Why Didn’t My Blog Win An Award?

By Maurice | 10 comments

• ads
• campaigning
• design
• original content
• qualification
• rules

This is probably the #1 question we receive, and sometimes, it can be hard to answer. But when it comes down to it, there’s a few reasons why your blog may not have won a Black Weblog Award.

YOU DIDN’T CAMPAIGN ENOUGH

Even though we now have a panel of judges which also choose winners for the awards, half of this event is still a popularity contest. It’s just like you’re campaigning to win an election — you have to get out there and shake some hands and kiss some babies. Or, in this digital age, you need to campaign on social networks, create compelling e-mail campaigns, and get some momentum behind your nomination. Now that we have expanded the period before we choose the finalists to nearly two months, there’s no excuse to not get out there and campaign like you want to win.

YOU DON’T QUALIFY, OR YOU BROKE THE RULES

We have had to disqualify people in the past because they either broke the rules by cheating, or were ineligible because of…well, because they didn’t follow the rules. Are you well-versed with this year’s rules? Better make sure to bone up on them before nominations begin.

YOUR SITE’S NOT ORIGINAL ENOUGH

What makes your site stand out? Here’s a hint: it’s not necessarily because you’re writing content. If you can name five other sites on any given day which are discussing the same items that you are, then congratulations — your site is not that original. And because the public and the judges are a blog savvy crew, your site has to really stand out to garner their attention.

YOUR BLOG IS MORE ADS THAN CONTENT

We understand that bloggers need to make money. However, if your website is full of ads with minimal content, not only will our judges pass it over, but your readers may as well. And if your readers are passing it over, then you may not get those coveted nominations you need to become a finalist.

YOUR SITE IS A MESS

Here’s a little secret: well-designed blogs with compelling content not only attract readers, but win awards. Sites can be a mess due to a number of factors. You may have sidebars full of widgets and banners, but only update your site once or twice a month. You have broken images or a busted layout. The color combination on your site — while cool to you — is garish and off-putting to others. Your content is rambling and incoherent. Get a critical second set of eyes to analyze your site and make sure you’re not working against yourself.

Make sure to catch our live Q&A on May 31 at 8pm Eastern time. Sign up to receive an e-mail update about it at http://www.blackweblogawards.com/live.