How Did Sunset Obsession Do in 2022?
Some behind the scenes numbers and stats
Hey friends,
First of all, happy new year! It’s been a while since the last newsletter but I finally get to congratulate you all and wish you a very productive and satisfying 2023. Let it bring you joy, fulfilment, and happiness!
In my last issue, I talked about why I don’t set goals for new year. But I still find it useful to look back and reflect on the past 12 months. And I have to say that 2022, for all its drawbacks, has in many ways been a great year for Sunset Obsession.
So in today’s issue, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what’s been going on, share some stats and numbers, and talk a bit about what the future might hold for the blog.
New Content
In 2022, I published 20 new articles. That’s less than I was aiming for but still a decent number considering that texts have grown in complexity in the past two years as I strived to make them as informative and comprehensive as possible.
Besides, Sunset Obsession is a bilingual blog with content available in both English and Russian. So there are also translations to take care of. These are easier than writing from scratch but still require some effort. I’ve completed 15 of them last year.
All in all, a reasonable result but I definitely hope to do better next year. After all, content is king, so expect new photography guides, tips, and reviews in 2023. I also have some ideas about the new type of articles for the blog, so stay tuned for those.
Views Are Growing
Getting traffic and exposure is really at the heart of successful blogging and I struggled with it for a long time. In 2022, I am finally seeing a positive shift
There are many ways to measure this, but let’s take the simplest metric. In 2022, Sunset Obsession got 124k page views. This is still very humble compared to many blogs out there, but then again, in 2021, it was only 27k views, and 14k the year earlier.
So to me, that’s a major achievement and a clear sign that I’m moving in the right direction. Will this continue in 2023? I sure hope so but ultimately, that’s outside of my control. All I can do is keep writing and bringing value to my readers. And that’s exactly what I’m planning to do.
Monetisation Is Still Symbolic
While I hope to reach the point where income from blogging would be enough to make a living, that’s still a faraway dream. For better or worse, Sunset Obsession remains largely a side hobby and I haven’t done much to monetize it.
To this day, the website remains completely ad-free (enjoy it while it lasts, folks!). So the only money I make is from sales of my Patagonia Guide and some affiliate marketing. In 2022, those amounted to about 600 EUR.
That’s nothing to write home about but I have to admit that earning anything at all from the blog is hugely satisfying. And besides, it’s quite an increase from around 100 EUR or so in 2021.
Plans for 2023? Nothing definitive just yet. Maybe another photography guide or dabbling with some (hopefully non-intrusive) ads… We’ll see. For now, I’m focused mostly on new content and monetisation comes as a second priority.
The Takeaway
The takeaway from all of this is simple. The blog is growing and getting better and although it’s a slow process, the trends look promising. 2022 has been amazing but I’m hoping 2023 will be even better.
So, lots more to come and I sincerely hope to see you all around. And hey, if you want to support me, here’s a 30% discount code for the Patagonia Guide valid through February: SUNNL30. Use it yourself or share it with friends (just get them to subscribe to the newsletter!) – it’s all good.
Cheers,
– Alex
Latest from Sunset Obsession
I recent finished my Scotland series, so if you’re planning a trip to this beautiful country or even considering such possibility, below are the last three articles. You can also view the entire series here.
Sunset Obsession Image of the Month
I haven’t done much photography in January, but here is an image I took on a recent ski trip to Austria. A striking reminder of how beautiful a proper winter could be – something we get less and less of lately.
Quote of the Week
“I wish we lived in a world where actions were measured by the intentions behind them. But the truth is, they’re measured by their consequences.”
― Blake Crouch, The Last Town