Top Posts and Commenters for July 2011

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In case you missed them, here are my top ten posts for July 2011, along with my top ten commenters. I am sending each of the top commenters a free autographed copy of Max Lucado’s new book, Max on Life.

Wordle Graphic for July 2011

Graphic courtesy of Wordle.net

Here are my top ten posts:

  1. How to Use Batch Processing to Become More Productive (a Guest post by Joshua Leatherman)
  2. Fix for Wireless Communication Problems on the MacBook Pro
  3. Creating Your Personal Life Plan
  4. 7 Evernote Resources You May Not Know About
  5. Literary Agents Who Represent Christian Authors
  6. Three Questions You Should Ask Before You Buy an iPad 2
  7. How to Setup Google Calendar on Your iPhone 4
  8. 5 Reasons Why You Need to Get Better at Saying “No”
  9. 7 Steps to Getting Unstuck and Becoming More Productive
  10. Why I Hope to Die Empty (a Guest post by Todd Henry)

I wrote five of these posts more than a year ago. As I have pointed out before, if you are a blogger, you can continue to generate significant traffic for old posts. You just need to be intentional about it. (I outline my strategy in a blog post called, “Recycling Your Blog Content.”)

Although I didn’t include it in the list, because it is not really a post, my About page continues to be near the top (#18 to be exact). If you are a blogger, this is why it is important to carefully engineer this page. You might want to read “10 Ways to Create a Better About Page for Your Blog.”

My top ten commenters were:

Note to commenters: Please sign up for a free Disqus account. This is the commenting software I use on my site. That way, when you comment it will create a back-link to your blog or website. Also, if you upload an Avatar (picture), we will get to see what you look like. This is just way more personal—and social.

For August, I’m going to give a free copy of The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom by Carrie Wilkerson, to each of my top 10 commenters.

The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson

This is a brand new book for Thomas Nelson. I look forward to reading it myself.

Ready. Set. Go!

Question: If you blog, what was your top post for July? Why do you think that was the case? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are snarky, offensive, or off-topic. If in doubt, read My Comments Policy.

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

    Mike, I believe you are interested in knowing about the top blog for July month (and not June month). I was on online-hibernation during last month. I was not active and decided to take a break from my online activities. However, I would post on maturity as top post for July month. Mike, thanks for being an inspiration in my life.

    And , my hearty congratulations to all the winners.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Thanks for catching that Uma.

  • http://davidsantistevan.com David Santistevan

    My top post for July was “Are You A Worship Leader Or A Worship Pastor?” I think it was the top post for the conversation that occurred: http://www.davidsantistevan.com/2011/07/worship-pastor/

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      David, I really liked your post.  Having been a worship leader, it was good to think about how the position is not just about leading a service, but about leading people.

      • http://davidsantistevan.com David Santistevan

        Yes, it’s a needed shift in perspective. Thanks Robert!

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      I really liked that post!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      David,

      Just read the post. Thank you for sharing. I have a file that I take notes and save from posts like yours. Thank you again.

      JIm

  • http://twitter.com/joannamuses joanna

    My most popular post this month was on why it is a really good thing that God knows all our flaws http://www.joannamuses.com/2011/07/taking-comfort-in-gods-knowledge-of-our.html

    • http://www.leahadams.org Leah Adams

      Joanna, I love the thought that nothing about me will ever surprise God or cause Him to change His mind about me. Grace….it’s all about grace…and mercy.  Great job.

      • http://twitter.com/joannamuses joanna

        Thanks Leah!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Joanna,

      good post. I really like your book reviews. I am always looking for ways to add value to life. Thank you for sharing.

      Jim

      • http://twitter.com/joannamuses joanna

        Thanks Jim. Glad the book reviews are helpful.

  • http://www.leahadams.org Leah Adams

    Mr. Hyatt, thanks so much for putting high quality material out there. It benefits so many of us.

    My top post for July was one entitled “Relationship Status: It’s Complicated” ( http://www.leahadams.org/relationship-status-its-complicated/ ). This post looked at the Facebook relationship status of “it’s complicated” and pondered what it really means in our lives and in our relationship with God.

    Thanks again.

    • http://www.jdeddins.com JD Eddins

      That’s a great post Leah.  Thanks for sharing it here.  I always love checking the comments when Michael does this post each month but it has been a great way to find some excellent blogs.

      • http://www.leahadams.org Leah Adams

        Thanks so much JD. I totally agree. I love Mr. Hyatt’s top commenters post. I hope you stop in at The Point Ministries again. Have a great day.

      • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

        JD, I always find great blogs from these monthly posts.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      Sounds like an interesting post!

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      You are welcome, Leah. Thanks for your participation in the comments.

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Leah,

      I enjoy your mediation moments. They really make me think. It reminds of John Maxwell and his book “Thinking for a Change”. That’s where it all starts, with a thought.

      Jim

      • http://www.leahadams.org Leah Adams

        Jim, thank you so much. I have found them to be helpful….so much so that I included them in every day of my Bible study ( http://www.leahadams.org/legacy/ ) that I published last year. I think they offer a way to ponder on the topic at hand in a concise, yet open manner.  Blessings to you.

    • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

      Leah, I liked this post a lot myself. In fact it is one of those that I retweeted and had a few people not only view, but we talked about it later.

      • http://www.leahadams.org Leah Adams

        Wow, Jonathan….I’m grateful. Thanks so much for stopping by and for the re-tweet. Thanks for letting me know. I was very busy yesterday and did not get on Twitter at all. Blessings to you!!!

  • http://jonstolpe.wordpress.com Jon Stolpe

    My top post of called Celebrating 15 Years, which was simply a blog post to celebrate my 15th wedding anniversary.  The next top 4 were outstanding guest blog posts by Beck Gambill, Alex Humphrey, Norman Stolpe, and Leanne Stolpe (my wife).  It was my biggest month so far as far as traffic goes.  I think the Celebrating 15 Years post was popular, because  there are many personal connections to my blog, and 15 years is a big deal these days.  I  look forward to many, many more anniversary celebrations!

    • http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/ Beck Gambill

      15 years is a big deal, it’s wonderful that you and your wife were duly celebrated! I’m so pleased to have been a part of your top five posts, thanks for letting me share!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Jon,

      fifteen years is a great accomplishment. Keep sharing what works well for you. We all can learn from your success.

      Jim

  • http://blog.cyberquill.com Cyberquill

    My top post for June should have been one titled Melon Murder, simply because that’s the only one I published in June. 

    Turns out, however, it is, once again, my 8,000-word behemoth of a post called The Second Wiehl from over a year ago, the only book review I ever wrote, and it happens to discuss a novel published by Nelson. (I only wrote it because I had won the book at a Facebook contest, and in thanking the author, I had flippantly promised I’d review it on my blog once I read it.  At that point, I didn’t know I’d have this much to say about it.) 

    Almost all of the visits are Google referrals. I suspect on account of its sheer length,  that post simply contains the most keywords people Google. Judging from the number of new comments (none) and the  ”Avg. Time on Page” numbers, no one actually read it.

  • http://jasonfountain.blogspot.com Jason Fountain

    My top post for the month was called “Shift the Monkey” (http://bit.ly/peTuaL). I heard Todd Whitaker, educational guru, speak at a national conference and he was incredible. In the post, I shared many of the lessons he shared. Even if you aren’t an educator, you should learn how to “shift the monkey.” Thanks for the great posts, Michael!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Jason,

      what a great story. If we all could see the good in people first, what a difference in attitude everyone would have. It makes me think about how I chose my attitude each and every day.

      JIm

  • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

    Wow Michael, it’s getting harder and harder to make your list. 235 comments from your top commenter… this is where you should look for your virtual assistant! :-)

    Your list looks a lot like mine with search engines sending a lot of traffic to older posts. My top post is my perennial Goal Setting Toolkit, followed by a post in April comparing the iPad 2 to the Kindle, in an airline usability test.

    My top monthly post was a book giveaway I did with the book, Fascinate, by Sally Hogshead. To win the book, readers had to take her online Fascinate Test  and post the results in the comments. It was fun, and Sally got involved with the contest herself, driving a lot of traffic to the post. It was called How to make Facebook more fascinating. If your readers get a chance they should take her test. It only takes a few minutes, but it can really help you market yourself better. Lots of fun.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      Awesome! I also tried doing a book giveaway on my site…It worked great!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      John,

      you have a good site and Iam following your tweets. Your are a great teacher!

      Jim

  • Anonymous

    I really like the idea of give away to your top commenter’s. Are you concerned about people just posting to get free stuff?

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Yes, I am. But, after evaluating it, I think it’s worth it. Not many abuse it.

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        I don’t think that many would…I actually took up your idea and gave away a book on my site in July. I’m doing it again for August!

      • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

        Michael,

        Just two thoughts…….one if there are just to get the free book and God speaks to them through the book, then they were blessed. Second, they cannot help but to learn from the great post that are on this site and ideas that you share, so I believe that is a win also.

        Jim

        • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

          Agreed. Thanks.

    • http://subbob.posterous.com Bob King

      Ron – I just discussed this topic with my wife over the weekend.  As much as we both enjoy Ree Drummond’s blog (www.thepioneerwoman.com), I find her contest system promotes “quantity over quality.”  When a post receives 40,000+ comments (in one day), is that truly of much value to anyone other than the blog owner? Is it possible for any of the visitors to read & engage with all of the comments?

      In the same conversation I told Ann that I’d prefer a system where, rather than a “per post” contest, it looked across all of the comments on the site in a given time period. (I arbitrarily chose a week as an example, at the time not even knowing that Michael had a system in place on the top 10 over a month.)

      While that still creates an opportunity for abuse and meaningless comments, it would require a much more dedicated intent to do so.

      If (when?) that system starts getting abused, there are other mechanisms available – readers ranking the comments, vote up/vote down systems or algorithmic measurement – to assess the value of a comment.  Similar to how Akismet and other algorithms detect and filter spam, the latter option would use contextual filters to assess comments.  Granted, that’s easy to say but very difficult to implement.

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        40,000 in one day? I could only dream of that! I’m lucky to get 30!

        • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

          I think 40,000 in one day is either an anomaly, or exaggerated. Even though Pioneer Woman is a huge blog (my wife is an avid follower, and I read it occasionally), it looks like it averages between 200-400 comments per post, which is manageable for an engaged blogger, or even an engaged commenter. Michael does a lot of posts that garner that many comments.

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            Yeah. That is still a lot though! Like I said before, I would be lucky to get 30! haha

            _____

      • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

        Bob,

        good point, but abusers always find away around the system. I tell my associates everyday, our job is not to make the good customers suffer because a few bad ones chose not to follow the rules. Of I tell them, don’t treat everyone like a criminal, because most people are honest.

        Jim

      • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

        I think the Washington Post does something like this… they have a system that allows visitors to rank comments as helpful or not.

  • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

    My top post for July was one entitled Moving. It, like most of what I write, has multiple meanings. I transfered from WordPress hosted to self-hosted just a few days before, and also had just decided to transfer from my current work location in central Alabama to a new location in Southern Mississippi, a move that my wife is not excited about for many reasons.

    Of course, this was a difficult month to measure because I have two sites to count. After work I will aggregate the two stats plus the Google Analytics and see if it changes.

    On another note, I’m pleased to be (barely) into the top contributors. I tried to do it the hard way, not just throwing out quick ‘I agree’ or ‘Thanks’ and that made it difficult. In the meantime, participating that much has given me a great deal of information on many various subjects. Being engaged is certainly worth it.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      How has the swicth been? I’m thinking of switching mine to self-hosted?

      • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

        The switch was surprisingly easy, especially transferring the old posts to the new site. I may have prematurely opened the site because I have a few bugs yet to work out. I kept the same style, but am about to try to switch the theme and really take out the extra bits and those that don’t work.

        • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

          That sounds great! What’s your URL?

          _____

          • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

            One of the bugs I have to work out is that if you click on my name on this website it goes to my old blog and not the new one. I have tried repeatedly to change that but haven’t been successful. The new blog website is http://byrdmouse.com.

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            That should be an easy fix…? I’m headed to your siete now!

            _____

          • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

            I thought it would be an easy fix, and yet it still goes to the wrong site.

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            You might could talk to John from Tentblogger. Maybe he could help?

            _____

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            I checked out your site, but I could not comment because my computer always freezes on Disqus when there is not yet any previous comments. Not your site…it is my cpu!

            I really like your design, but have you tried looking into the Mystique theme? It is very similar to your right now, but it is a little wider and has a whole bunch of customizations!

            _____

          • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

            I was thinking about trying the Standard Theme but am really open about that. Part of my problem is that I have added in a few different plug ins trying to make some things work that didn’t work and now I’ll have to turn them off one at a time to figure out which ones are doing what I want and which ones aren’t. There are also a few functions I don’t have right yet.

            Thanks for the comments.

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            Well, the standard theme is the best! If you are planning on getting it and paying for it, go for it. As far as free themes, Mystique is pretty cool! I would go with Standard if you are willing to pay for it.

            _____

      • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

        I switched over at the beginning of the year, and I love it. We actually have two blogs at our domain (http://efamily.brevis.me and http://brevis.me), and they both work really well. One is mine, and one is my wife’s. I like the freedom that having my own domain gives me, and there are some things that we can do with the .org site, that we couldn’t do with the .com site.

  • http://bit.ly/hWr7Cw Rob T

    Appreciated #8 and # 6.  thank you.

  • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

    It continues to amaze me that you have posts in your top ten that were written over a year ago.

    My top post for July was one called, “Cross Examination: The Will to Believe” – http://brevis.me/the-will-to-believe/.  It was a review of an essay by philosopher William James, who posited that our will often causes us to believe something before we have proof of it, and how that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Robert,

      I enjoyed your post and I added it to my favorites. I will share it with my bible study group on Wednesday.

      Jim

      • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

        Thanks for sharing it, Jim.

  • http://bschebs.com Bschebs

     I  just started blogging at the end of June, and mid-July I moved my blog to self-hosted http//bschebs.com from a  free WordPress blog. I am enjoying writing when I actually do it. but sometimes the fear of putting myself out there causes me to make excuses.

    My most viewed post was: http://bschebs.com/trip-down-memory-lane/ A post about learnings after visiting my hometown for the first time in years.

    My favrite post, http://bschebs.com/the-dog-ate-my-blog-post , is my favorite beacuse it really made me lay myself open and admit a flaw. Also in just 2 days it is tied for my most commented post.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      Very cool site…

      • http://bschebs.com Bschebs

        Thanks so much for taking a look at it.  What makes it so “cool”?  I am always looking for ways to improve it.

        • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

          Bschebs, if I were to make one aesthetic change, I would add a header picture/logo of some kind.

        • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

          Also, if you’re looking to make posts more readable, I would break them up a little bit more, or perhaps add sub-headings (this also helps with SEO).

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      I like the dog at my blog post! I could truely see my dog doing this (just kidding)

      JIm

  • http://LookingForPurpose.com Dylan Dodson

    I’m happy to see that I made the list! My top post for July was “When God is not good and you are hopeless” http://www.lookingforpurpose.com/2011/when-god-is-not-good-and-you-are-hopeless/

    I look forward to another month of great posts!

  • Karen

    My favorite was the seven Evernote resources post. You introduced me to Evernote and I appreciate that you share how you and others use it. I’m working to go paperless by the end of the year and Evernote is going to help me do it. Thank you and please keep the advice coming!

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Will do.

  • http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

    my fav? 7 Steps to Getting Unstuck and Becoming More Productive 

  • http://www.tonyjalicea.com Tony J. Alicea

    My top post for July was called “I Need You To Remember My Name”

    http://www.tonyjalicea.com/2011/07/remember-my-name/

    I topped over 100 comments! I talked about how our name is tied to our identity. I invited others to share the meaning of their name and to think about how it has influenced their life.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      I enjoyed that post!

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Tony,

      Your parents did give you quite the name to uphold! I am sure that you are doing a great job!

      Jim

      • http://www.tonyjalicea.com Tony J. Alicea

        I appreciate that, Jim!

  • http://chriscornwell.org Chris Cornwell

    My top post was called:

    1. My Creative Process and Discovering Yours

    It was a part of an online series hosted by Darrell Vesterfelt. I think a lot of people are discovering that creativity is far more than putting together HD graphics and that creativity and leadership often go hand-in-hand

  • http://actjustlylovekindness.wordpress.com/ Doug

    I had never analysed at the stats of my sites more closely that the number of views in general. So for the last month, my top post was my homepage. And for specific sites, it was http://actjustlylovekindness.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/speakforachange/. This was part of a blog carnival, hosted by Michelle Cushatt at http://michelecushatt.com/finding-your-shine/. My second most popular was another carnival posting. My third was my About page.

  • http://www.sundijo.com Sundi Jo Graham

    Mine was the pros and cons of the Facebook like button. I was actually surprised since I wrote it a couple months ago. But since switching to the Standard Theme, my numbers have grown. 

  • http://www.wol.ca/staff/lyons Charlie Lyons

    It is really interesting to see what the top posts are from this blog monthly. The info-graphic is very insightful also, assuming the bigger words are the ones used most frequently.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Yes, that is correct.

  • Anonymous

    By a wide margin, my top post for June was
    Sharing “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Best” from two days of #wckc (248 views) following my attendance at the WordCamp Kansas City in mid-June.

    I believe several factors contributed to that post being the most viewed for June:

    – Amount Time Invested: I took a solid amount of time developing that post, adding pictures, embedding links and writing/rewriting to make it flow well.

    – Timing: I wrote it Sunday evening, just a few hours after the 2nd day of WordCamp closed.

    (Ironically, I immersed myself so much in writing that post, I completely forgot about the brand new iPad 2 I’d purchased on my way home from WordCamp. I went to bed without even opening it!)

    – Targeted Audience: Over the course of the weekend I developed a new group of followers, all attendees, or interested in, the Kansas City WordCamp. Also using the #wckc hash tag ensured those still closely following the WordCamp saw the link to my post.

    – Engagement: Over the next few days I continued to engage the #wckc audience on Twitter. I also read, and commented on, their blogs.

    – Giving Something Back: I used the service at http://paper.li to create the “Krazy Kool KC WordCamp Tweeps” daily newsletter at http://paper.li/subbob/1308032744  Pulling from my own Twitter list of #wckc attendees (http://twitter.com/#!/subbob/wckc2011) I continue to publish that newsletter daily via Twitter.

    The above five reasons are my own assessment of why that post was the most popular.

    I’m very curious in what the other readers of this blog think.

    Of the reasons I’ve listed, how would you rank order them in order of importance?

    Have I missed anything of significance? Do you use similar methods to promote your own blog posts?

  • Anonymous

    Michael – Is the data set of comments past your top 10 available for analysis?

    Upon glancing at the wide range of numbers (235 to 78 comments) among your top 10, I immediately thought of the power law distribution Clay Shirky frequently referenced by Clay Shirky (e.g. in “Here Comes Everybody”).

    The image linked below portrays the graphical distribution of your Top 10 commenters for July.

    http://twitpic.com/5ze5bn/full

    I am interesting in seeing the full distribution graphed out as I presume it would very closely approximate the power law curve.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      No, we just grab the top ten.

      What would that it tell us if we had this data?

      • http://subbob.posterous.com Bob King

        Summary: The value of a metric is inversely proportional to the ease of obtaining the data.

        Referencing The Power Law (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_law), the full analysis may indicate other trends and/or answer questions such as:

        – Does 20% of your commenters represent 80% of your comments? (e.g. the 80-20 rule)

        – (Trend Analysis) Do the same people show up in the Top 10 every month? If so, are they there because they’re adding value? or are they striving to be there, and perhaps gaming your system?

        – Are there spikes, or anomalies, in the curve?  For example, perhaps your most consistent readers, and the ones adding the most value to others, “only” post 30 to 40 comments per month. If so, they may never make your “Top 10,” but they are truly valuable and perhaps not receiving the appropriate recognition?

        – (2nd & 3rd order trend analysis) How many of those on your Top 10 receive replies, or reply on the comments on others? Is there any way to measure that? From my limited experience and perspective, Person A with “30 comments, 20 of them replies to others, and all of them with replies from others) is more valuable than Person B with “120 broadcast-type comments that no one else ever replied to or found interesting.”

        – Lastly, perhaps someone at the other extreme (tail) end, with only 2-3 comments in a month, may have been the person that ignited the best conversation on your blog. Perhaps he/she wrote something very insightful which in turn generated 100′s of follow up replies and comments from dozens of other readers.

        In closing, it seems to me that, in the blogging world, perhaps “measuring number of comments” by a single person may sometimes be as ineffective as an advertiser telling a client how many times a commercial was aired.

        Ultimately, the Measure of Effectiveness (what was accomplished)  is more valuable than the Measure of Performance (what can be counted).

        I think the value of a metric is inversely proportional to the ease of obtaining the data. If it’s easy to count (e.g. the # of comments, or the # of views) then it’s not as valuable as something much harder to measure (e.g. outcomes).

        • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

          This is the kind of thing that would be fascinating to chase down—if I had the time. ;-) Thanks for the detailed explanation.

        • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

          Bob! Your analysis was insightful. Thanks. I like your following point the most — ” — Are there spikes, or anomalies, in the curve?  For example, perhaps your most consistent readers, and the ones adding the most value to others, “only” post 30 to 40 comments per month. If so, they may never make your “Top 10,” but they are truly valuable and perhaps not receiving the appropriate recognition?”

        • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

          Bob, I think that most of the top ten people are the most actively-involved commenters. Most of the people that I’ve noticed over and over are people that actually comment on other people’s comments, and keep the conversation going.

  • http://theforwardjourney.com Michael Vaughn

    My top post in July was “A Minister of the Highest Order”. It’s a tribute to Pastor Pellam Love, who recently went home to glory. His complete devotion to the ministry of the Gospel is inspiring. I think my readers responded to that.

    Michael – thanks so much for all the great information you share through your blog. You’re a tremendous help to me and so many others.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Thanks, Michael.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks for letting us to know about Pas. Pellam Love.

  • http://snappycasual.tumblr.com kelsey williams

    My top post for July was an outfit post showing how I wear yellow. http://snappycasual.tumblr.com/post/7135742520/skirting-the-issue

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      I enjoy your post on fashion trends. The subject is really fascinating to me.

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Good post, Kelsey!

  • Anonymous

    I have enjoyed reading some of the above posts last month. My top visited post last month was  Is Your Team Committed http://danblackonleadership.info/?p=449

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      I like the analogy of Geese for team committment.

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Thanks for the good post, Dan. Can I offer one piece of criticism? It seems like your post would be more readable if you had bulleted or numbered lists.

      • Anonymous

        Robert, thank you for the advice. I re-read the post Is Your Team Committed(As well as some others) and it would have defiantly been easier to read if  they where bulleted or numbered. This is something I have recently been working on.  I really value your criticism and advice.

  • http://www.jdeddins.com JD Eddins

    During the month of July I took an unplanned break from blog, however I started the month of August off with a post this morning, so hopefully I will have a top ten list this month.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Same here Eddins!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Laura-Krämer/100001481863376 Laura Krämer

    I post once a week on my blog. It looks like this last week was the most popular. I write from the place of vulnerability in order to draw others closer to God. Last week post was titled “When”. And honestly I wrote  maybe 3 sentences of my own and then inserted Isaiah 43:2-3. I think if was the most popular post because a lot of people are in troubling times and need to know the trials won’t overtake them, but God’s promises will.

    In looking at my stats I am even more convinced it is time to move over to WordPress. From what I understand the stats are easier to read than blogspot, as well as the interaction with commenters. I am starting to get confused over Wordpress.com and WordPress.org.  I see you are on WordPress.com. What made you choose .com over the .org? Any quick thoughts would be helpful in my decision.

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Laura, the WordPress.com site is a free hosting site, like Blogspot.  WordPress.org is basically software that is free that you host on your own site.  So, if you want to have your own domain name (like http://brevis.me), then you’ll use the WordPress.org option.  If you want to have a subdomain (like http://brevis.wordpress.com), then you’ll be using the WordPress.com option.

  • http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/ Beck Gambill

    Interestingly my top post for July was one I hesitated to post. I wrote vulnerably about the struggle of living with friends as my husband searches for a job, and the hope God’s faithfulness brings. I think it was popular because I was authentic.  http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/2011/07/borrowed-bed.html

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks for sharing the post Beck! — “Maybe you’ve had moments when nothing is enough. I think we were made that way, to be satisfied by nothing but Jesus. Even the satisfaction of good things in life is temporary. This world is not enough, because we were made for another one. Does your heart long for it’s eternal home? How do you cling to hope in the hard times?” – Thanks for sharing these timeless truths.

      • http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/ Beck Gambill

        Thanks for visiting my blog and for your comments Uma!

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Authenticity in posts is always refreshing to see. Thanks for the post, Beck.

      • http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/ Beck Gambill

        Thanks Robert, I appreciate your feedback.

  • Joe Lalonde

    Michael, since I don’t have a blog yet, I’ll state which of your posts for the month was my favorite. I’d have to go with the 7 Steps To Take Before You Quit Your Job. It contained a lot of great advice and it was timely, but a little late since my wife put in her two weeks about a week before it was posted. It was just a great reminder on how to do things properly and with respect.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Thanks, Joe. I appreciate that.

    • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

      Joe,

      I like them all, because I learn at least one thing from each one.

      Jim

      • Joe Lalonde

        Jim, I liked most of them too. That post just resonated with me because of my wife and I’s current situation. I’ve found plenty of practical wisdom from reading Michael’s blog.

  • http://allthingsloss.wordpress.com @KevinMackesy

    I am in the process of switching from .com to .org (using Standard Theme thanks in no small part to you) so I don’t have detailed statistics.  What I have been using so far is “site views” – which could obviously mean one person was doing all the clicking – but regardless, in June my site had under 200 “clicks” and in July the site had over 800!  My all-time most popular post I believe is one I wrote about forgiveness, Casey Anthony, and God’s wrath.  192 views in two days…small potatoes I know, but huge for me!  Thanks for all the insights on your blog.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Kevin! I liked the post on ’The Prodigal Son: Are You a Religious Older Brother (or Sister)?’. It was thought provoking. ”…the church ought to be a hospital for sinners, not a health club for saints.”

      • Anonymous

        Uma, thanks for reading!  I’m glad you liked it.  My plan is to post two to three entries each week including links to interesting articles I read on Fridays.  Im blogging through Philippians right now.  Feel free to come back often!  Thanks again for the positive feedback…

  • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

    Awesome! I agree with all of those posts being in the top. Thanks for the book!

  • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

    My top post was When God Has Something Better in Mind. It talked about my recent guitar purchase and how when I waited, I got something much better…

    Here’s the link: http://bigb94.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/when-god-has-something-better-in-mind/

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – -Jeremiah 29:11. Thanks for the promise verse Brandon!
      -Jeremiah 29:11. Thanks for the promise verse Brandon!

  • http://bit.ly/brandonrobbins Brandon Robbins

    My top post for July was also my top post for June: “The Cure for Creative Block May be Right Under Your Nose (Literally)” http://j.mp/lJ3LCN

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Your bog really ‘makes sense of the little concepts in a big picture life’. I really enjoyed your concepts and your posts. 

      • http://bit.ly/brandonrobbins Brandon Robbins

        Well, thank you! The encouragement is appreciated! 

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Brandon, this was a good post. I’ve been struggling recently trying to get have the motivation for posts, and your post had some good, simple advice to get the juices flowing.

      • http://bit.ly/brandonrobbins Brandon Robbins

        Thanks, Robert. It’s always nice to know that posts are beneficial. After all, that’s the goal. :) 
        Anyhow, I think that too often we blame creative block on a “bad day” or just not thinking hard enough. However, I believe creativity is like the body. No matter how hard we try or how hard we work, tasks will be continually harder for our body if we are not nourishing it well. If we do not nourish our creative gift, it can become malnourished. 

        I also believe that it’s easy to get caught up in thinking creativity is something that happens only in our brains, which is far from the truth. Creativity is not simply a head thing. Creativity is manifested externally (art, music, recipes, writing) and because of this we must feed it with something external, something outside ourselves. We do this by using external things to stimulate our senses and in turn, this jumpstarts our creative thoughts. Just like cars can’t run without fuel and must get their fuel from an external source, the same is true for creativity.  It’s an essential thing to remember, but is often overlooked. 

        • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

          This is good to remember. I am always refreshed creatively when I spend some time walking or running outside, stimulating my senses.

  • http://twitter.com/JobCoachHQ Douglas Andrews

    7 Steps To Take Before You Quit Your Job post was my favorite because rarely do people do this.  It amazes me that people leave their jobs and burn bridges.   Taking these 7 steps in to account will show Class.  I wish more people had class.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      I agree Douglas. Many fail to exercise this common sense when it comes to their job.

  • http://twitter.com/jmhardy98 Jim Hardy

    Mike,

    Thank you for the great posts last month. I do not have a blog yet, but everyone can follow me on twitter. I try to pass on and share post from great leaders and Christian thinkers. The bog will follow soon. I am just learning as much as I can from the great resources that post everyday.

    Jim

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      I am  now following you in twitter. Thanks Jim.

  • http://ericspeir.com/ Eric

    My top post of the month was entitled, “What’s Your Prize?” It talks about what keeps you going while going through pain or hardship. http://ericspeir.com/leadership/whats-your-prize/

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Eric! The  suggestions given by you to stay focused on Jesus in our lives were awesome. Thanks for sharing with us.

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Thanks for the post, Eric. It was great!

  • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

    For some reason I seem to be unable to update my Disqus profile one this website to my self-hosted WordPress Blog. It is http://byrdmouse.com, and if anyone knows how (or why) I can’t seem to change the link, please let me know.

    • http://brevis.me Robert Ewoldt

      Jonathan, it looks like you’ve figured this out.  When I click on your name, I get to your site.

      • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

        I once saw a fat, blind squirrel. Because on occasion, even they can find nuts. Thanks for checking and telling me.

  • Anonymous

    Congratulations to the winners!

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks Karl for your wishes!

  • Anonymous

    Just went back and reread some of your top ten.  #1 and #7 were the ones I found the most helpful.

  • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

    I am surprised that The Unproductive Writer’s Guide was not on the list. Somehow my Disqus has gone from sharing only the responses to my comments to emailing me every response, and I have continued to get responses to that post even this morning.
     
    Are these top posts based on page visits or comments?

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Thanks,

      Mike

      It is based on page views. Thanks.

      • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

        That was what I figured for multiple reasons, one of which being that it wasn’t on the Top 10, but the biggest being that it just makes more since to count them that way.

        I just saw via Twitter that you made it home. Knowing you are just now back and working on your blog is an interesting tidbit of information.

        • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

          Actually, I responded while on the plane. It probably didn’t post until after I landed. Thanks for noticing!

    • http://byrdmouse.com Jonathan

      Now I have posted my thoughts on the Unproductive Writer’s Guide on my bog http://byrdmouse.com I felt it more pressing then my own Best of July post, which will be tomorrow now.

  • http://davidlarteyblog.wordpress.com David Lartey

    In july I was truly not into my blog a lot but I have decided to change that this month.
    As for my top in July I would take a post iwrote about creating a facebook page. I chose this post because I knew that someone – even if its one soul was blessed by it. It doesn’t really matter if so many didn’t see it but one person that saw it said it helped him.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Though July was a passive month, you have a fresh August month in your hand. Just go on, David.

  • http://charlesjaymeyer.wordpress.com Charles Meyer

    I don’t know how I let myself get so behind in reading your blog. It is always so much fun to read, I learn a lot and is inspiring.  Which at one time I did comment enough to get a free book, which this month I will try to do along with filling out the personal life plan and becoming more active in blogging.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      That’s true Charles! You will find it resourceful and engaging.

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