When Facebook Promotes You Without Asking

 Orange tabby cat lying on a hay bale surrounded by pumpkins, corn stalks, and autumn leaves in a cozy outdoor fall scene.

Sights and Scenes of an everyday perosn- Banner’s deep thought mode

🎬 A creator journey I never applied for — featuring two cats, one confused human, and a whole lot of watch time.

A black cat wearing eyeglasses sitting on a wooden desk with books and papers in the background, creating a scholarly and humorous scene.I think I may have mentioned that Facebook has officially designated my Sights and Scenes page as a creator. That’s the page tied most closely to my blog, Arounddustyroads. When I first saw the notification, I blinked at it like it was a surprise pop quiz. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it felt like a promotion. Promotions are good, right?

I’d joined the ranks of those internet icons I like to follow. Sure, I’m the tiniest newcomer in the creator universe, but at least I earned the title. Of course, I wasn’t sure how I earned it… or what it would take to keep it. But I’ve been finding out.

📌 1. Apparently I Qualified by Accident

Facebook seems to have given me the designation because I regularly share my Arounddustyroads posts on the page, and those posts then get shared to my personal page. This creates “activity.”

So after all these years, Facebook decided I’d been around long enough to get the upgrade. Not much of a promotion, really — more like a “fine, you’re still here, take this.”

But the biggest difference? As a creator, I can actually earn money… eventually. I can’t do that from my personal page.

This is where I made my first mistake: I assumed “creator” meant “fun little badge.” It actually means “Congratulations, you now have homework.”

📌 2. The Requirements Are… Hilarious

If I want to qualify to get paid, I have some minimum standards to meet. After I got through laughing, I said what the heck — I might as well work toward it. It won’t be quick and probably not pretty, but it’ll give me something to do.

Here’s an example of the requirements:

For Facebook Reels:

  • 5,000 followers
  • 60,000 minutes of watch time in the last 60 days
  • 5 active videos
  • Follow FB’s content guidelines

 Social media analytics dashboard showing view counts, watch time, engagement percentages, a line graph of activity over time, and charts breaking down views by content type and by followers versus non‑followers

Maybe in my next life. But let’s see how long it takes to even get close. What’s that saying? A journey begins with the first step. Well, I’ve taken mine… and immediately tripped over it.

📌 3. My “Team” Is Not On Board

Two cats sitting behind a news desk with papers and a microphone, styled like TV news anchors with a “WMEO 9” sign and a cityscape studio background.My stars, my partners in crime, my teammates — Banner and Balboa — are not the most willing or cooperative coworkers.

I’ve been following them around with my camera for three days. Have they done anything cute? Of course not.

 

Banner has decided to become a philosopher. This morning, he assumed full Thinking Mode on the human toilet — sitting on the closed lid like Rodin’s “The Thinker,” staring into the middle distance as if pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Naturally, this happened the exact moment I stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, no camera anywhere within reach. He knows. He absolutely knows.

Balboa, meanwhile, has taken a vow of invisibility and only appears when the camera is off. I swear he can hear the “record” button.

I guess they don’t want to be the next internet cat sensations. I need those five original videos, and apparently my cats have decided to unionize.

📌 4. The Creator Warning I Should Have Taken Seriously

I remember watching a creator explain how they got involved (wanted public speaking experience) and how it morphed into a full‑time job. I couldn’t tell if they were happy about it or not — the message felt more like a cautionary tale.

Well, I’ve been a “creator” for a week, and I can tell you:

Yes. It’s a full‑time job.

There’s planning, filming, editing, posting, tracking, adjusting, and then repeating it all again because Facebook says you need “consistent engagement.” I’ve had jobs with fewer steps.

📌 5. Here’s the Bottom Line Orange cat lying on a closed white toilet seat with one paw draped over the edge in a light blue bathroom.

So here I am — promoted without asking, assigned a job without training, chasing cats who refuse to perform, and trying to rack up 60,000 minutes of watch time like I’m running a tiny, chaotic television network out of my living room.

Will I ever qualify for monetization? Who knows.

But I’ve decided something important:

If Facebook wants me to be a creator… then I’m going to be the most stubborn, persistent, dripping‑wet‑post‑shower cat‑wrangling creator they’ve ever seen.

And if Banner wants to sit on the toilet and contemplate the meaning of life instead of helping, that’s fine. I’ll film him next time. Even if I have to sprint through the house in a towel like a deranged wildlife photographer.

Because one way or another, this creator is getting her five videos.

 

A Like From the Top of the World

Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas, showing a remote valley village, rugged mountain terrain, snow‑capped peaks, and the iconic Everest region landscape.

⭐ My Blog Just Climbed a Mountain

I just have to share this. Sometimes something small can feel really big. Yesterday I got a like from Nepal, and it made my whole day.

If you’ve been reading AroundDustyRoads for very long, you’ve probably seen me joke that I’m “international now.” It’s fun, and I love checking my stats and seeing views from other countries. But yesterday was special. It wasn’t just stats. It was a like.

I got a like from Nepal!

It’s real! Not just an algorithm or a bot. A real person in Nepal!

That is so awesome. Someone from the top of the world took time to like one of my little posts. In case you’re curious, it was Monday’s post: America the Beautiful – Unique and Wonderful.

I checked out that like. It came from Adventure Trail Nepal, a guide company based in the Himalayas. How cool is that! They’ll guide you to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, or even help you visit Bhutan — where you can meet the happiest people on earth. (No, it’s not Disney World.)

So wave to my new friends in Nepal. Adventure Trail Nepal, you made my day.

Look! 100,000 views

“Deborah sits between her two cats, Banner (orange tabby) and Balboa (black cat), with a softly glowing, ethereal image of her retired editor‑in‑chief cat Rocky in the upper right corner.”

The Dustyroads Team — Banner, Deb (aka Dusty), Balboa, and Editor‑in‑Chief Cat Rocky (retired)

Hello my friends, loyal readers, and family.

Today is a very special day at Arounddustyroads. It feels like I’ve been writing forever, but this morning we crossed a huge milestone: 100,000 all‑time views. My little blog — this one‑woman column from Taunton that started with a camera, a keyboard, and a stubborn posting schedule — finally hit six figures. And we couldn’t have done it without you.

Along the way I had a finicky editor‑in‑chief cat who kept nudging me forward even when the going got tough. Rocky may be retired now, but his legacy lives on. Banner and Balboa have big whiskers to fill.

Here’s to the next 100,000 views. 

 

Woke Up on the Blue Side of the Bed

“Me performing onstage with my red electric guitar, singing into the microphone. I’m wearing a black outfit with white lace sleeves and a pearl necklace, completely lost in the music. I loved that guitar — still can’t believe I ever let it go.”

I’m Not Singing the Blues Today

Hi Folks,

I woke up on the blue side of the bed this morning. For one thing, Banner and Balboa actually let me sleep — that alone should be cause for celebration. Maybe I got too much sleep. I can’t tell because my Fitbit isn’t syncing, but I do know I woke up at 6:45 instead of my usual 5:30. I was looking forward to a pat on the head instead of the usual “You had a restless night…” message. No such luck.

To cheer myself up, I took a little trip back in time through my blog stats. On July 13 last year, I had 1 view and 1 visitor for the entire day. Yesterday? 366 views and 353 visitors. WOW. And they came from all over the world — the U.S., Hong Kong, Belgium, Singapore, China, Spain… even Nepal. I guess I should be dancing in the streets.

It occurred to me that happiness is a choice. So I’m making that choice today and shaking off this blue mood. Nothing annoys me more than people who complain on a loop, like a broken record. I refuse to be one of those.

Neil Diamond sings in Song Sung Blue that you can sing it with a cry in your voice, and before you know it, you get to feeling good — you simply got no choice. That’s what I’m going to do.

So back to writing. Banner and Balboa will interrupt me and demand treats. My routine will go on, and before you know it, I’ll be feeling good. I’ve simply got no choice.

Have a great day, everyone.