There is a 90% chance that you were not reading this blog one year ago. I’ve covered a lot of ground since then so I thought I would reflect on 2010 and some of the blog posts that I think made a difference. Since I posted more than 220 articles, the top 10 represents less than 5 percent of my output for the year. So if you are new here, thank you for being part of this community. And here are few of the best articles you won’t want to miss:
#10 — Ten reasons to blog – even if nobody reads it
My best posts are not necessarily my most popular posts, but in this case the two coincided. This was my most-tweeted post of 2010.
#9 — Three reasons why the “experts” are wrong about social media measurement
Social media measurement is probably the most-covered subject on blogs. But I find that so much of the advice is disconnected from the reality of really working in a company. I liked this post because I think it makes that connection.
#8 —This is what happens when Barbie joins Twitter
Once or twice a month I get punchy and write something humorous. Up until this post, these generally died. But this was the first funny post I ever created that really caught on and gave me the confidence to keep putting them out there. It paved the way for some other humor that became some of my most popular posts like
- Guy Kawasaki is the devil
- How to be a Google whore
- The 20 craziest things you can do on Twitter, which was my second-most popular post of the year as determined by page views
#7 — Twitter’s Biggest Scams
Last summer I put a lot of effort into a five-part series on the annoying MLM marketers and other scammers that populate Twitter. I thought this was interesting and useful information but the series generated very little interest from my community. I thnk the lesson learned was that people can’t hang with a five part series!
#6 — Small business? THIS is how to work the social web!
I’m really proud of this interview with Chandra Michaels. If you could only read one single blog post on how a small business should market on the social web, this is the one. I was lucky enough to feature a number of amazing case studies in social media success this year, including A fascinating B2B social media success story and Social Media Makes Big Splash for Small Entrepreneur
#5 — Three social media myths that MUST STOP NOW
Because I simply love stirring it up.
#4 — The Spirituality of Social Media
I took a lot of risks in 2010 but this one plowed entirely new ground. Nobody really talks about the spiritual aspects of the social web but I don’t know how you can ignore it. If you like that one, My own 11 little secrets was in the same vein.
#3 — Get ready. Social scoring will change your life.
This is one of my favorite posts because it provided original thinking and an excellent debate on a topic with vast consequences for all of us.
#2 — Is social media creating a generation of cowards?
Malcom Gladwell’s controversial New Yorker article was among the most talked-about of the year. It spurred a lot of commentary but I was one of the only bloggers who agreed with him — and took his premise a step further. It also featured one of my funniest and favorite graphics of the year!
#1 — Social media and the big conversation “fail”
There’s no question this was my most impactful post of the year. It took me just 20 minutes to write it but the impression it made on the community was profound. A woman in South Africa recently called me just to tell me this post changed her life.
So that’s my take on the best of 2010 any way! Hope you have enjoyed your experience here on {grow}. I never take you for granted and look forward to exploring some new thought-provoking topics in the coming year.