As the year 2006 winds down I would like to congratulate all of the bloggers that kept at it. They made a difference in their world and their voices were heard by an ever growing audience. Blogging takes discipline, creativity, and time… lots of time. The bloggers on this list found their voice in 2006. They were able to find a unique niche in cyberspace and fill a void.
Here are my picks for Five Truly Outstanding Blogs of 2006.
1. Most Interesting Blog: Copyblogger
Brian Clark has taken the paper based occupation of copy writing and applied it to blogging. His site is full of amazing tidbits of information. Each post draws you in with a compelling title and then weaves a web of interest throughout. Sometimes he will leave you hanging… you’ll have to wait a day or two to find out more. Sometimes he will just make you click on the “more” link to find out the conclusion. With posts like 5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang and 10 Effective Ways to Get More Blog Subscribers you are sure to spend a lot of time exploring this site.
2. Most Useful Blog: Pearsonified
Chris Pearson has taken blog template design to new heights in 2006. He is the author of Cutline for WordPress, a new easy on the eyes template featuring widgets and a very clean look. Chris offers great support and has a full list of modifications for blog users. Recently Chris has taken user support to even higher levels with his SEO series including blog sitemaps and title modifications. He co-authors a video resource site with Brian Clark called Tubetorial. If you use WordPress as your blogging engine, this is the site for you.
3. Most Friendly Blog: Successful-Blog
Liz Strauss must have hit over 5000 comments on her blog this year. Her weekly open mic nights draw readers from all over the blog-o-sphere. Liz is the friendly, positive voice that makes blogging fun. Her Successful-Blog has resources for writing, collaborating, and business success. But her claim to fame is reaching out and promoting other blogs with her SOB (Successful and Outstanding Blogger) awards. If you haven’t met Liz, be sure to stop by and say hi. Her friendly style is contagious.
4. Best Learning Blog: Joyful Jubilant Learning
Creating a network of bloggers takes a lot of time and effort. Rosa Say did this in the fall of 2006 when she put out the call on her Talking Story blog for articles about learning from her Ho’ohana community. From this first round of 27 articles by different writers emerged a new blog, entitled Joyful Jubilant Learning. This blog has taken on its own personality and has become a great place for shared learning. Stop by and get involved in this amazing learning adventure.
5. Most Proactive Blogger: Phil Gerbyshak
Blogging takes time… plain and simple. The more time and effort you put into it, the greater the results. Phil Gerbyshak is a great example of a blogger who takes the time to be a part of other people’s blogs. I constantly see Phil’s name in comments and articles throughout the greater business blogging community. Phil also managed to find time to write a book and collaborate on other blogging projects this year. Thanks Phil for making the Blog-o-sphere a better Great place.
While these outstanding blogs each fit into a unique niche, there are so many other voices that have found their own place this year. Check out these 10 distinctive blogs for inspiration and information.
Genuine Curiosity: Check out the latest Travel Gadgets.
StudentL Inc: Download the free Meeting Planner Organizer.
Slacker Manager: A cool Google Timesaver Trick.
Life Beyond Code: The inspirational Quought For The Day.
Entrepreneur’s Journey: Want to Run Your Own Business?
Scott Hodge: A Ferrari and the MySpace Dating Video.
Troy Worman: Discover Positive Pop Pulp for the rest of us.
43 Folders: No more Distractions on the Desktop.
Kinetic Ideas: Tell People about your Defining Moment.
Extreme Leadership: Experience the OS!M.
Blogging matured in 2006 and the quality of material has exploded. There are so many great sites to experience. Those listed above are just a small portion of the incredible richness of voices available at a moment’s click.
I want to thank all of you who have made this blog richer this year with your comments, e-mails, and suggestions. You have truly made this year an exciting adventure.
To an amazing 2007!
Cheers!
John Richardson
