Intro

Brian Skinner joins TJ Larkin to break down the growth strategy behind Marin Buzz, his successful local newsletter. The two discuss how local content can open doors in business, community involvement, and influence, even without a clear long-term plan. Brian credits a single podcast for sparking his idea, and within weeks he launched a brand that's now a growing asset in his local ecosystem.

They explore how Brian structured his early content around weekend events and slowly added segments like "Pet of the Week," “Marin History,” and “Zillow of the Week.” The discussion reveals how Brian focused on sustainability and community engagement over perfection and how this strategy paid off with inbound advertisers and high open rates.

For those interested in local media, Brian offers actionable advice on using Instagram as both a growth and sales channel. He shares his outreach method using Instagram DMs and AI-assisted tools to identify and contact potential advertisers. His products, YapOver and TwistAI, are designed to reduce friction in content creation and monetization.

Check out Brian’s work:

Newsletter: https://www.marinbuzz.com/

Instagram Tool: https://www.yapover.com/

AI Tools & Services: https://www.twistai.com/

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#CommunityMedia

#EmailMarketing

#SmallBusinessTips

#ContentStrategy

#InstagramGrowth

#AIForCreators

#DigitalMonetization

#StartupStories

#LocalMarketing