Blog Awards, Recognition, And Your Part in It
When I first started this blog just under two years ago, I had one clear goal – fostering thought connections.
Sure, I’d be using it to offer my views on the still-emerging (at the time) social media platform, as well as ideas and solutions on how you could get the most out of the new networks and tools that seemed to be popping up all over the place.
But the overriding factor would be to have my blog as a focal point where ideas could be shared; viewpoints could be discussed; friendships and connections made; and a community built that wasn’t afraid to challenge thinking to help each other grow.
What I didn’t expect was how the blog would grow in that timescale.
Today I found out that this blog was one of the recipients of Young Entrepreneur’s Top 10 Marketing Blogs Award. While I was uber-happy to be recognized by such an organization to start with, my jaw literally dropped on the floor when I saw the company I was keeping – Seth Godin, Andy Beal, John Jantsch and Valeria Maltoni among others.
These are marketers and bloggers that I look up to immensely, so to be sitting alongside them is pretty mind-blowing. What’s even more mind-blowing is how the Young Entrepreneur award is part of what’s been an incredible first half of the year for this blog.
- In January, it was voted PostRank’s Top Marketing and Social Media Blog.
- In February, it came in at number three as one of the Top 50 Canadian Marketing Blogs.
- In March, it received the Hive Award for Best Social Media Blog at South by Southwest.
- In April, it came in at number six as one of Cision’s Top 100 Social Media and Internet Marketing Blogs.
Couple that with its syndication across the Social Media Today, WebProNews and Newstex business networks as well as its inclusion on the AdAge Power 150 list, and this blog has taken on a life that I could never have foreseen back in September 2008.
Now, while I could lay claim to having done it all myself and how the content has spoken, blah-de-blah-de-blah, even it if were true it’d only tell half the story.
As I mentioned at the start, the aim of this blog has always been to foster a community that would not only question and offer views, but would help the blog grow because of that questioning and view sharing. And these awards and recognition are proof that’s exactly what has happened.
If you didn’t come here and read my thoughts; if you didn’t come here and offer yours; if you didn’t question my viewpoint and make me think differently and strive to be the best I can every time, none of the recognition or award-winning would have happened. I’m not that dumb.
So.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for giving me the time from your life to make me think better. To make me question my thoughts. To make me learn and improve daily.
And thank you even more for helping foster what is, without question, one of the best resources of knowledge, expertise, thought leadership and more – our community.
Your community.
Here’s to you.
60 Responses to “Blog Awards, Recognition, And Your Part in It”
Hey there Dave,
Great to see you here, sir, and thanks very much. Seems a long time ago now we were talking theme designs, huh?
Congrats Danny! You definitely deserve this award. The knowledge and insights shared by you have been invaluable to many and the success bestowed on you is a reflection of this! You get what you give ! look forward to more from you and more success for you.
Hey there Shane,
Cheers fella. The great thing about owning this blog is that many of the insights I learn along with you, from checking out some great stuff recommended or brought up in the comments after (and sometimes emails).
Makes my life a little easier
Congratulations Danny Brown! This is the best news I’ve heard all day. You deserve the “Young Entrepreneur’s Top 10 Marketing Blogs Award” and all the other wonderful accolades. I’m glad people are aware of what a great, informative, community oriented presence your website is and the good work you do… BRAVO and keep it coming!:)
Christina Kingston recently posted…. Is The Internet Saving Your Life?
Hey there Miss K,
Lovely to see you here, my dear – always brighten up the place.
And thank you – if anyone wants to learn about building a solid community, they could do themselves a big favour and head over your way. Great community and always lively debates too – the best kind of blog.
Cheers!
You will be needing my Paypal details now then?
Seriously, well done Danny. I don’t know what the surprise is about though. Your stuff is better than Seth Godins.
Justin Parks recently posted…. Home Loans Spain Testimonial for Justin ParksAlready have them, mate – why do you think there were so many dodgy eBay transactions..?
And thanks kindly, sir – that’s high praise indeed.
Congrats Danny, you have been awesome in the voyage of sharing knowledge on this blog.Keep the insight loaded posts coming in, there is a lot to learn from them and of course you.
Thanks Akash,
Your comments and thoughts here have helped shape it, so thank you too
Congrats Danny!
You deserved every single award. Am honored to be part of your journey my friend. I was a silent reader of yours but I started to comment more lately as I felt it was fun to throw thoughts at you and you replying to them with your thoughts too.
This is only the start for you. I hear more awards coming!!
Cheers buddy!
Aaron
Aaron recently posted…. How To: Find The Hottest Tweets on The WebHey there Aaron,
And I’m glad you did, mate, otherwise I would never have discovered your blog. And I would have missed out for sure.
Cheers!
Cheers Danny – you’re just getting started!
Way to go, Danny! You have hustled and that is being rewarded. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you have great insights either
Congratulations on a job very well done.
Hey there Frank,
Cheers fella. Having you along for the ride pretty much from the start has been awesome, too – and congrats on your new direction with content marketing (meant to comment over at your place, will rectify that soon!) – seems the perfect fit for you.
focal point where ideas could be shared – check
viewpoints could be discussed; friendships and connections made – check
and a community built that wasn’t afraid to challenge thinking to help each other grow – checkYou’ve accomplished every one of your goals and you deserve the award. I count myself privileged to connect with you from half a world away. Keep up the great work!
David Wang recently posted…. When to stick with or drop an unpopular ad campaignHa, thanks for the checklist mate – always nice to “meet goals” and have that confirmed by the every folks you want to meet those goals with.
Enjoyed getting to know you too, fella, especially with the Headway videos and info – great stuff!
From One Nice Fella to Another > Felicidades and Congratulations, Buddy! This Kind of Kudos Comes to One Well-Deserving, Selfless and Particulalry Savvy Dudde.
I’m Super Proud of You!
Hey there big guy,
And I’m Super Happy to see the Big Bold First Letters over here too
Hi Danny,
Just want to congratulate you on a job well done! I know I as well as many others look to your blog for valuable insights and honesty. Keep up the excellent work and congratulations!
Thanks Samantha,
Appreciate the really kind words, and you can bet I’ll be at least sticking to the honesty part of the equation, even if my insights start dropping (though I’ll try keep them up too!).
Thanks again
Congratulations, Danny! This is super news and very well deserved. I’ve been watching your blog evolve and it’s wonderful!! Enjoy this precious moment and soak up every wonderful feeling that goes with it.
Warmly,
JuliannHey there Juliann,
Thank you! Yes, you’ve been here since “the early days”, and I couldn’t ask for more than that – thank you for being there and keeping me on my toes.
Danny,this news is a little gift from life. Not a surprising one given your talents for insight and conversation curation, but one of those nice-to-haves that confirms you’re in the right place, doing the right thing.
Definitely a SCORE! for us, your readers, that you put yourself out there every day. Thank you.
Heather Rast recently posted…. The buck stops here | attributionThanks Heather,
I think that’s what’s really cool about the recognition. Yes, it validates what I’m trying to do, but it speaks volumes of the community too, since without your thoughts I’d just be a guy in a wind tunnel speaking through a thimble.
So deserved Danny! A huge congrats and thank you for the daily inspiration!
Way to go Danny! You have been an inspiration to me since day 1… you are the best role model for this new medium. You give courage to others to put themselves “out there”. Open, honest, down to earth … with insite to inspire all from newbies to the most experienced.
You had me at “hello” ….
CONGRATS!!!I “heart” dannybrown!
PBG- TroubleTree
Pamela Baker Gratton (TroubleTree) recently posted…. My Children: A Mother couldn’t be Prouder!!!Ha, anyone that uses a Jerry Maguire quote in a comment here is A-OK by me, Pamela!
Thanks for coming along here and sharing your thoughts each time, and for connecting elsewhere – always a pleasure catching up with you.
Danny — all of these accolades and recognitions are so well deserved, and what makes it even better is how humble you are! You are a gem, and I thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught and the great conversations you get going! Congratulations!!!
Thanks Nancy – the conversation has always been the aim here, so having that makes everything else fall into place.
The accolades are well deserved! I learn quite a bit from this blog and from you on a daily basis. Congrats Mr. B.
P.S. Your welcome for my contribution
Michael Schechter recently posted…. Four Ways Jewelry Retailers Can Use The iPad In Their Stores Today!And I learn quite a bit from you on caustic remarks, mate – cheers!
PS – thanks, fella, glad to have you here.
Well done, sir! Keep rockin’ it.
Jackie Adkins recently posted…. Why The Ability to “Like” Comments on Facebook is a Big DealDanny – congrats my man.
Jeff Esposito recently posted…. Cartoon of the dayBig congrats to you, Danny! I will gladly continue reading and sharing your posts.
Nikki Stephan recently posted…. Guest Post by Tweetea Founder Hubert Sawyers III: It Is NOT a Race to the FinishThe minute it changes from “gladly”, you be sure to let me know, Nikki
Thanks for being here!
A little late to the game, Danny, but super congrats! Well deserved.
I’m not worthy. Well done mate!
Mark W Schaefer recently posted…. Can the social web play a role in customer retention?Dude, you are MORE than worthy, and then some.
Keep writing good stuff Danny. Congrats to you
Well done Danny – fair play to you! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, they’ve been great to read.
Best regards
Barney
Barney Austen recently posted…. WHY PROJECT MANAGEMENT?Danny,
Like all of the others above have confirmed, definitely well deserved! Your blog continues to inspire and educate many readers around the globe! Thanks for the great posts!
Continued Success,
-Adam
Adam Toren recently posted…. Comment on Hiring Your First Employee – 10 Steps Uncle Sam Requires You Follow by SanoyHey there Adam,
Thanks to you and your brother for a), having an awesome site and resource to start with, and b), allowing me to share space with some of the best around. Sincerely appreciate it, fella, and encourages me to continue to strive even more.
Cheers!
Congratulations Danny!
These are well-deserved honors that reflect the time, thoughtfulness and effort you put into your blog. As a reader, I can say I don’t read your blog because it’s award winning, I read it because it’s real. Nice to see something so genuine being rewarded. I look forward to reading more.
–Coreen
Coreen recently posted…. Marketing is NOT in the detailsHey there Coreen,
Thank you – I love this part: “I don’t read your blog because it’s award-winning, I read it because it’s real.”
That’s all I can ever ask. The day I start “believing the hype” is the day I’d rather pack it all in – here’s to keeping continued genuine conversations.
Danny,
Thanks for all of the great work you put together for us. Your influence travels further than you can ever imagine!
I echo so many comments here when I say congratulations! These awards are not popularity contests and are more than well-deserved. I also read your blog because I get huge value from it and, I’ve said this before, because at least once a week I think, “Dang! I wish I’d thought of that!”
Gini Dietrich recently posted…. FollowFriday- Arik HansonThanks Gini. I’m pretty sure many folks say the exact same thing about your good self – after all, the PR Readers Choice would definitely agree.
Huge congrats to ya, buddy! You have constantly been a shining example in my eyes of what community is and what it’s like to constantly be pushing others forward.
Keep it up
Tim Jahn recently posted…. How a focus on great design keeps this design agency crushing it after 10 years of businessHey there Tim,
Thanks fella. Been a pleasure getting to know you and share thoughts along the way – another great thing about being a blog owner
What’s left to say except that your humility is refreshing. I’m not surprised at all. You should be proud! We are all proud for you!
Jeff Hurt recently posted…. Tackle These Four Barriers That Prevent Effective Conference And Meeting ChangeHi Jeff,
Thank you, sir. Though pretty sure I’d be smacked down quickly enough by the awesome folks here if I started to go anywhere near the non-humble train
Late to the party but must say “YAY!!!! Congratulations!” You so deserve to be honored for the brilliance you share with us. Throwing confetti and breaking out the fine single malt. Party time.
You had me at “fine single malt”…
Thanks, Lori, for always coming by and also sharing great times on Twitter.
Danny you and your blog so diverse all the honors that you’ve received. To think in only two years you’re being mentioned on the same lists as Seth Godin (awesome)…I’m sure there will be many more accolades to come.
I love how humble and open your intentions were/are for your blog and can’t help but think all the awards you’ve received are as a result of those intentions.
Now I don’t wanna be greedy as you’ve give so much so often but; I’d love to see a post about what else in your life has changed over the last two years…it would be so interesting.
Congrats,
Sam
Sam Schuurman recently posted…. Twitter UsedHey there Sam,
Thanks mate – I’m pretty sure they meant Seth Rogen, but who am I to complain?
That’s an interesting suggestion – not sure if folks would look at it as self-serving, and if so would be a reason not to offer such a post.
But interesting idea, cheers
Fair enough, I guess it depends on how you position it. But your blog, your call!
Sam recently posted…. What is Social Media Success
Congratulations Danny! Much deserved. You are most certainly among my favorite bloggers for many reasons. Among them… I continue to learn from you not just in what you talk about on your blog, but from the way in which you interact. You continually demonstrate authentic leadership at it’s best.
Susan Mazza recently posted…. Schedule You on Your To Do ListThanks Susan – coming from you (and what you represent) is a huge compliment, so thank you again.
MAJOR congrats, Danny.
I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m thrilled for you. But not surprised. Well deserved, my friend.
Looking forward to another year featuring more great discussions with you…
david
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