Issue #203: Belated Birthday

By Derrick Ernst

August 17, 2025

Growth

We had so much going on with planning for the Saints game that I completely missed yet another HUGE milestone for TDF, our 200th issue! Not sure if any of you noticed this, but I added an issue count to our sub-heading line on Sunday, in part because I realized what I had forgotten. Words of wisdom for today, while it may be ok to miss an issue milestone, it’s not ok to miss a birthday, especially if they mean something special to you! Today actually marks TDF’s 204th issue ever. If you add in Sunday Scrambles and Crib Notes and we’re talking over 250 pieces of content dished out over the past few years. That’s a lot! But it hasn’t come easy and spreading TDF name out in the wild has been a tall task.

I dedicated issue 100 to “ten things learned over the first 100 issues” and my thinking is that I’ll dedicate every century milestone issue to more of a philosophical topic of learnings or growth or development, etc. When you talk fantasy football 51.5 weeks out of the year, we can dedicate 0.5 weeks to something more broadly speaking. At least that math checks out in my head. I wanted to spend a little bit of time today talking about my experience with growing the newsletter. I have taken several different avenues, some have worked better than others. Lets go through what those things have been.

1) Online ads. I’ve done quite a few of them across a number of platforms: Google, Bing, and Twitter (X). Believe it or not, Bing has been where I’ve had my greatest success. Yes, these drive traffic to the site, but it’s difficult knowing if they’re real people or not. This is by and large the “easiest” option, but they yield the lowest success rate. Plus, they cost a pretty penny and campaigns can get out of hand if you’re not paying close attention to them.

2) Social media posts. These are like sending something into the ether and hoping your followers see it, engage with it, and follow through with becoming a subscriber. This sequence is pretty much the same no matter the marketing tactic, but it feels the most impactful with social media posts simply because you know how big your audience is and how many are interacting with it.

3) Cold emails and DMs. This is going to be a very hot take and may rub a few people the wrong way: the fantasy football community is one full of self-seeking personalities. I can’t count on two hands how many people I’ve reached out to in the community seeking a collaboration opportunity or partnership arrangement with that have declined. Perhaps it’s just those I’ve reached out to and I understand this is a significant statement to be making for the entire community, but it’s tough seeing the other side when not one has hit. Despite my track record, it doesn’t sway from from still shooting my shoot when an opportunity presents itself. You get rejected enough and you become immune to it. What’s one more? It’s expected at this point. The rejections don’t knock me down anymore like they did in the beginning. I just use them as motivation to continue doing everything in my power to continue growing this thing that started as nothing into something.

4) MN Card Show. When I set out on this year, my intention was to physically get out in the public eye and be the one to bring TDF to the people. The card show was my first swing at this and I would consider it a great success. Heck, there are a good chunk of you who are now subscribers who took a chance at learning more about why I was there and what I was doing and for that I am grateful. I’m not sure more card shows are in my future though. As much as I thought there was overlap between sports cards and fantasy football content, the majority of attendees were there for cards and largely caught off guard when they learned I was there more so to market TDF. And rightfully so. You don’t go to a pizza shop and expect to see burgers on the menu. But you don’t know the opportunity until you test the waters yourself.

5) St. Paul Saints game. This was by and large the most exposure and interaction the newsletter has had — even more so than the card show. And without further ado, here’s a bit more about how it went:

For starters, I couldn’t had done it without my wife. She was a champ. There was no way I would’ve been able to keep up with the sheer amount of people by myself. We had a table right by the front gate so literally everyone who attended the game walked by our booth. And the JJ McCarthy jersey was a big hit, an eye catching piece as you can see. This was taken towards the end of the day as we were winding things down.

This was a lot more tiring than the card show too. Five-plus hours of continuous interaction out in the sun really wears you down. In an environment like this, the key is to really do things that draw people’s attention. Football at a baseball game helps with that.

6) Word of mouth. This is where leaning into established relationships really shines through. You’re not shoving something down someone's throat in your very first interaction, rather you’re able to feed something into the conversation you would’ve already had anyway. No harm, no foul. Friends, family, and coworkers are the biggest benefactors here. I have a ton of each who are proud TDF subscribers.

7) YOU! Seriously. Your willingness to spread TDF in your inner circles has helped tremendously as well. Let’s be honest for a second, one of the things that makes TDF great is how close knit it truly is. There’s some pride in it not being this monstrosity. It’s kinda like this thing with an underground following that can only be viewed if you have the password. I know you guys wouldn’t let someone in unless they truly appreciated the content. That’s why your willingness to spread the good word is truly the best marketing anyone could ever ask for!

So in sum, what have I learned in all of this? Hard things are hard for a reason. Primarily because they’re something you’re not familiar/comfortable with. Doing more of these things does make what was once hard a lot easier. For me, it’s becoming more extroverted. I’ve never put myself out there in ways that I have this past year and for that, it has made me into a better person. Thanks to all of you for being my motivation to grow and find the best version of myself.

Jinx

I bet you $100 this will no longer hold true by the new year.

Source: Facebook (Heismans)