It’s Time!
At the close of 2010, because everyone BUT the dance community seemed to be making a Best Dance Blog list, Dance Advantage decided to try something new:
Our own award contest, where real dance blog readers pick their favorites.
The Top Dance Blog contest was a great success so we’re bringing it back this year and we want YOU to participate!
Here’s how:
If you have a blog and roughly more than 70% of your posts revolve around DANCE (any form or genre), you are eligible to participate.
First, decide which of the following categories is the best fit for your blog:
- Dancer Musings (Career/College/Professional) – Pros or pros-to-be discuss the dance lifestyle
- Teen Dancer – 18 years and under
- Adult Dancer – 19 years and up
- Teacher Talk (Education/Training/Instruction) – Dance class topics for or by teachers
- Speaking Dance (Dance Writing/Criticism/Audience Education) – Covering the dance world for audiences
- Dance Organization/Artist – Companies or choreographers talk performance, process, production
- Business Blog – Content for the community by dance-related businesses
- Collaborative – Magazine style blogs that are multi-author and have a diverse focus
I know that you have a unique voice in the dance blogosphere, but I hope you’ll find your best match among these categories. You must choose only ONE category.
The first 5 categories will be single-focus blogs (written to discuss one topic) and in general, will be personal blogs. If you publish primarily audience-focused articles/reviews, your best category is Speaking Dance, no matter how many authors contribute.
The final categories listed are more likely to have multiple writers. The best fit for most dance school or studio blogs will probably be the Business Blog category, though some academies may also consider the Organization/Artist classification if the blog focuses primarily on a student performance company. The Collaborative Blog category would suit any blog that has more than one author AND does not fit neatly into any single category.
Next, each blogger or blog owner must enter their own blog into the competition by publishing a blog post about the contest.
In YOUR post, ask readers to show support of YOUR blog with a comment on YOUR post.
That’s important, so I’ll repeat it…
In YOUR post, ask readers to show support of YOUR blog with a comment on YOUR post.
You have until Tuesday, December 20 to round up as much comment support as you can.
Finally, let me know you’ve thrown your hat in the ring.
Comment on this blog post (the one you’re reading now) and tell me…
- Which category you are entering under.
- The permalink to your blog post about the contest.
How to get to the next round:
Though any blog can enter, only blog posts with the most comments will be finalists in the voting round.
Comment support will be compared in all participating blogs. The TWENTY with the most support will qualify to compete for the Top Dance Blog of 2011 title.
The blogs in each category that receive the most comments will also be eligible to compete for the top spot in their classification. So, even if you do not make the Top 20, there is a chance you could still win your category.
Again, you need reader engagement to be a finalist. As soon as you publish your post start promoting it and encouraging comments!
How to win:
On December 27th I will open the polls for our Top 20 and for each category. I will also post a ‘Thank You’ list of all participating blogs (with links).
Voting for the top slots will take place December 27 – 30.
During this period, if you are a finalist, you’ll want to send as many people as possible to vote in our polls and secure your ranking.
Readers’ votes will be tallied and the results posted during the first weeks of the new year.
Some DOs, DON’Ts, and a PLEASE
In the post on YOUR blog about the Top Dance Blogs of 2011 competition:
DO add our contest logo. (Click on any logo image for the URL, or Right-click/Save-as)
DO make it clear to readers that they should show their support by commenting on YOUR post about the competition (not mine).
DO encourage your commenters to share why they read your blog, what makes it special, or which are their favorite posts.
DON’T be sneaky about comments. I expect that all participants will behave honorably, monitoring and deleting any duplicate comments from readers. Offering incentives to commenters and/or padding your comment count in any way will disqualify your blog.
DON’T mention competing blogs (positively or negatively). Keep your post about you.
PLEASE link back to this post. Here’s the URL: https://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/29/top-blog-2011/. Dance Advantage thanks you!
FAQ
Will Dance Advantage compete too?
Nope, we’re just hosting this shindig. If Dance Advantage is your favorite dance blog, SHARE news of the contest on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc AND encourage your favorite dance blogs to participate.
As a blogger, can I comment in support of my favorite blogs if I have entered my own blog?
Yes! Please do.
As a reader, can I comment in support of more than one dance blog?
You sure can – ALL of your favorites.
As a reader, will I be able to VOTE for more than one blog finalist?
One vote per category, and only one blog out of the Top 20.
As a blogger, if I don’t make it to the finalist round, can I encourage my readers to vote for blogs that have?
Absolutely! I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
If I was a finalist/winner last year, can I participate and/or win this year?
Yes, yes, and yes. This is only our 2nd contest so, as yet, we have no limit on the number of terms a blog might win in succession.
I have a small blog with only a few readers. Why should I enter?
This is an excellent opportunity for you to engage the readers you DO have and find out why they keep coming back. Even if there are only 5 people who read and comment and no matter your chances for qualifying in the Top 20, this is valuable. You’ll enter 2012 with encouragement to keep blogging! Not to mention, some quality links from our blog to yours.
AND, if that weren’t enough, this year we’re also selecting one blog for an Editor’s Choice award. This blog will be treated much like a category award winner and will go to a blog Nichelle feels is noteworthy or up and coming, regardless of comment count or readership.
What do I get if I’m a Top Dance Blog winner?
- See above. (We want every blog to be noted and have an opportunity to engage their readers. It’s why we’ve created a contest with two rounds.)
- You’ll receive a badge for your website to display and leverage your ranking.
- Category winners will be featured together in an upcoming article on Dance Advantage and the overall Top 20 winner will receive their own dedicated feature.
- You’ll have the satisfaction of being chosen by actual dance readers as a Top Dance Blog.
What does Dance Advantage get out of it?
I get linked to by participants, reach new types of readers, and thereby grow my audience. Plus, I get to be a connector – introducing readers to new blogs that suit their interests.
I also get to help fellow blogs, which by their nature, depend on each other to grow and survive. Though this is a competition, I believe it is a positive and friendly way to build a stronger sense of community and show that dance blogs occupy a significant, healthy, and thriving corner of the online dance community.
What didn’t I answer? Feel free to comment below or contact me with your question.
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
