I know we’re halfway through January already… Is it too late to share another 2015 recap?
Last year I shared 5 Favorite Posts (Almost) No One Read in 2014. It was reasonably popular for a recap post, so I thought I’d try it again! It’s a good way to gauge what readers like, what promotion techniques work (or don’t), and what to improve/change in the future.
I did change my criteria this year. Why? I’ve been blogging longer and thus have a greater audience, with greater interaction and page views.
All of these posts were written in 2015. Their status is based on page views from 01/14/2015 to 01/14/2016. Since none of them were written in the first two weeks of January last year, their inclusion on this list is still appropriate. While technically page views could come from 2016, those page views are negligible.
None of these posts have more than 69 page views or 7 comments, not counting my own. I really like each of these blog posts. I wish my readers had liked them too!
5. Carolina Girls… in History
Date: 03/05/2015
Comments: 3
Page views: 69
Hindered by: I don’t think people geek out over history as much as I do.
Why I love it: Women’s history has always fascinated me. More than that, the lack of women’s history in my early education is one of the reasons I became a feminist at a young age.
4. 5 Ways to Keep Your Mind, Body, & Soul Healthy This Fall
Date: 11/23/2015
Comments: 4
Page views: 61
Hindered by: It’s a sponsored post. Even though I try really hard to write authentic sponsored posts, I know some blog readers just don’t read anything sponsored.
Why I love it: I try really hard to write authentic sponsored posts! I’m proud of what I’ve managed to write about products.
3. Thankful Thursday: Technology
Date: 11/19/2015
Comments: 7
Page views: 61
Hindered by: Usually my Thankful Thursday posts get okay page views. Not amazing, but not bad. While I really enjoyed co-hosting Thankful Thursday every week in November, I think it might have been overkill for some of my readers.
Why I love it: I enjoyed the “Currently” style of my November Thankful Thursday posts. I also love to defend technology against the haters!
2. 4 Reasons You Might Need a Blogging Break
Date: 10/27/2015
Comments: 4
Page views: 55
Hindered by: Most of my blog readers are not bloggers. Thus they’re not that interested in blogging advice.
Why I love it: I actually want to blog more about blogging! Plus I think bloggers really need to stop feeling guilty if they take a blogging break.
1. 3 Lessons I Learned from the DinnerCall #10in2 #BillionDinners Challenge
Date: 10/30/2015
Comments: 2
Page views: 48
Hindered by: Again, it’s a sponsored post. I also didn’t create a unique pinnable graphic for it, although I did embed a pinnable infographic.
Why I love it: I genuinely enjoyed taking this challenge (and getting paid for it). I thought it helped Dan and me be more mindful of our mealtime habits.
It’s also fair to add that most of these posts are from October and November. Clearly they had less time than other posts to gain page views. That said, most of my page views for a new post are within the first few days of publishing.
Do you have any beloved blog posts that didn’t perform up to your expectations? Share your links with me, and I’ll read them!
Isn’t it so funny sometimes the post that you love the most are overlooked by readers? It happens to me all the time! You have to write what you love about, even if only 69 people viewed them haha
That’s how I feel! I write some posts just for readers, some just for me, and most for a combination of me and my readers. 🙂 I guess these ones were just for me!
Hey, I love history! There are other history geeks out there who will enjoy those posts 😉
I’m glad to hear that!
I definitely know what you mean about just loving a post that you created so much…publishing it, and then having seemingly nobody really ‘get it’ or even click and read it. And it’s definitely true that sponsored posts in general tend to be less popular than normal posts.
I try really hard to reward my favorite bloggers when they write sponsored posts, especially if they aren’t straight reviews. I know how much work those posts are!
Do you have a post in mind that didn’t get the attention it deserved? I’ll give it a read!
I actually really liked the Billion Dinner challenge too!
Glad it wasn’t just me!
Ah, I hate when you love a post and they don’t get the page views you were hoping for. I’ve actually been blown away with a lot of posts lately, but I am trying to up my commenting game!
I’ve noticed your frequent comments this month! Thank you. 🙂
Love these posts! I hate when a favorite post doesn’t get the views I expected. This is a great way to reshowcase them!
Since I’m new to your blog I’m now going to read each and every one of these posts. 🙂
Aw, thank you!
Love the honesty in this post! So happy to have stumbled across your blog via Anne from Love the Here and Now!
Thank you! I feel like we can learn from our failures as much as our successes.