Blog-Off Contest: Who Are The New and Best Social Media / Marketing Bloggers?

Last week 25 people answered our question, “who wants to be part of our rapidly growing blog on social media and marketing?” But who really is the best fit? In the spirit of social media and its evolution we are hosting a 2 week “Blog-Off Contest”. Just like a dance-off contest that tests quality, endurance, appeal and popularity we are going to ask these thought leaders to step into the social media arena and let their audiences decide if they have what it takes to be the best.

If you didn't enter last week, no worries, there's still time to join. Just follow the steps below.

The winners of this contest will become guest authors on our Community Marketing Blog and enjoy a great variety of benefits that most solo bloggers achieve only after a significant investment of resources.

Blog-Off Contest - Overview of What’s Involved

Stage 1 – Getting Started: Are You The Best? Contest Entry
Stage 2 – Create Content, Traffic And Interaction
Stage 3 – Who Are The Best Bloggers? News Release To Follow
Advantages Winning Bloggers Can Look Forward To
Enter Your Information In the Comment Section At The Bottom To Get Started
 

Stage 1 – Getting Started: Are You The Best? (Running May 11-15)

Enter the following information below in the comments section for consideration.
1.  Tell us: your name and email address, 1 sentence on what area of social media or marketing you are a thought leader in (or aspiring to be) in; 1-2 sentence about your career and 1-2 sentences about your strategy for winning this contest; 1 sentence on why you’ll be a great fit as part of an entrepreneurial/seasoned team on the Community Marketing Blog.
2.  By May 14 we’ll make a selection from the entrants that make the strongest case why they’ll be great long term contributors and notify them they’ve qualified for Stage 2.
3.  We will contact you with a login and password.
4.  On Monday May 18 we will post a news link on who the qualified entrants are to over a million people via Linkedin, twitter, and several others social networking sites.

Stage 2 – What’s Next: Create Content, Traffic and Interaction (May 16-30)

1.  Bloggers will have 2 weeks to submit a minimum of 2 articles and post them directly on our blog.
2.  During this 2 week period we’ll be measuring how much traffic the authors drive to their article.
3.  We will also be measuring how many comments writers manage to generate on their topic.
4.  On Monday May 25 and June 1 we’ll post 2 separate digests updating our social networks what the rankings are and any exciting news that’s developing.

Stage 3 – Who Are The Best New Bloggers Joining The Community Marketing Blog? (June 1-3)

The criteria for winning is simple. We will add a minimum of 5-10 new authors to the Community Marketing Blog based on who achieved top performance in the prior 2 weeks in the following areas:

1.  Who generated the most traffic to their individual blog posts?
2.  Who was able to facilitate the most comments of visitors on the article they published?

The winners be announced in a news release which will be circulated to our million plus LinkedIn members via Group and News discussion which includes executives, business owners and media.

Advantages Winning Bloggers Will Enjoy As Part Of The Community Marketing Blog

1.  Each week we will create a digest of all blogs submitted and circulate this to our News groups on LinkedIn which reaches over a million professionals in 30 countries.
2.  By being part of a community of bloggers, each dedicated to driving traffic to this site, we can realistically achieve a top 50,000 website position in the world within the next 90 days.
3.  Cross exposure of up to 10,000 page visits per week.
4.  Excellent search engine visibility. We see regular Google top 10 positions on total results between 10 million to 80 million.
5.  The opportunity to contribute to our ongoing social media research which has enabled us to shift our site ranking over 11.5 million positions in 90 days and gain thousands of new readers.
6.  The possibility of having your content being included in one of 2 books on social media and marketing we are presently writing.
7.  The opportunity to join a blog in growth mode without being required to worry about design, maintenance, building a reputation for your blog. We have invested heavily in all these areas.
8.  The opportunity to enjoy a leadership position in business communities that look for quality thought leadership and practical advice.
9.  The potential for media attention and new clients as a result of building traffic, interaction and relationships. Within 5 months we’ve been interviewed twice by the Wall Street Journal This Morning, contributed to several journalists research, seen our content go viral and spread to hundreds of websites, started new strategic relationships and enjoyed a growing number of leads for new clients and much more.
10.  The ability to co-author articles with the founder of the community marketing blog and have content made available to our network of 1 million professionals.
11.  The opportunity to share best practice with other bloggers on the Community Marketing Blog to expedite learning, traffic and invaluable information on how to maximize value from your efforts.
12.  The potential to bring your expertise to our technical arena and improve the Community Marketing Blog with the latest learning and applications.
13.  The ability to collaborate with the founder, and other authors in this community, for webinars and work together to co-promote your event.
14.  Sharing of our knowledge on how to tap into several hundred thousand targeted readers on LinkedIn to assist in driving traffic, interaction and potential new relationships and revenue.

Let’s Get Started:

Enter the information requested in Stage 1 into the Comment section below.

Indemnification: All bloggers that publish content on the Community Marketing Blog will be solely responsible for the accuracy, correctness and copyright protection of their own content. The Community Marketing Blog does not endorse, censor or edit author’s contributions but reserve the right to remove blogs that may be offensive in nature or posted for the sole purpose of self-promotion or other reasons deemed professionally inappropriate. All authors are fully responsible for any legal issues that may arise from their content and hold the Community Marketing Blog and it’s founders harmless and indemnified against any action which may result of content posted. The Community Marketing Blog and its founders reserves the right to expand or alter indemnification clauses without notice. By entering your name in the Comment section below you are acknowledging that you agree to these terms. The Community Marketing Blog reserves the right to change contest terms at it's discretion without notification to entrants but will endeavor to not deviate from the original terms made public and forsees no reason why contest terms should or will change from what is posted above.

Comments

[Praveen lohani]

I am Praveen lohani (http://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenlohani)
My Email is lohanipraveen@gmail.com

I would like to contribute on things like Emailers (http://itcombine.wordpress.com) and Social Expressions like tag lines, scraps etc as part of a marketing startegy, apart from IPTV VAS applications.

I have worked with E-commerce companies like Indiatimes(http://www.shopping.indiatimes.com) and am currently involved with creating IPTV (http://www.icontrol.in)applications.

My Strategy is originality.

My Fitment is due to my exposure to diverse fields like E-com, Social networking and IPTV and guiding Internet product creaters(www.itcombine.com)

[Paritosh Sharma]

Name: Paritosh Sharma
Email: paritosh@paritoshsharma.com

Thought leadership on social media:
Promoting global events using social media in times of recession

Am a Social Media marketing evangelist, featured as the youngest Indian at the NASSCOM EMERGE community as a thought leader in online branding and positioning.

My strategy would be simple, write about how businesses can create highly focused branding strategies on social media along with the metrics for measuring the ROI, customized for each business vertical.

Being an entrepreneur and a SMM evangelist I am sure to bring value to the community.

[Leon Op de Beek]

I am a freelance professional in marketing an communications in The Netherlands involved in projects with a reach between traditional and online marketing. I'm specialized and interested in all aspects of direct marketing, either being distibuted fysically or being sent out digitally. Before I started as a freelance professional I worked for companies in Chicago and Hong Kong and later as marketing manager at TNT Post, the Dutch postal services company. At TNT I've started piloting communities and blogs and I wrote some articles about marketing and communication. When I would be given the opportunity to start writing for the Community Marketing Blog I would like to emphasize on the use and application of marketing and social media from a european point of view and focus on the differences between north-american and european cases. During my career I always stepped into new opportunities with an open mind and that's what I can offer in this new challenge: I'm looking forward to share my perspective on marketing with you all and hope to learn a lot from you.

[Jenmy]

My name is Jenmy Huynh, my e-mail address is jenmy.huynh@gmail.com and I’ll save you the trouble of Googling me, my blog is betweenopportunities.wordpress.com.

The area of marketing I aspire to be a thought leader would be cause-related marketing in order to connect authentic causes with passionate people.

I recently finished a contract with UPS as their Business Planning Marketing Specialist in Canada and am looking for my next big adventure in the areas of marketing and corporate social responsibility.

The strategy I will be taking is the underdog route. No one really expects some recent B.Comm grad to win a blog off right?

My authenticity, electrifying personality, and passion to help people succeed would make me a great fit for the Community Marketing Blog team.

[Ellen Brandt, Ph.D.]

Ellen Brandt, Ph.D.
lifestories@optonline.net

I am a thought leader on Baby Boomers taking center stage in the world of social media, based on our skills, our experience, our determination - and, Yes, our current anger.

I'm an Ivy League-educated Ph.D. cultural historian, the former long-time business editor of a major women's magazine, and the author of over 3,000 magazine articles in the past 30 years.

My strategy for winning this contest is to mobilize the estimated one-third of the population who are officially Baby Boomers - aged 46 to 63 this year. I believe that, in terms of the developed world, at least, we are now the Angriest Generation in modern history, a phrase I wish to introduce and expand upon in a series of blogs which explore the interface between social media and political action.

I'd be a great fit for this seasoned team, because I know how to entice, excite, and provoke readers, getting them to participate interactively, which is one of the main purposes of this exercise.

[Sara Barton]

My name is Sara Barton and my email address is sbaron1220@yaho.com. I am an aspiring leader in strategic marketing, advertising, and social media, especially as it pertains to job hunting and marketing. I am currently an out-of-work senior copywriter who is utilizing her blog for self-marketing and professional branding purposes. I also have a background in strategic marketing and broadcasting. My strategy for this contest is to be myself - I write with a strong voice and wry sense of humor. I also intend to build a loyal readership base, while also building google hits through the use of SEO. I think I would be a great fit for this blog because I am a passionate advocate of social media and in-bound marketing because of the impact this type of intimate, permission-based relationship can have on customer behavior.

1 sentence on why you’ll be a great fit as part of an entrepreneurial/seasoned team on the Community Marketing Blog.

[Julie Tyios]

My name is Julie Tyios - j.tyios [at] gmail.com - and I'm a Twitterholic. I use the power of Twitter to leverage results for my clients. I own a newly formed media company that's been built on my success as a freelance web writer and online marketer, and another company that's built around the power of Twitter for marketing.

My strategy? I'll do what gets results for my clients - leverage the power of Twitter and other social media networks to promote my posts, your site, and a sense of community.

Why me? I've always been my own boss (writer, editor, marketer) and I'm also addicted to social media marketing, so I have the right combination of drive, addiction, and free time to promote this properly, coupled with the professional background, attitude, and intuition to make this a success.

[Linda White]

Linda White
las123@juno.com
A marketing generalist with 15 years of experience, I participated in several website start-ups in the late 1990s. I see social media as the 'next big thing.' As a corporate marketing director, I did not have time to get my company involved in social media. I want to help others who are in the same time suck, which is any communications job - you are supposed to be innovative and creative while churning out copy on deadline. My strategy is to be as helpful as possible to the people who are in this situation, give them some real take-away. I fit the team as someone who's been on both sides of the fence, both an entrepreneur and a corporate clog. Trying to help the clogs feel a little less cloggy and help them sort it all out...

[Chad Rothschild]

Name:Chad Rothschild www.chadrothschild.com

I am an expert in helping my clients attract, retain and engage their audience. My expertise and thought leadership are in Personal & Corporate Branding, Social Media - especially the foundational principles and Marketing Strategy.

I have been in Marketing for over a dozen years. I have been in the top of my industry. I do a lot of speaking engagements on Social Media and can offer a lot of value.

I write in very simple and to the point terms that people can understand and relate to. Even though I have an MBA, I may not be smarter than a 5th grader(hopefully just my wifes opinion :)

I look forward to this and am excited in participating in your blog off. (Since I can't sing, this may be my American Idol shot...)

Chad Rothschild
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chadrothschild
www.chadrothschild.com

[Mayra Ruiz-McPherson]

Mayra Ruiz-McPherson
mayra@mayraruiz.com

I aspire to be a "hypeless" and "in the real-world trenches" social media marketing reporter of trends, approaches and best practices.

I'm a digital marketing professional, PR brain and social media strategist working with organizations to encourage and nurture their emergent behavior within web 2.0 properties and social networks.

I'd be a great fit as part of your entrepreneurial and seasoned team on the Community Marketing blog because I ... well...ummm...I myself am (a) entrepreneurial, (b) seasoned, and (c) community marketing **is** what I do best ... just can't imagine a better fit than that (except my jeans after I drop a few pounds, give or take!) :)

[Kelly Jad'on]

Kelly Jad'on/Founder www.BasilAndSpice.com

Contact: OnLinePublicity@BasilAndSpice.com

I originally founded BasilAndSpice.com as a blog which has grown into a dynamic blogsite of over 250 contributors, publishing new release book reviews, author blogs, news releases, and author interviews.

Using social media applications, we reach the online world, bringing fresh content about living a healthier life.

The key is it's not all about me. What can we give to others and encourage them to read a little more?

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Thanks for sharing Kelly, you've further inspired me to a vision of what the Community Marketing Blog can evolve into. Our specialty focus will be on marketing and social media just like your's is on topics relating to health. Congratulations and very best wishes with yor community!

[catherine mcquaid]

Big Game Hunting takes specialized business services to the Fortune 1000. The C-level executive is an elusive prey, sceptical of any attempts to infiltrate the herd.

Will social media change the attitudes of the alpha animal about intruders?

Check in with me during this experiment to find out what I learn.

Bwana

[Ananda O'Brein]

Name: Ananda O'Brien
Email: ananda@massmediacc.com

In my opinion, the hardest part of social media marketing training is learning effective communication. I am a public relations professional which really works to my advantage because I can write, listen and persuade in a professional manner.

I am an assistant account executive with MassMedia Corporate Communications and focus primarily on our company's internet marketing division.

My strategy for winning this contest is providing readers conent they want and can benefit from.

I will help readers understand how they can apply social media to engage with consumers, deliver exceptional ROI, create more relevant products for the marketplace and help them understand it is not all about us, it is about the target audience and the information they seek.

[Dan McCarthy]

My name is Dan McCarthy (dmccarthy@prostylus.com), and I need more exposure for my copywriting business. Seriously, why else would I write anything for free?

Here’s one reason: Because the core principle behind my successful freelance career applies 100% to social media: You have to give value to get value.

Paradoxically, the commercial value of social media – this blog notwithstanding – remains largely unrealized and undemonstrated. The field is typified more by questions and theories about how to practice it, than a history of proven methods or results.

Driving traffic to this social media blog is largely a matter of broad, consistent and value-added interaction on social media sites, like Twitter, Linkedin, and other strategically selected blogs. Sustaining traffic, however, is a more challenging issue.

My approach would be to aggregate the latest, greatest sources of independent market analysis about social media’s potential role in business.

I would build the field’s credibility and historical narrative by writing regular exclusive, hype-free case studies.

Lastly, I would encourage a lively interaction among regular readers about their perspective on the limits and potential of social media.

[Lucas Clements]

Appointed at birth as: Lucas Clements who can be reached at lucas.clements [@] gmail .com.

I have had the pleasure of being in the interactive online space (programming,designing, marketing)for over a decade and the area that I associate myself most strongly is online reaction. is act/react and how that benefits all.

Create with purpose, exist with drive.

The way I will win this contest is by stating ideas and strategies that resonate with all spectrum's of the online community. High tech and low tech and what they can gain.

I believe that I am a great fit for this community because the entrepreneurial spirit in me is much like the internet itself. One of the last places on earth where magic still can happen daily.

[Grant A. Johnson]

My name is Grant A. Johnson. I am an author, speaker and practioner of measurable marketing strategies -- you know, the kind that get you real-world results. I have quantifiable experience and also teach in an MBA tract. My goal is to demonstrate how marketing can be, and should be, the profit center for most businesses and organizations. Here's my profile: http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=973951&trk=tab_pro

I have worked with small to large companies and my goal is to help you discover how, what, when and to who you should measure your marketing using a test-centric approach to your campaigns, in ALL media, including traditional and emerging channels. My website is: www.johnsondirect.com

Finally, I am currently a blog columnist here:
http://bigfatmarketingblog.com/category/a-measured-approach/

I have worked with Microsoft, several large insurance companies, non-profits, and start-ups to fortune 50 firms.

[Rebecca Holmes Christensen]

Becca Christensen
rebeccaholmeschristensen@gmail.com

I use social media to rule the realm of young people for current position as program coordinator at a non-profit organization. My program reaches hundreds of teens per months and my job is to use social media to keep them involved and interested.

In working with a vast array of causes I have found blogging paired with social medias such as twitter and facebook to be the most effective strategy for consistently reaching an audience.

What sets me apart from other contestants and I feel will ultimately earn me a spot as a contributor is my fresh view. As a 23-year-old recent college graduate my insights are current, relevant, and ultimately will be respected by the young professional audience and valued by those who seek to understand the up-and-coming professionals.

[monica levy]

wow. i'm not nearly as cool as a lot of the folks in this list. but i think i can win 'coz a lot of people say they like my blog. to me, it's just pretty much what i think about brands, marketing, pr, etc... but to them it's funny and educational and a lively diversion from what must apparently be somewhat less entertaining circumstances.

oh, and i dunno for sure ... but think i'm the only one who has dogs who guest-blog.

monica levy
http://www.monicaonmarketing.blogspot.com

[Megan McQ]

1. Megan McQ: meganmcq [at] gmail [dot] com

2. I am trying to establish myself as a thought-leader in explaining social media in terms that companies can understand—for example, how can companies strategically use social media if they don’t fully know how to personalize and engage with their constituencies?

3. I am a young entrepreneur in social media. My career is just beginning. I recently completed an internship with a top-10 PR firm and I'm going to be meeting with companies to explain what social media is and its implications on IMC and Public Relations (aka Public Engagement).

4. My winning strategy: My strategy is my passion. I want to help companies recognize their engagement potential with social media. I think that my insight and analytical nature will help explain social media in terms that a ‘2.0’ novice can understand. So frequently do bloggers obsess over “the next big thing.” But how can we, as PR professionals, catch our clients up to the ever-changing public engagement forefront? (This is a long-term process as companies will continue to lag behind social media since it expands at such a rapid pace). ...Also, it can't hurt that I have a bunch of PR pros who can RT the link you're going to send out...

5. I believe that my passion for creativity and good social media strategy align with the purpose of this blog. Once I am accepted to write the guest posts , my writing will demonstrate my authenticity, transparency, and more importantly, passion. Thanks for this potential opportunity!

Ps. Did I mention I’m *awesome*?

[Tony Cimorelli]

I am Tony Cimorelli (acimorel@yahoo.com), and I am focused on identifying ways to leverage social media tactics with B2B marketing activities. Having been a marketing professional for over 20 years, I have seen numerous new techniques, styles, and approaches come and go. However, the successful ones are rooted in the fundamentals of marketing. Helping others identify how to properly blend the fundamentals of marketing with today's social media explosion is what I hope to achieve in this community.

[andrew weir]

Andrew Weir (andrew.weir@zenithoptimedia.com)

I write about Brand Experience - outlining what I think brand organisations should be doing to ensure they deliver great brand experiences that encourage positive advocacy.

Delivering winning brand experiences should be the focus of everyone in a brand organisation (marketing, sales, product design, customer service, ecommerce, etc), because when they do it well it can achieve higher levels of differentiation and advantage versus competitors.

I’ve worked at ZenithOptimedia for 7 years based - in UK and Asia. I work in a global strategic role supporting our network of offices and previously I spend 15 years at Saatchi & Saatchi.

My strategy will follow an important principle - keep it simple. A lot of what is written about brand and social marketing is over-complicated. My style is to be clear, engaging and hopefully thought provoking.

I believe brand experience planning will be the new marketing battleground that should be covered by the Community Marketing Blog.

[Janice Riley]

Janice Riley
janice@janleyconsulting.com

As a business developer, I aspire to help businesses market themselves better by encompassing online and offline aspects of marketing into a marketing plan that will launch their companies into the next generation of business. It’s about maximizing your resources in order to get the best return on investment, investment of time, money and energy.
Incorporating my online activity with my efforts offline of working with businesses, helping them utilize the social media networks, launch their companies and develop their campaign efforts into a running commentary of what Janley truly does to help her clients is my strategy…it’s my strategy for doing business each day. If that warrants a win, then I’m in.
As a SCORE volunteer who counseling local businesses on how to manage their companies, a member of Washington County’s Entrepreneur Alliance & Resource Network and the owner of two businesses: Janley Consulting and J&R Outdoor Services, I am immersed in the entrepreneurial world, as one myself and as a liaison to the community and government entities.

[Marty]

I agree with Ellen Brandt... I'm the angriest of the Angriest Generation and I'm not going to take it anymore.. at least until Ellen figures out what we are angry about

[Rowena Cherry]

I'm commenting on Ellen Brandt's introductory blog post. I hope she gets credit, because this Post A Comment box seems to be floating.

Ellen's label "Angriest Generation" appeals to me. One reason is road rage (that's my pet theory). It's not my generation pounding out such loud music from their boom boxes that the base note interferes with my heart rate though I'm in my own car with all my own windows closed.

[Rowena Cherry]

I'm commenting in support of Ellen Brandt. I loved her "Are you a Crocodile or a Cheetah" blog this morning.

I must say, I don't see how this contest is working. Why aren't we able to comment below each contestant's post?

[Jonathan Brock]

Jonathan Brock IT consultant
I am an IT consultant using social media to promote
www.jbrockconsulting.com I am writing to support Ellen Brant blog titled kinky sex and chocolate. Her blog is quite informed and contains unique ideas for some of us baby boomers. Check out my blog: http://jonathanbrock.blogspot.com Good luck to all the entrants.

[Art Carr]

Go Ellen Brandt - baby boomers unite!

[dr ellen brandt]

To My Overenthusiastic supporters!

Thank you very much, but I haven't submitted a blog yet.

The "Pre-Blog-Off" blog site is going gangbusters, with almost 2,000 views in three days and dozens of comments.

My first - semi-frivolous but useful - blog in the contest overnight tonight will analyze that "Pre-Blog-Off" sites' statistics and commentary and where it came from.

My more serious blogs will begin on Friday.

Ellen

[dr ellen brandt]

Andrew,

You'll get a kick out of this!

Newest stats for the "Pre-Blog-Off" blog, as of midnight Wednesday:

Blog Stats Summary Tables
Total views: 1,886

Busiest day: 649 — Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Views today: 235

Totals
Posts: 10

Comments: 37

Categories: 2

Tags: 51