Fyreside Newsletter - 2/17/25

Hey Reader,

I've been taking a break from TikTok. Why? Because constantly posting on social media is EXHAUSTING. (Specifically, it's because I had 3 videos flop that I thought were going to do very well, but that's not important.)

But, as I was saying, constantly posting on social media is exhausting, I know. And despite the endless literature which advises daily posting, here I am openly admitting to taking a break! Clutch your pearls! Gasp in horror! And then wake the fuck up and acknowledge that daily posting is not sustainable for most people.

Standards change.

"Daily posting" has been the subject of a phenomenal publicity campaign. Even folks who don't consider themselves "social media experts" will tell you that you should be posting every day. Source: all of the potential clients who tell me "I know I need to post every day..."

NO YOU DON'T.

"What abou-" NO.

"But I-" NO.

YOU DON'T.

Life is not meant to be lived perfectly. Social media is no different. Perhaps the standard recommendation is to post daily, but don't forget that, until 2005, the standard recommendation was that all fats should be eaten sparingly. The reality is that, not only does the "recommended standard" change over time, but the "recommended standard" is often developed for the best case scenario. So if you're perfect and you want to live your life perfectly, then the "recommended standard" is for you. But that's not most people.

Literally no one cares.

The myth: If you don't post every day, your followers will forget you.

The reality: Your followers don't even notice when you don't post for a while.

If you're familiar with my writing on The Algorithm, you likely know that social media feeds aren't chronological anymore. If you didn't know that, well now you do. Social media feeds are algorithmically generated for each user based on their preferences and usage. It is not uncommon for the algorithm to show users posts that are days, weeks and sometimes even months old. It is also not uncommon for the algorithm to not show your followers your most recent post. That's frustrating, but it's reality.

So when you take a few days, maybe a week, off from posting, literally no one will care. In fact, it's likely that they won't even notice.

You're still on the horse.

The best argument for daily posting, imho, is that it "keeps you on the horse." If you keep posting, you won't stop posting. Simple as that. But again, that's not sustainable. So let me challenge that argument with this ideology, you're still on the horse.

It's easy to fall into the trap of "Well I didn't post yesterday, and I'm too busy to post today, so I'm just never going to post again." To say it differently, "I've fallen off the horse and I cannot get back on the horse. My horse has run off. I will never see it again. Thus ends my time as a cowboy, for I shall never get back on another horse."

But what if you were still on the horse? What if your horse had merely stopped to rest? As established above, no one cares when you're not galloping on your horse. If you need to lead your horse to water and let it drink, you can just do that and no one will be upset. In fact, they'll probably say, "Hey look, that cowboy is doing a great job of caring for his horse."

You do not need to "get back on the horse." You can saddle up and get back to riding whenever you and your horse are ready. You can also go back to posting on social media next week.

A final metaphor.

Today, I think posting on social media is like a high school graduation party. It matters a lot to you! You worked really hard to get here and you're excited to celebrate. You've planned every detail and you can't wait to show off everything you've prepared. You've also invited every human being you've ever met.

It's party time and everything is great! There are tons of people, you've gotten tons of cards, everyone is excited to hear about your accomplishments. You're running around like a chicken with your head cut off and you haven't sat down in 12 hours, but that's awesome! All of your friends are there, as well as family friends you don't even know. Sometime around midnight, the last stragglers take their leave. You check your phone for the first time all day and see a text from a friend apologizing for not being there. It's a thoughtful message, but the truth is, you didn't even notice their absence. In fact, when the dust settles, you barely remember who was there and who wasn't.

And everyone who came? Well this is just a small part of their day. An hour or two on a Saturday to snag some free beer and lukewarm ziti. They've got a half dozen errands to run after they leave and they need to make it home in time for dinner. They roll through, drop a card in a box, see you for a few minutes, eat your food and leave. Just another weekend activity and a fun, social gathering.

Here's the takeaway:

We don't remember the people who weren't there. People don't remember the times you didn't post on social media. Posting on social media is exhausting and, just because you're not doing it today, it doesn't mean you can't do it tomorrow.

-MC

p.s.

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yes, I know my final metaphor is a simile. Shut up, nerd.