What IS an SOB?!

Recently a new reader asked me about SOBs, what they stood for, and how the whole thing worked. So I’ve made a new page, much like this post, so that all new readers will know in the future. And so that you would know about SOBs where they came from and why people actually want to be one.

No, No, It’s not THAT!

When the SOB program started, I was looking for a way to encourage the sense of community that Successful-Blog stood for. We’re all about relationships and conversation here. The conversations are fun, fast, and sometimes irreverent. Discussions on the blog often brought up good ideas, and I wanted to make sure those ideas continued and become more out in the blogosphere–everyone making everyone a little bit better. It’s the only way that we can make ourselves strong here in what they call “The Magic Middle.” We talk to each other and we listen too.

What the SOB Program Is and Is Not

The idea was that anyone who took the discussion back to their blog would let me know. Then I would give that blog recognition on Successful-Blog for extending the conversation into the blogosphere–making the community larger, the dialogue bigger, all of us smarter, better and our businesses stronger. Most folks forgot the part about letting me know. So I kept watch and found out on my own.

Every week I make copies of their logos and add them to the list of Successful and Outstanding bloggers who understand that the strength of the blogosphere comes from relationships, interconnectedness, and community. Not all of these folks have all of the links you might expect, but they will, because they show the key traits of a successful blogger.

Soon enough it became apparent that having a blog didn’t need to be a criteria either. Some of the best ideas came from blog readers who added value to the dialogue, but had no blog to bring the conversation back to. I felt strongly they should be included as SOBs too. Which tells you what the program is not, i.e. a link exchange. That’s also why, though blogroll links are appreciated, they are not the stuff of which SOBs are made of

The Badges

If you’ve been through a few pages on Successful-Blog you’ve seen these badges.

 

and wondered about them. Those are the official badges awarded each week to those who are named Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog.

It was Mike Sigers who thought of the blog badges, and Mike Rundle of 9rules who designed them. The SOB for Successful and Outstanding Blogger was my own– a bit of mischief to underscore our sense of irreverence and openness in discussions. It’s become quite a symbol of what the blog stands for. Every now and then a fun post goes up titled “Liz called me an SOB,” those are my favorite.

People don’t have to put the badges on their blogs. They don’t need to link back. Most of them do and I’m grateful for the sense of community that shows. More that than, I’m glad that they extend the community further out.

If You Want to Be an SOB

Find a way to start a dialogue about how blogging helps business, or carry the dialogue here back to your own blog. Offer a great feature, post, idea, or an article that will shed new light for the blogosphere. Add an outstanding idea, insight, or spark to the conversation going on at this blog or start one on your own and share what happened here. Contribute something that demonstrates that you think like a Successful and Outstanding Blogger. Find a unique way to “add value” to the conversation going on in the blogosphere to make it grow stronger.

I usually wait until a blog is four months old … staying power counts in building relationships. 🙂

Then just tell me about what you’re doing. I’m pretty easy to persuade. E-mail Liz at lizsun2@gmail.com with a link to your post or a brief description of what you did.
That’s all there is to it.

Every SOB is automatically included in the SOB Hall of Fame. Stop in there when you’re looking for a great read.

Can’t wait until I can call you an SOB too.

ME “Liz” Strauss