Each week, Firstlinks receives far more articles than we accept. We usually publish seven articles a week, with selections based on relevance of the topic for our audience, quality of the writing and expected popularity.
After almost a decade of publishing, we usually have a decent idea how popular an article will be. Sometimes, we publish an article which is fresh and smart although we know it will not attract high views. It will work well for a minority of readers and so it has a place. It's about the quality not only the metrics.
What distinguished 2021 was the number of articles that unexpectedly went 'viral'. While a typical good quality read on an investment topic might receive 5,000 views on our system, we had eight articles this year over 20,000 hits.
Often, an article hits a chord with a particular group, such as financial advisers, and it is widely circulated to their clients. Other times it is linked by other publications or social media and attracts a bigger audience. It is not easy to predict or cause these events.
The 10 most-read articles follow three themes. Based on our reader surveys, two categories - retirement planning and housing - are understandable given our relatively wealthy, self-directed and 'older' audience. The third is unexpected, the widespread interest in social security issues such as pension eligibility. Are the high views due to a desire to learn about current eligibility, the potential as a future safety net, or something else? Any feedback welcome.
(Click on the article to read it).
Many thanks to the hundreds of experts who wrote for us in 2021 and we look forward to publishing the best again in 2022. And thanks to our readers of these and the hundreds of articles published each year.
Graham Hand is Managing Editor of Firstlinks. My thanks to Christian Townsend and James Renton from Master Publisher who provide and support our Content Management System for producing this table and for their quick responses throughout 2021.
The articles should be read in the context of when they were published, and they do not consider the personal circumstances of any investor.