Mile Stones…

Achieving-milestone name fame comActually, it feels more like kidney Stones than mile stones  lately… LOL

I’ve been away from the site and other Social Media outlets for a while now and it doesn’t seem like I’ve made much ground.

I just haven’t felt like writing.  I didn’t feel like I had anything “productive” to say and the creative “juices” just haven’t been flowing.

If you don’t know, I’ve been struggling with Grief, Depression and PTSD for almost 2 years now. It’s been a struggle that you can read a little about in my last post … Click HERE to read “Searching” .

Well, I put my big boy pants on and made myself sit down and check the status of the sites etc…. I shouldn’t have been but…..  I WAS SHOCKED!

I’ve always known that you guys are THE BEST and you continue to prove it to me time and time again.

adrianpei comYou’ve all stayed with me. My Brothers, Sisters, friends, fans, followers etc, you’ve continued to visit the site and interact on Face Book, Twitter etc. You’ve done more than that actually because, despite my absence; we’ve continued to grow!

Looking at the numbers, I thought this would be the perfect time to sit down and get some type of post up. I wanted to say THANK YOU for staying with me but also thought it would be a good time / opportunity to clear up a few things related to the site.

Now, many of my critics will view this post as “self promotion” and if they do … GREAT.

If that happens, then I’ve done my job and I’m back on the path to filling your news feeds and morning reads.

To help you understand a little, read a previous post of mine in the link below….

Read “Self promotion, pride or underlying issues from others?”

Face Book ProfileI’ll start tonight by explaining how to find and follow me on Face Book… **I HAVE TWO PAGES**.

This is a confusing issue for many I know so hopefully this explanation will help.

My “PERSONAL” page (or “profile”) can be found under “Willie Wines Jr”. You’ll note the upper / left arrow in the picture to the right pointing to my name and letting you know what page you are on.

This is the page where I share a lot of my “personal” life. It’s NOT necessarily all about firefighting or life as a firefighter. This page IS where you’ll see pics / videos of me, the Buckaroo and the Rascal camping, working or just hanging out around the house / farm etc.

Visit my Profile Page by clicking HERE

The really cool thing about my “Profile Page” is that I’ve reached 5,000 “Friends” … the maximum number Face Book will allow! If you’ve recently sent me a “Friend Request” and I haven’t “accepted” it …. this is why.

Face Book Fan PageDon’t be discouraged though … there IS another option! I also have a “Fan Page” that was created for the web site (Ironfiremen.com) .

I made a huge mistake when I first created the Fan Page and named it “Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen Blog”. The good news is that I (we) now teach classes on Social Media and can show you how and why not to make that same mistake…. LOL.

This is the page where I share all my latest postings from Ironfiremen.com. It’s where I share things more related to “the job” than myself.

This page is NOT necessarily all about me though. I often share news, stories, pictures, videos etc from other Fire Service related members /sites / pages but, in the end; this Face Book page supports the web site Ironfiremen.com.

I’ve explained many times before that none of my sites / pages should be categorized as “News” sites such as The Fire Critic or Statter 911 . Much like me, my sites / pages are “unique” and contain ORIGINAL CONTENT and OPINION …. MINE!

I’m NOT a “cut and paste”, catchy Headline  or shared video site…. I’m something different … I just don’t know what it is yet …LMAO.

You don’t have to agree with or even like what you read / see on my pages but, in my defense; it is fairly popular (If nothing else, it often makes for a good read,  a good laugh or maybe even extra toilet paper…LOL). That’s ANOTHER MILE STONE I’ve reached in that  my Fan Page has accumulated 30,500 followers! 

See what all the “hype” is about and be sure to “Like” and then “Follow” my Fan Page which can be found in the link below….

Ironfiremen.com on Face Book

“Self Promotion”?? YEA. Just like I said in the link at the top of this post, it’s how we generate income to be able to continue bringing you the content and other things we offer.

I operate the site through a “Network” of other blogs / websites related to Fire, Rescue and Police services. “The Network” is “one stop browsing” for ALL your Emergency Services needs. The Network is called “First Arriving Emergency Services Network” and can be found in the link below …

Find  The First Arriving Emergency Services Network HERE

First Arriving Network

Every time I make a post on Ironfiremen.com, it’s not only shared on my Face Book Fan Page, Twitter account etc, it’s also shared on “The Network” and all of their Social Media outlets. It’s how we are able to generate so much “traffic” to the sites.

Because of the “traffic” or number of “viewers” (clicks) we have, sites on the Network are prime locations to advertise.

Advertising dollars are what keeps us afloat. In my opinion though, it’s takes more than simply “numbers” or traffic. To me, interaction speaks more than numbers. A lot of people will click on a headline, read a sentence or two and then move on.

That person took nothing away from the post and didn’t see any of the advertisement on that page. That’s another place where Ironfiremen.com is different. We get reader involvement / participation.

You not only read my posts on the site, Face Book etc, you also “like”, “Share” and “Comment” on them! That tells me that I’m doing something right.

Many of you already know that. It’s why The Fire Critic and I get so many requests to share “this” post, “this”page / site, “this” tee-shirt campaign, “this” event etc…. OUR READERS / FOLLOWERS ARE LOYAL AND ENGAGED IN WHAT WE POST! 

Most likely, many of you have also noticed /seen what we’ve done in the past for companies like Black Diamond Boots, Phenix Fire helmets, NM Coin , MN8 FoxFire and many more. One of our biggest and most recent advertisers has been Demers Ambulance (link) . Click the link below for an example of how we helped them get their message out ….

Read “Amazing Grace… FDIC 2014 was a HUGE success!”

advertise on Ironfiremen 2I mention all of this because I have some prime advertising space available on Ironfiremen.com!!

If you have a business you’d like to promote…. a web site, blog or Face Book page you like to draw more traffic / attention to…. then this could be your opportunity!!

We have several options available at VERY affordable rates.

The basic package could be something as simple as a mention and link in on of my posts (top, middle or bottom… it’s up to you).

Another option is adding your Banner / logo and link to the right side bar of the site (location indicated in the picture right and continues down).

We can even do a combination of the side bar and links in postings ….  we have several options available and will work to find the one to best fit your needs!

I actually have a new advertiser that will go up this week (most likely Tuesday) and I can’t wait to tell ya all about them!

I’ll say that it feels good to be back at the key board typing again. I’m still finding my way and searching for that “new normal” but I’m getting there day by day…. ANOTHER “Mile Stone”!

I have several posts scheduled for this week and know that I have a lot of catching up to do. The Wildwood, NJ Fire Show is coming up, there is a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb in Charlotte and I have a couple speaking engagements scheduled as well. Looks like I’m going to get busy again so I should have plenty to write about….. I hope you continue to follow along.

If you’re not following Ironfiremen.com directly, be sure to find, like and follow us on Face Book , Twitter etc by follwing the links mentioned at the top of this post.

Thanks for sticking with me …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines