Hey All!
I really need to work on these blog posts more, but I have been really busy with the sous vide summit and other things I have been doing lately... As some of you may know, besides the YouTube channel, Podcast, and website, I also have a couple different Facebook groups that I run. I come from the old bulletin board style member forums back in the day and although I know there are still a lot of them around, more and more Facebook and other social media platforms seem to be replacing them. I have tried to get into some like Reddit, but they seem to be very clunky and not as user friendly as the social media sites. I know there are still MANY people who love those other sources, but for someone like me who is trying to juggle a lot of different things, I have to pick and choose where I post my content. Even just trying to keep up a blog is challenging to me LOL!
What the Facebook page and groups allow me to do, is interact with more people on a regular basis as I can have different groups covering different topics all on one platform making it easier to develop content, respond to questions, offer advice and recommend products. It also offers the benefit of building a community of fellow enthusiasts that get involved and help others with their knowledge as well. This to me is one of the BETTER uses of Facebook instead of arguing about politics or posting up pictures of my pets. So, Just in case you did not know of the different groups I run on Facebook, they are listed below if you care to join in!
Fire & Water Cooking Page - This is the main jumping off point for my brand and groups that I run. This is also where you can find the videos and podcast episodes that i upload to Facebook. I also post my Instagram content here since Facebook makes it really easy to share between platforms now. If you Follow or Like the Facebook page, you will usually stay informed of all that I am doing!
Sous Vide, Barbecue, Smoking, Grilling - Fire & Water Cooking- This is my original face book group and the one that started it all. It is by far the largest and most active of my groups and it is pushing 10k members after a little over 2 years! Over those years I have tried to make it a place people can feel comfortable to go without getting harassed or have to take a lot of abuse from trolls or see a bunch of silly Meme's that just tend to mock, and encourage people to experiment and learn. We are not always perfect, but we try and make this group one of the better ones dedicated to sous vide and outdoor cooking for sure! We do screen posts and try to monitor comments as best we can to make sure the group remains on focus.
All Kinds of Barbecue - BBQ, Smoking, Grilling, and Outdoor Cooking - I created this group about a year ago as I was seeing a lot of groups dedicated to individual brands of grills or types of grills, or there were other bbq groups where most of the members would beat up on other members for they type of grill or smoker they used (Pellet Grill vs. Stick Burner, etc) and I thought there was room for a group that welcomed all kinds of grills, smokers, and all types of outdoor cooking. It has grown slower than my original group, but that is mostly to do with the shear amount of barbecue and outdoor cooking groups I am sure. Like my original group, I don't intend on it being the "BIGGEST" barbecue group on Facebook, just a great one! All outdoor cooking types and styles are welcome!
Connected Outdoor Cookers- Wifi and Bluetooth Smokers, Grills, and More - This group I started because of the fast growth of smokers, grills, and other devices such as thermometers, temperature controllers, pellet grills, ovens, and sous vide devices that are Wifi or Bluetooth connected now! It has not grown as fast as either of the other groups YET, but I really have not been pushing it either. I think with the more and more these types of cookers are getting popular, you will have more people interested in the unique issues and circumstances that come with these cookers!
Vacuum Sealers of All Makes and Models - Food Savers to Chamber Sealers - This is my latest group and I created it out of the popularity and growth of the review videos i have been doing on the different type of vacuum sealers out there now! With the growth of sous vide cooking and people looking to stockpile and store food, the manufacture and offering of both Suction type and Chamber type sealers have grown! People are interested in getting good deals and also learning what the differences are and what they can use them for besides food storage. This group is for those looking for deals, reviews, and information on all things Vacuum Sealer!
Besides these Facebook groups, make sure you check out my Instagram Feed HERE, and of Course the YouTube Channel as well! The Fire & Water Cooking Podcast also continues to grow both on the Audio version and the video version on Facebook and YouTube! We continue to get amazing guests such as Kenji Lopez-Alt and many others!
Thanks all for following and keep an eye open! I may have another prize drawing in the works for next month!