Quiet quitting, acting your wage, and the TikTok of it all
Burnout has entered the chat: Quiet quitting doesn't mean quitting your job, but rather unsubscribing from the above-and-beyond mentality.
Anyone else having a lot of thoughts like… “what even is time”? (Me either; it’s just a question.) 2022 had us navigating our third year of a global pandemic – with a lot of economic uncertainty sprinkled on top.
Our most-read content of 2022 reflects a changing mentality about how we work, with a new form of content breaking into the most-viewed category, as well as brutally honest content focused on bias becoming a massive driver of traffic and subscriptions.
Shine bright: The amazing humans who make the magic happen
Before delving into our most-read content of 2022, I want to recognize the people who make the site what it is – day in and day out these super-stars are always going above and beyond.
The most crucial element of success for our site is that it’s got soul – and these folks are the beating heart of it.
The views, awards, and pipeline – none of that could be possible without Marcia Savage, our freaking *amazing* Executive Editor, Aaron Graham, our brilliant developer, and Cindy Beauchamp, who plays both a strategic and creative role, from helping tie together our outbound strategy to creating web stories.
Editor picks: Best reads and our personal favs in 2022
Our favorite posts this year include insightful coverage of workplace trends like quiet quitting, analysis of economic trends, and thought leadership on gender equality.
Playing the long game: Our most-viewed content of 2022
As ever, our most-viewed content in 2022 wasn’t published in 2022 – a majority of it was written years ago – but continually optimized. The numbers show newer content performing better than it ever has, representing the big changes Google made to their algorithm and how people consume content today. In 2022, 5 of the top 13 posts were published during the year itself; a drastic change from years prior when only one or two posts made the cut.
Desperately seeking inspiration: Stats that demonstrate how content is driving the future of business:
- 41% of B2B buyers seek content that tells a great story to present to their buying committees
- 51% of the businesses that invest in content marketing publish content every day
- Content marketing generates over 3x as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
- 87% of B2B marketers prioritize the audience’s informational needs over the organization’s sales/promotional messages
- 90.63% of pages get no organic search traffic from Google – great content requires experts across multiple levels, including SEO
Our most-read content in 2022:
1. Written in January 2020, this primer on all things e-commerce was also a hypothesis that proved a theorem when it comes to SEO, explainer content, and how to engage audiences.
In fact, the post had more page views this year than the entire site did in 2016:
What is ecommerce? Definition, types, examples, benefits
Learn all about the benefits of e-commerce and see examples of the best e-commerce sites out there.
2. Marcia Savage spared no awesomeness with her primer post on customer service, and the results speak for themselves: in 2021, this post held the 8th spot on the list; in 2022, it landed in second place:
What is customer service in 2024: Definition, types, benefits, stats
More than pricing, and even the product itself, customer service is a huge driver of customer loyalty. Discover all you need to know about customer service in this deep dive.
3. Educational, structure-based content is an opportunity for brands to educate and engage business leaders who are embarking on their purchasing journey. Our content on sales forecasting by Don Gordon is a great example of how helping readers can transform them into loyalists – and buyers.
Master sales forecasting: Essential tips & practices
An accurate sales forecast is vital for business success. Learn how organizations can improve the forecasting process and common mistakes to avoid.
4. A content feat, the 4th post on our most-viewed content list by Geert Leeman was published in October of 2022, but almost instantly shot to the top-spot for search terms that are critical in the industry – at the time of the writing of this piece (three hours before deadline; a JVZ ™ move), it holds the most-viewed slot so far in 2023:
E-commerce trends 2023: 15 stats + aspects shaping online shopping
E-commerce trends in 2023 reflect an always-connected society. See the top 15 trends and stats driving the future of commerce.
5. The queen reigns here: Marcia Savage penned this deep-dive on operations management (thanks to the savvy advice of SEO/marketing mastermind, Alwin Zachariah).
Slow but steady wins the race with this one – the views of this post on operations management grew a whopping 6,616% over six months:
What is operations management? Definition, types, examples
Every business needs effective operations management to drive profitability, achieve long-term success, and win competitive advantage. Learn what operations managers do and how they impact CX.
6. Written in 2018 by one of our most prolific contributors, Branwell Moffat, his post on failure being crucial to success continues to be a massive draw – and driver of newsletter signups:
Failure is the key to success
No person or company is successful at everything, and failure can teach us a great deal. In fact, you cannot innovate without learning from failures.
7. Ethics as a primer: “Consumers expect more from the brands they buy from than ever before, and an ethical supply chain is now a requirement in the experience economy.”
When Sharon Goldman wrote those words in early 2020, COVID-19 hadn’t yet brought the world grinding to a halt – later that year, the supply chain – and how to manage it sustainably – became a critical focus that continues to be top of mind today:
The ethical supply chain: Definition, examples, stats
Consumers expect more from the brands they buy from, and an ethical supply chain is now a requirement. Learn what it means and how to get started.
8. A new form of content enters the room – with stunning success. Anyone worth their weight in the content industry knows that innovation is crucial to staying ahead. When we decided to experiment with web stories, Cindy Beauchamp embraced the opportunity to display her creative talents.
Her story on customer service stats rocketed to the featured section of web returns, driving fantastic engagement with a new (to us) method:
9. Service, service, service: For anyone still operating under the concept that customer service isn’t crucial to business, review our most-read content of 2022 – customer service is an area that’s finally getting the attention that it deserves.
For the third year in a row, Tracey Wallace has delivered BIG results with her content on the best customer service brands:
Brands with the best customer service: No more status quo
The brands with the best customer service in 2022 have not ranked before. Discover the brands that have risen and fallen in rank since 2019.
10. History lessons: All things e-commerce are big drivers of views, but this informational post on the history of e-commerce by Josh Maday continues to shine since it’s 2020 publication date:
The history of e-commerce: A long and winding road
Learn the history of e-commerce and what the future holds for businesses and consumers with regard to the buying and selling of goods and services on the internet.
11. The powerhouse combination of unique artwork (you MUST click to see the hypnotic effects of the design), great writing, SEO-savvy, and original perspectives DELIVERS results. This post on 2023 HR trends by Leslie Taege was published at the end of October, but still made our incredibly competitive list:
HR trends 2024: Melding humanity and hybrid work to retain top talent
HR trends 2024 are all about putting people first by improving the employee experience, humanizing management, and getting hybrid work right.
12. Imagine using the term #BoyBoss to describe a man:
When Cali Green penned this must-read on bias at the end of December 2021, it resonated deeply with readers.
But when it was re-shared on LinkedIn in September of 2022, it went viral, sparking countless conversations, over 8K views, and, as comes with most content that’s raw and real when it comes to the reality that women still face in the workplace – unbelievable vitriol.
A sample of the powerful writing:
“I will never again manage to be silent as someone presents my work or ideas as their own — and then writes me out of my own narrative.
So I challenge anyone who reads this, regardless of how you identify: the next time you hear someone call a woman “difficult” or imply something similar, ask them why.
What did she do to warrant being called difficult?
- Did she ask or demand to be paid what she’s worth?
- Did she refuse to let someone disrespect her boundaries?
- Did she speak up to be recognized for something she inspired or built?
If anything like the above took place, none of it makes her difficult.
It makes her smart.”
Read the rest of Cali’s brave and wise words:
Difficult women: Exhausted by bias, a revolution rises
Tired of being written out of their own narrative, difficult women get comfortable holding the reins of power.
13. In April of 2021, Magnus Meier wrote a prolific piece on wholesale distribution. In April of 2022, views had soared by over 600%, and it drove fantastic demand-gen results to boot.
What is wholesale distribution 2024: Definition, examples, benefits
Wholesale distribution is a vital link in the global supply chain. Learn the basics of wholesale distribution and get examples of top distributors in the industry.