital connection to your audience. Last time, we talked about the importance of a distinct and all-encompassing brand voice. This week we’re focusing on realigning your digital marketing tactics. But first, there’s a key mindset shift we must make in regards to using AI tools in marketing: Doing more of the same (but faster via AI) won't save your marketing strategy. I’m seeing this everywhere: businesses trying to solve their discoverability problems by doing more of what they've always done, just with AI assistance. They're cranking out more content, running the same ad campaigns, and hoping that efficiency will save them. But here's the reality: If your strategy was already showing diminishing returns, doing it faster isn't going to fix the problem. So, what’s the solution? It's time to break out of the "business as usual" mindset and shift into tinker mode. The businesses that will thrive in this new landscape aren't the ones doing more of the same. They're willing to experiment, take calculated risks, and realign their tactics entirely. Here are two ways to realign your digital marketing tactics for an AI world: #1: Lean into your most creative medium. Surprisingly, I've been having the conversation about opting out of content production a lot more lately. Many people think AI tools can help cover for a lack of creativity or affinity for video, writing, or design. But that's not the case today. AI tools are at their best when we're using them to augment an area where we already have deep knowledge and have put in the reps to build up strength. Mediocre input is only going to produce mediocre output. So take a hard look at where you're at your best (or have a world-class team at their best) and lean harder into that, forsaking other mediums. If you're a writer, write more and better, and leave the video to someone else (or vice versa). #2: Shift 25-30% of your big platform ads budget into a smaller, more niche place. If Google PPC, Meta, YouTube, or LinkedIn ads are your largest lead drivers, it's time to put meaningful money and effort into diversifying your strategy. That means at least a quarter of your resources need to shift now. Here's the reality: Those of us with smaller budgets must be more creative about how we use our resources. As the share of eyeballs on big-platform ads gets tighter, large corporations will hit the easiest button first, funneling more dollars into these platforms. You can't compete with that. Instead, it's time to get creative and diversify. We've had success with ads on Eventbrite, local community sites, Spotify, and some niche industry spots. What you can (and should) do better than the big guys is diversifying ad spend. This is where The Trinity Principle becomes your strategic advantage. Remember, one of your three platforms should be a "loon shot" platform that gives you room for testing and experimentation. Rather than spreading that 25-30% across multiple new places, consider putting it all into one alternative platform where you can really focus and learn. For example, we've had success with ads on Eventbrite, local community sites, Spotify, and some niche industry spots. What you can (and should) do better than the big guys is diversifying ad spend. The goal isn't to work harder. It's to work smarter in places your competition isn't looking. Is it more work? Yes. But ultimately it will set you free from the tyranny of the big platforms. And, if you’re looking for ways to find more time to do this, see tactic one. What can you do this week to start experimenting with your digital marketing approach? Until next time, P.S. - What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had with discoverability lately? What’s working or not working right now? Reply to this email and let us know!
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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,...