How Do You Identify Your Best Posts?
The 17 long time readers will tell you that the obvious answer isn’t always the correct one to my questions. That is not because my intent is to create chaos and confusion but because these questions are often tied into a bigger picture.
What I am thinking about here is more than what my statcounter shows. It is more than the comment count on a post shows. Those are two metrics that you can use to identify your most popular and or highly trafficked posts and there is merit in doing so.
But what I am trying to figure out is which posts do I think are my best and whether the about me page here is providing the sort of messaging that I want it to provide. I am thinking about which posts fuel my fire and feed my soul.
I am thinking about the best ways to use my time and to focus my energy. I want the posts here to be passionate and to have a purpose. I want to use this place to learn, to grow and to have fun.
Without fun there is no point to working as hard here as I do. I don’t mind doing it because I enjoy it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think about what I am doing or wonder about how to improve.
One of the things I love best about this virtual sandbox is that it offers so many different opportunities to think out loud and to experiment. This blog is a living creature and it never ceases to amaze me with the things it offers.
What do you think?
What do you like about blogging?
Do you have a favorite post here and or at your own blog?
Do you like Livefyre as a commenting system?
Have you signed up for the newsletter?
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JanBierens June 7, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Hi Jack.
I’m the last one that is going to deny that I don’t look at the statistics to much to find an answer to what post of me I like best on my blog. I go by the interaction that a post gets sometimes and the greatest kick I get out of posts that I liked writing.Â
Numbers are just that and I’m not working to have things ready at a certain time. No deadline. That’s the way I like it.
Oh I forgot, getting followers, I get a kick out of that too!Â
// Jan
TheJackB June 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm
 @JanBierens Hi Jan,
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I understand that. It is fun to get followers. I enjoy it too. I get notes about people who unsubscribe and sometimes I wonder why, but there is so little time in the day…
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Interaction on a post is always nice. Some of those “conversations” have been simply fantastic. I have learned a lot from them.
CrossBetsy June 7, 2012 at 6:10 am
Hey, Jack!
I like all of my stuff because they all come from my heart.
That said, ask someone to define you and/or your blog. If they tick you off then use their feedback to be clear about who you are and what or why you write.Â
I have no opinion about commenting systems except I hate Captchas  and blogs that eat my comments, or blogs with no commenting system at all.
TheJackB June 7, 2012 at 3:49 pm
 @CrossBetsy Hi Betsy,
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Your honesty is always refreshing. I know that when you comment you are going to speak your mind. Captchas suck and blogs without commenting systems are silly.
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I don’t worry much about what people think because it is impossible to please everyone. I just do my best.
Soulati June 7, 2012 at 4:27 am
LiveFyre is the BMW and Disqus is the Cadillac. I’m loving this comment system; when you get a boat load of comments like I did once (this week), it totally helps you manage and not miss anyone. Don’t know about fave posts for you; your goals are to just write, if I read you correctly. That means it doesn’t matter, right?
TheJackB June 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm
 @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing What happens if you don’t like BMWs or Cadiilacs? What do you do then? I need answers to important questions like this one.
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You don’t have to have a favorite, but I figured I’d ask. You can have one that has nothing to do with my goals.
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How about on your blog. What is your favorite post?
Lessons Of A Dad June 7, 2012 at 12:01 am
It’s funny, and a bit disheartening, that the posts that I placed my heart and soul in creating (therefore I think they’re the best) do not get many hits while some of the fluff that I sometimes make during too-busy-to-blog times get hits galore (a Chuck Norris meme for example).
TheJackB June 7, 2012 at 8:33 am
 @Lessons Of A Dad Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to it. I relate to it because I have been there. When you write a post that makes you feel something and there is no response it can be painful.
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It is hard to tell sometimes what will hit and what won’t. Not to mention lack of response isn’t indicative of whether someone enjoyed it.
wonderoftech June 6, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention, like Penney, I prefer CommentLuv. I’m not a Livefyre fan because it doesn’t use my real name but my user name, but it doesn’t bother me tremendously.
wonderoftech June 6, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Hi Jack, I agree, it’s a matter of opinion. The post that got the most comments was one when I asked for help with the Philly’s Best Blogger award (I lost to birds at the Franklin Institute). My most popular post is about what to do when your email gets hacked. Sadly, that gets about 1/3 of my traffic each day. I wish no one needed that post.
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I can’t think of a favorite post of mine. I work hard on each one and in each one there are things I’m proud of and then things I feel I would change if I re-wrote it. Nothing’s ever perfect, I guess…
TheJackB June 6, 2012 at 11:56 pm
 @wonderoftech If you could monetize that post about hacking…
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What I like about your posts is that it is clear you have taken time to read and learn about whatever tech service/product you write about. Many bloggers take the easy way out, but you don’t.
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I always feel like I have learned something.
penneyfox June 6, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Let’s see if I can answer some of these questions …
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I actually like it when you post about your kids and life around being dad. I first came here because I saw the Dad blogger tagline. I mean, I read A LOT of mom blogger stuff and I was curious to see what dad’s would write about. BUT I do like the stuff about your writing as I struggle with the same fears and finding my ego getting in the way of my thinking.
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Livefyre is alright but I like commentluv better – I get to see the links of other people’s blog posts and get to know some new bloggers by what they’re posting.
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For my own posts – one of my top ones was the Human Being post (think you commented on that one) but this one had lots of people personally message me and I’ve written a part two to be posted later this week: http://penneyfox.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/im-so-happy-my-heart-hurts/
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Last thing …. you’re one of the few people I know who can have a Dune conversation with me and not think I’m some sci-fi geek 🙂
TheJackB June 6, 2012 at 11:53 pm
 @penneyfox Hi Penney,
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I remember being pleasantly surprised to learn that Iron Maiden had a song about Dune. It was 1983 and I had just purchase their album Piece of Mind..
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Anyway, I like those dad blogging posts. I like chronicling the lives of my kids. Those posts are like snapshots in time.
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I hear you about CommentLuv. I like seeing the links to other bloggers too. If the spam hadn’t gotten crazy…
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Keep writing those personal posts, they resonate…
Faryna June 6, 2012 at 11:53 am
I have my podcasts. They defined what I wanted to do with blogging.
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This is my best: http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/stan-faryna-feat-alicia-keyes-if-tomorrow-is-your-last-day/
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I like lots of your blog posts, Jack. I also like how you keep on batting. You’re unstoppable. And that fuels me.
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Maybe I’m delusional, but I imagine that jumping back and forth between comment systems may put your ranking at risk. Comment Luv remains the most interesting to me as a commenting blogger, but I have no idea about what problems lurk in the background.
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I’ve signed up for your newsletter. Check.
wonderoftech June 6, 2012 at 2:44 pm
 @Faryna One of Stan’s best blog posts, in fact one of the best blog posts I’ve ever read, is this one: http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/do-not-be-afraid-and-other-social-media-dohs/#more-1559 If it doesn’t take your breath away, then you weren’t breathing anyway.
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(Sorry to disagree with you, Stan, but I do so with great respect.)
TheJackB June 6, 2012 at 11:33 pm
 @wonderoftech Hi Carolyn,
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That was good. I liked the podcast series.
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 @FarynaÂ
TheJackB June 6, 2012 at 11:39 pm
 @Faryna Your podcasts were excellent, I really enjoyed them.
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I really liked CommentLuv but the spam got to be ridiculous. It really turned into something that was far more time consuming than I could deal with which is a big part of why I turned Livefyre on.
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The second part is because I like the changes I see coming down the pike. It should supercharge things, or so I hope.
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I appreciate your support.
susansilver June 6, 2012 at 11:52 am
I identify my best posts by looking at the “getways”. So, which are my most popular landing pages. Where do people go next after they read. If there is one post that keeps people hopping around then I know that it resonates with the  people I want as readers.  I have them added to my “new readers” page. They might be more effective on an about page though.Â
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I think almost any post I write is my favorite. I have never focused on keeping to a niche. Just writing about the stuff I am learning and doing wacky experiments. That keeps my fuel burning.Â
TheJackB June 6, 2012 at 11:30 pm
 @susansilver Hi Susan,
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I can relate to everything you have written. From a technical standpoint it is easy to see what resonates with my reader.
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My posts feel like my children to me, everyone is my favorite. Ok, not everyone but many. I also like to write about lots of different things. It helps to keep things interesting.