When Cbabi Bayoc set out to paint an image of black fathers every day of 2012, he knew Facebook would be the way he shared those images.

“I didn’t think that’s all I would have to do for it to spread,” he says.

But it was.

As of Jan. 2, Bayoc’s Facebook page for his project, 365 Days with Dad, had 4,549 likes with 1,359 people actively engaging. On Dec. 12, 147 people like the day’s image, 81 on Dec. 10, and a series of seven paintings he added earlier in the month got 808 likes with 62 comments.

“That’s kind of the goal of social media, to have your readers or customers or perspective customers engaged in the content that you’re uploading,” says Michael Kiel, executive vice president of Leap Clixx, a St. Louis-based online marketing firm.

Bayoc started his project to show positive images of black fathers and used Facebook as the way to sell the original paintings. He hoped he’d sell the pieces, which he has.

“I didn’t think people would tell people, would tell people, would tell people,” he says.

Fathers Incorporated (FI) is a non-profit organization that serves as a leader in the promotion of responsible fatherhood and mentoring. Through the perseverance and tireless efforts of Braswell, who is also Director of the federally funded National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, FI uses innovative social marketing and multi-media platforms, develops research-based products for the field, engages in intensive outreach, and connects key stakeholders – all serving to combat father absence in society and helping to support fathers in their role as parents.