You’d think playing in a band or being a landscape oil artist would be the one place I’d unplug from marketing, but if you know me, you know that’s not how I roll. Last year, I gave a talk at our Chambers Lunch and Learn. I focused on a year of organic video posts of The Gold Noire Band across three platforms with a strategy and the data it produced.
Hypothesis: Where is the ROI line for organic and engagement vs. paid ads on social media?
Measurables:
Gold Noir is my hobby. It’s fun. It’s creative. It feeds my soul. But it also gives me something precious as a marketer: a personal sandbox.
I can experiment on my own social accounts in ways I’d never try on a client’s. I get to test how posts perform organically here in the Tahoe-Truckee region, when boosting helps (and when it doesn’t), and what happens when I run small, focused ad campaigns with a clear goal. I’ve learned more from these behind-the-scenes experiments than any webinar or headline article could teach.
And let me tell you, getting your message out is HARD. Rising above the noise takes time, energy, and resources. It doesn’t matter if it's a hobby or your business. The difference is that with my business, BWCI, or the accounts I manage, do not have the resources for play, ROI is the bottom line.
My bandmates sometimes wonder why I post so often. And they tire easily of me and my cameras and recording gear. Nothing like stopping the music to check cameras to kill the buzz. But every post is a test. I’m watching how the algorithm behaves. I’m checking what visuals drive engagement. I’m seeing what the platform chooses to show and what it buries. Most of our audience I know personally, and I hear directly how we are doing. In marketing, this feedback is golden.
2026 is the year we stop posting randomly and start posting with purpose. Post your dog or your dinner for free—but if you're marketing your business, paid isn't optional anymore.
Organic content still has value. It’s how we stay present, human, and consistent. But if you’re depending on organic posts to drive traffic, sales, or sign-ups?
You’re feeding the algorithm without getting much in return.
In the Tahoe region, I still see many businesses relying on traditional advertising, local print ads, flyers, bulletin boards. And for a long time, that made sense.
But consumer habits have shifted. Whether it’s tourists, locals, or second homeowners, people aren’t scanning the classifieds for their next coffee stop or home service. They’re scrolling. They’re searching. They’re swiping past the noise looking for something that feels relevant.
That means your marketing strategy has to be smarter than just being visible. It has to be intentional.
When you post organically—even with a boost—you’re still playing the platform’s game. You’re giving it content in exchange for maybe being seen. You’re doing the work, and the algorithm, after using your post as food, decides if you’re worth showing.
When you advertise with intention—setting clear goals, targeting real audiences, testing and optimizing—you’re no longer the product. You’re the one using the power of the algorithm, not the other way around.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does have to be done with purpose.
If your marketing plan for this year looks like last year—posting a few times a week and hoping it lands—it's time to pivot.
Start small. Run a test ad. Track it. Learn from it. Build from there.
And if you're still not sure where to begin, that’s what I’m here for. Let's talk.
I’ve learned the hard way, through testing, experimenting, and yes, even as a musician/artist, what works in this region. And I’m here to help you move from passive posting to strategic growth.
This is just the start of a new series I'm calling Flip the Feed—a fresh look at what it really takes to make social media work for your business in 2026.
If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means comment below or direct message and I’ll do my best.
Nothing better than a good question to jump into.
Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike, I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com
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Trina Gold
Master Creator
