Content Marketing for independent entrepreneurs done differently. Here's your first tip: You don't need to grow your following.
I think I owe you an apology... - Fyreside Newsletter - 8/4/25
Hey Reader,First, I feel like I owe you an apology. I think last week’s subject line came across a bit harsh. I wrote “Your likes mean nothing to me” and thought, “Wow, what a provocative and unique way to preface a newsletter about engagement rates!” I should have instead thought, “Wow, this is a mean thing to say to my newsletter subscribers whose appreciation I care very deeply about.” We live and we learn. The brand voice of Bahnfyre is always irreverent and, at times, a little combative. That said, I don’t mean to be off-putting and, contrary to last week’s subject line, your support means A LOT to me. So, my sincerest apologies if that one hit your inbox with a little too much spice. I didn’t mean it. I love you And now for something completely different! My birthday was this past weekend and holy shit does social media make that overwhelming. If you’ve had a Facebook account over the last 20 years, you probably know what I’m talking about. Every year, on your birthday, you are guaranteed a flood of notifications. Many of these notifications will come from close friends and family. Some of these notifications will come from people who you haven’t interacted with in YEARS. Now, please don’t get me wrong, I look at every single birthday wish on Facebook and every single one of them sparks a little joy deep within my icy soul. What doesn’t spark joy is the onslaught of push notifications and the dreaded red notification dot that disturbs the sanctity of my phone screen. So this is my annual reminder, the Zuckerburger I devour every year, I do not want to be an influencer. I keep my phone on silent If you know me IRL, you’ll know that my phone is always on silent. I couldn’t pick my own ringtone out of an audio line up and I don’t set it to vibrate because I don’t like the way it feels. Despite all this, I never miss a message. I check my phone obsessively, so obsessively that I don’t need it to ring. If I miss a call or a notification, I have faith that I’ll see it in a timely enough manner, and I always do. But what I hate is the feeling that I can’t catch up. I keep my phone on silent because, sometimes, when I respond to the last backed up alert, I need to put it down and walk away. But on days like my birthday, when it feels like I’m drowning in a constant flood of notifications, I can’t walk away. That's what being an influencer is like. I have started a business. As a content marketer and an organic growth expert, I spend a lot of time digitally marketing my business from my phone. But, at the end of the day, I’ve set out to build and market a business, not become an influencer. I do not want to be an influencer. I do not want my entire existence to be intrinsically tied to my social notifications. I have the utmost respect for people who can handle it, but that ain't me. And, because I care so deeply about my clients and my newsletter subscribers, I’m relatively confident that you don’t want to be an influencer either. Marketing your business on social media and becoming an influencer are drastically different things. A peak behind the curtain, my email has been quiet lately and I would be ecstatic if I had half as many incoming queries as I did Facebook birthday wishes. However, if my inbox pinged at the rate my Facebook app did this weekend, I would lose my mind. I would lose my mind because, to sustain a ping rate that high, 75+% of those emails would come from people who have no idea what my business does but are simply checking a box. -MCp.s.
--- Let's celebrate your wins next. Ask me how!
|
Bahnfyre
Content Marketing for independent entrepreneurs done differently. Here's your first tip: You don't need to grow your following.
Fyreside Newsletter - 9/15/25 Hey Reader, Last Thursday, I got to taste the sweet honey of TikTok success. I posted a silly, little video that, at time of writing, is sitting at about 10.2k views. Hooray for me! Often when I talk about social strategies with potential clients, they come in with a conviction. There seems to be this belief that more views = more success. Literally everyday I chat with someone who says, “I just need people to see me!” or, “If I could just crack the algorithm,...
Fyreside Newsletter - 9/8/25 Hey Reader, I listened to a podcast this week in which a discussion was had. The discussion focused on the question, "Is digital marketing dead?" Well, as a self-proclaimed digital marketer, let me tell you, I have thoughts. But first, a video Matt | Bahnfyre PR 🔥 We have to stop pretending that the average social user wants more advertisements on their feed. I promise you they dont. . . . #organicmarketing #contentmarketing #marketinghottakes...
Fyreside Newsletter - 9/2*/25 Hey Reader, Happy Tuesday! I took yesterday off and I hope you did too. Plenty of people did not get the day off yesterday and that sucks. I'm passionate about Labor Day because I am passionate about anything earned through blood, sweat and riots. And let us not forget that this progress would have never been made without the sacrifices of Black Sleeping Car Porters of the Pullman Standard Rail company. Here's a link to a great doc from WTTW, the Chicago PBS...