Business Blogging Awards – Mid Race Commentary

There is a week to go in the Business Blogging awards and Darren at Inside Blogging is encouraging us all to give it a bit more of a push.

I thought I’d do so by doing a commentary (horse racing style???). Here we go…

Business bloggers are under starters orders and in the gates waiting for the starters to give the light. There seems to be something of a holdup as one or two of the bloggers are a little restless – technical problems with voting are resolved – bloggers tense, sensing the light is imminent…. AND They’re off!!!

A flurry of posts are made announcing the start of the business blogging awards, bloggers beg, persuade, write nice things about each other hoping it will bring them votes, post buttons and banners on their site pointing readers to the awards and ask everyone they know including their great grandmothers to place a vote…..and a few begin to break away from the pack in some categories….

Best Marketing Blog

Best Marketing Blog is a neck and neck race as the marketers kick their campaigns into overdrive. Three blogs all sit within 3% of one another with the other three ready to make their move back in the pack. LSLogan and Seth’s Blog are both sitting on 28% with What’s Your Brand Mantra only a few votes back. Leading the charge from the rear is the Radiant Marketing Group followed by How to Blog for Fun & Profit and Decker Marketing. This is a race to watch and one I had a lot of trouble voting in as all five are on my daily reads – its like choosing your favorite child….

Peacock Award for Most Self Important Blog

The Peacock Award for Most Self Important Blog also sees a clear leader emerging – and who would have thought, its a Real Estate Agent (who has generated lots of talk as a result of the awards), running out in front followed by Blog Maverick, Catablast Communications and Fifteen Degrees North who all have time to pounce but will need a strong showing in the next 7 days.

Best Tech Blog

Best Tech Blog is another race to keep your eye on and one where you vote is crucial in determining the winner. The competition is hot, I say hot with AppleWatch a nose in front of Security Awareness and a length in front of Scobleizer. John Porcaro rounds out this race. The winner here could be determined by just a few votes so make yours count!

Picasso Award for Best Design

A group of mighty fine fillies and stallions are leaping out of the gates over at the Picasso Award for Best Design. They run with all the style and poise of the most beutiful of blogs and cause all who gaze upon them to drool with envy. Out front is the classically designed Signal vs Noise with a smartly dressed Real Lawyer snapping at its heels. The business Blogging awards site itself with its scary little men in suits logo is running in third followed by the Blog Business Summit and Forget Foo.

Best Leadership Blog

Best Leadership Blog is a prestigious award contested by four upstanding and strong blogs. Clearly Leading this pack of leaders is Leadership Now, followed by the Slack Slacker Manager, who has left himself with some work to do in the last half (a special slacker strategy?), Talking Story and Oestreich Associates.

Best Project Management Blog

Best Project Management Blog is shaping up so far as a bit of a one horse race although has some fine candidates – Way out front is Agile Management who has maneuvered himself into a commanding position. The race for second is hot however with Focused Performance and Reforming Project Management just a few percentage points apart. Still getting some momentum going at the rear of the field are Projectified and ProjectSteps.

Best Financial Industry/Investment Blog

Another tight race is that for the Best Financial Industry/Investment Blog which sees three blogs fighting it out for Gold, Silver and Bronze. Currently 2% up is The Big Picture who leaders from TraderMike and Between the Hedges. Coming in forth and fifth is Random Roger’s Big Picture and Stock Pick Bob’s Advice.

Chris Pirillo Award for Shameless Self Promotion

Over in the Chris Pirillo Award for Shameless Self Promotion the running is full of all kinds of plugs (as one would expect) from some self promotion pros. Namesake of the award Chris Pirillo LEAPS to a commanding lead and is a real front runner despite the best efforts of his competition. Jeremy from Ensight (a master of self promotion) follows behind Chris and will need to snap into a promotional frenzy to close this gap. Two more fine blogs, both worthy of the title (George’s Employment Blog and Barter Blog) round out this field and have work to do in the second lap of the track….

Best SEO Blog

Best SEO Blog is a six blog race being clearly dominated by Blog Business World who has so far accumulated 68% of the vote. Online Marketing SEO Blog, Search Engine Watch Blog, Search Engine Blog, Wise SEO Blog and SEO and Affiliate Marketing Blog could be planning a late burst however as it does take a week or so to mount an SEO campaign – watch for a late run.

Best Real Estate Blog

The Best Real Estate Blog race is heating up with lots of jostling for position between the contenders. Tampa Bay’s Inside Real Estate Journal looks to have the field covered but you never do know with Real Estate Agents with Real Estate Marketing Blog within striking distance and some quality blogs lurking behind them in RealBlog, The Mortgages Weblog, Behind the Mortgage and REO News.

Best Media Blog

Best Media Blog has only the four runners with I Love Radio doing well out in front with Fast Company Blog, Worthwhile Magazine and the Media Drop rounding out the competition there. Expect this to heat up as they all are rumored to be announcing national media blitzes this week.

Best Law Blog

Mum always said, ‘never trust a lawyer’ – but then I went and married one. The Best Law Blog is proving to be tighter race than some with the top three all polling pretty well. Sports Law Blog is leading the pack but still in contention are Phosita and Real Lawyers Have Blogs. Laboring Away at the Institute rounds out the field.

Best PR Blog

Best PR Blog showcases some great blogs that are equally matched and very popular. POP! Public Relations popped into first place early but is facing some stiff competition from Media Guerilla, Micro Persuasion and Drew on TechPR.

Best Blog about Small Business

The Best Blog about Small Business is one of the most equal spread of voting around with all blogs polling pretty well. Small Business Trends is showing signs of pulling away from the field with 44% but I wouldn’t rule out any of the others with eBizBlog, The Small Business Blog and Land of Opportunity each doing well.

Best Blog by a Small Business

The Best Blog by a Small Business is being dominated by The Tin Basher Blog leapt out of the gates like no other blog has. Jewelboxing is leading the rest of the field home and surprisingly (cause I think some of them are great examples of business blogs) at the back of the field fighting for third place is Jaguar Julie, Signs Never Sleep and Wool Winders.

Best Personal Finance Blog

The stakes are high in the Best Personal Finance Blog category with the results page eerily listing the competitors in the order that they are polling in – PFBlog, Consumerism Commentary, Byrne’s MarketView, The Budgeting Babe and Simplify My Life. Whether this is the order they finish in is in the hands of the voters.

Best VC/Entrepreneur Blog

The Entrepreneurial types coming in next in the Best VC/Entrepreneur Blog award. Breaking free of the pack is the popular Business Opportunities. Minor placings are a more interesting race at this stage with Venture Blog a little in front of Beyond VC and Bizz Bang Buzz.

Best Overall Blog

Best Overall Blog has been an interesting race so far. Early on it looked like Security Awareness was on a sure thing with Blog Business World and ProBlogger tagging along behind but a recent Problogger has edged in front with How to Save the World, Slacker Manager and Coyote Blog each improving also. The spread of votes is wide and anyone could take this one out. If I wasn’t in the running I’m not sure how I’d vote on this category either.