I made a simple Facebook post last week about not wanting to be a social media influencer, and it got a lot of traction. The truth is, I don’t want to be a social media influencer, but it is a skill I have to learn to grow my website and get eyes on my content.

It’s not easy. Social Media Marketing is a full-time job, and I already work twenty-four hours a day with my kids. How can I fit in all the things required to be a social media Influencer while being a stay-at-home dad and writer?

Posting My Family Feels Wrong

Family privacy is one of the main reasons I don’t want to be an influencer. I’ve mentioned the time it takes to do the job, but with my website more focused on me as a stay-at-home dad, my content is my family.

And putting my kids out there on the internet is scary.

My social media accounts are not personal; they are my brand. But what do you do if your brand is your family and daily routine?

I decided to share my family with the world. I also wanted to share part of myself with my audience so they could get to know me. My kids are young and don’t have much of a say in what I’m posting about them. While I haven’t gone as far as hiding their sweet faces from the world, I’m at least trying to conceal their identities. I am conscious of posting things outside of our home and don’t want to give up their privacy or autonomy.

As they age, I plan to ask them if I can post content containing them.

What’s My Brand Again?

In my Facebook post, many people told me I need a brand. That my posts look like I’m just posting about my family.

I don’t have an idea of my personal brand. Right now, my personal brand is me, but that includes things like technology, Apple products, being a stay-at-home dad, and fiction writing. I’m all over the place, and I don’t want to get rid of any of these things.

This website started as a portfolio to help get me out of teaching. Of course, it took much longer to leave teaching than I thought it would, but things also started to evolve for me. I wrote a few sample pieces about iPhones, and a ton of views came in. I began to chase the high of watching my views go up.

Then I got a job writing for a tech website but couldn’t make it work with all my other responsibilities at home. Once I found myself as a stay-at-home dad, I thought I could drill into another audience, so I started to write about those moments.

But all the time, I want to write stories, books, and even movies one day. That’s my ultimate dream. But I keep chasing views on the website because I like telling these stories. I want to grow this into something that helps pay the bills around the house. When the kids grow old enough to go to school, I want to be able to continue writing and doing this as a profession.

But to do that, I have to get better marketing skills.

Following the Path as a Social Media Marketer

This is funny because I took a social media marketer course online, but it focused more on metrics.

I know that marketers and social media influencers put in the work. I know that they research trends. They go where the followers are. They have a target market and analyze the data.

I would love to do all that, but I don’t have the time.

When I have free time, I try to create content I want to make and think people might be interested in. I have a half-written novel that I’m still very interested in finishing, but when I have time to sit down and write, I’m trying to be a content creator. I hope it helps bring in more views so that I can make some money on the website and get a following so that when I finish my novel, it won’t sit there with no eyes on it.

I would love to sit down and make a marketing plan. I want to research hashtags and keywords that might help me. I would love to find Facebook groups that aren’t just focused on other writers but which will also let me promote my stuff. Those seem few and far between.

I know what to do, but I can’t do it all with my limited time. So, I’m trying to do what I can for now. I’ll put out a reel or a story as best and as quickly as I can. Sure, it would be nice to produce better-quality videos that I edit in Final Cut Pro or something, but there aren’t enough hours in the day.

I also don’t know how to market myself since I’m all over the place. Since I’ve taken on so much, narrowing my focus is hard. I’m trying to get a lot of things under the same umbrella. Being a stay-at-home dad, those posts write themselves, but they can also bring in people who want to see me transform my lawn or what tech I like to use.

Once the kids are at school more often and I get some free time, I would love to sit down with an expert in this stuff, develop a plan, and learn as much as possible. I would love to fix all the issues with the website that have developed over the years that keep me from ranking higher in Google. There’s so much that I want to do to make money from it and make it the best that it can be for you, the reader.

But I also want to finish that novel, get back in shape, and learn Spanish. There’s never enough time in the day.

Results so Far Refusing to be a Social Media Influencer

But I do feel like I’m making progress. For the New Year, I dedicated myself to posting a new blog at least once a week. Since then, I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of views a post usually gets—although some of my recent ones, like the Dad Tech and HomeKit posts, have gone unnoticed.

While I had always tried to schedule promotion posts, my views climbed when I started posting at least once daily. While I don’t have a strategy per se, I am learning what content works and what doesn’t.

I made the post lamenting that I don’t want to be a social media influencer, but I must learn the skills to get my content out there. I didn’t expect anything from it, but a week and over 200 interactions later, it brings new eyes to my stuff. I’ve gained over 50 new followers just because of that post alone. But then, when I spend a lot of time on a post and think it will do well, I’m lucky to get my wife to even like it.

Regardless, I’m seeing progress. It’s slow, but I’m also only putting in minutes a day instead of hours. Because of my website’s growth, my revenue has doubled from around $1 a month to $2. Facebook has allowed me to earn stars and bonuses for my content.

So, I know I must continue finding what works for me. I also want to keep improving my skills in making short-form videos.

But I want to write and get people to enjoy my writing.

Follow Me

All that to say, if you haven’t already followed me, please do so. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Mastodon (although I haven’t been checking on that one as much).

I hope my authenticity will keep you around. I’m not trying to make anything look glamorous or fake anything. But I will attempt to be a content creator that viewers enjoy. I’m going to keep growing this site and my online presence because I really enjoy doing it. I want to be able to keep doing it as a career once the kids need me less and I regain my time.

Also, if you aren’t already a subscriber, make sure you join the mailing list.

Finally, if you’d like to help my family on this journey, think about donating or signing up for a monthly contribution at Ko-Fi. You can also help by sharing this post with a friend who might enjoy it.

And if you’ve made it this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope to keep making content you’ll enjoy!