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Remember the SOBCon competition? We asked for you to write a post about Authority Blogging and why you should be given the SOBCon expenses, 1:1 consulting and Authority Blogger course.

We had some excellent entries but the committee could only select one winner …

The winner is Andrew Dubber of New Music Strategies with his entry here.

Why? It was a close run thing, but we felt Andrew edged in front with a unique and reader-focused submission. Liz, chair of the selection committee and boss of all things SOBCon put it this way:

Andrew Dubber fulfilled the requirement of explaining why he found SOBCon of value and what he would add himself — and he did so focused on his readers in a totally entertaining and unique fashion. Even more, Andrew showed how creativity can expand a passive offer into a chance to invite potential clients and customers to participate in both the SOBCon offer and in his consultancy.

Thanks to Blog Catalog and SOBCon for the opportunity, and thank you to everyone who put in those great submissions. I got a real kick out of seeing what you wrote.

Here is a small selection:

Andrew Dubber

Regardless of what business you’re in, the act of being an authority — or, as I’ve put it elsewhere, being thought of as an opinion leader — is a very strong driver of traffic, builder of loyalty and securer of careers. More so than pretty much any other online strategy you might care to name.

Joanna Young

in the democratic world of the internet the word “authority” takes on a different meaning. Not the kind you demand, but the kind you earn. It’s a Jeffersonian definition of the word, where: All authority belongs to the people. That’s the kind of authority I find inspiring.

Bob Younce

Being an Authority Blogger provides me with the medium necessary to reach even more Internet writers to learn from my mistakes and to help them on their path to success.

Amy Palko

I have founded a community of like-minded individuals. I am helping others to connect not only to their environment and to my environment, but also to each other and to themselves. For me, this is the essence of ‘authority’ blogging: the ability to create connections.

Hartley B Singer

Everybody in the world DEFINITELY has experience at .. something. Everybody else in the world has opinions on how you can share that knowledge with the rest of the world. Unlike our age and our health … time spent blogging PROVES that “Time Is NOT Our Enemy”, and both our experiences (and abilities to share our experiences) really do get better with age! That’s why blogging is so attractive these days. That’s why the ones you already perceive to be an authority – become even more of an authority over time.

Jon Gatrell

3 things which I feel authority blogging is not about:

1. Ego: I’m quickly coming to the conclusion that ego’s can drive traffic, but not influence. I find myself linking to really insightful content from non-ego folk who provide a thought provoking take on a subject.
2. The amount/size of Content: Very often the amount of content is confused with authority. Some of the most authoritative things online are published in under 140 characters on twitter and isn’t a fleshed out, but a query or insight which makes you THINK.
3. It is NOT a metric: Not links, not technorati ranks, not page views. A single post can be more influential than anything – where is YOURS?

So if authority isn’t driven from those things, it only leaves me with two things it might be or that I might have. A passion to share and willingness to engage

David Rogers

whatever my expertise in the field of self confidence, I started out as a total novice blogger. And to be an authority blogger you need more than expertise in your field. You also need an ability to write that conveys an authenticity, an awareness that what you write is valuable to the reader.

Easton Ellsworth

My purpose with Visionary Blogging is to teach you how to improve your blog and your blogging skills more effectively and how to achieve maximum blogging success. I will therefore succeed here only to the degree that I establish myself as an authority blogger.