The M20: Top Marketer Blogs

Gaurav Mishra, Gauravonomics

Gaurav Mishra is brand manager of the Indica range at Tata Motors and blogs at Gauravonomics.  Hello Gaurav!

* How long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging since December 2005.

* How did you first hear about blogs?
I first heard about blogs in December 2005 from a friend who blogged.

* Why did you decide to start blogging?
I first started blogging in order to build an online repository of my creative writing, mostly poems. Over time, however, I have started looking at blogging as a tool to discipline my thinking and share my ideas with other people in my domain.

* What process, if any, did you work through from a corporate perspective?
For a very long time, my blog was basically a personal diary. As I started writing an increasingly large number of posts about blogging and marketing, I finally divided my blog into two parts in May 2007:

• At Gauravonomics Blog, I'll write about blogging, marketing and personal development. If you want to read about what I'm thinking about, head over here.
• At Gauravonomics Diary, I'll write about love, life and pop culture. If you want to read about what I'm doing/ feeling/ reading/ watching/ listening to, this is the blog to read.

Now, most of my posts are about social marketing (often with an Indian focus). While I haven't directly used my blog in my work, I have often used insights from my blog at work, especially in the area of online marketing.

* What are your most and least favorite aspects of blogging?
My most favorite aspect of blogging is being part of a conversation via a marketing meme (like social media measurement, mediasnackers, or conversation age). I totally love it when I see some very smart marketing bloggers build on each others' ideas like this.

My least favorite aspect of blogging is maintaining the backend of my blog.

* What would you change with 20/20 hindsight?
Three times over the last two years, after periods of manic blogging, I stopped blogging completely for a few months and had to start all over again. In fact, I have just resumed blogging after a six month break. These breaks have often given a renewed focus to my blogging, but, in hindsight, I would want to be more consistent in my blogging.

* What three blogs have you gained the most insight from in the past month?
For insight per post, very few blogs beat Seth Godin, Hugh McLeod and Scott Adams.

[If you're a client-side marketer and would like to be profiled - even if you're not in the top 20 - send in your story!  See this post for details.]

Max Kalehoff is on the move

Max Kalehoff, #14 on the November 2007 M20, has left Nielsen Online and joined startup Clickable as VP of marketing.  Read more on his blog.

Enrique Burgos, El Blog de Enrique Burgos

Enrique Burgos is Relationship Marketing Manager of SEUR (express delivery & logistics spanish leading company) and blogs at El Blog de Enrique Burgos.  Hello Enrique!

* What is your URL and how long have you been blogging?
Since March 2007. In the beginning I wrote in english and now in spanish.

* How did you first hear about blogs?
Probably from one of the spanish gurus, Martin Varsavsky, founder & CEO of FON.

* Why did you decide to start blogging?
i thought I had to share many things, my thoughts, vision and perspective about relationship marketing, loyalty, web 2.0,...

* What process, if any, did you work through from a corporate perspective?
Nowadays, nothing. I want to develop something probably in 2008, but in my industry is difficult and it's not very expanded the usage of internet at all.

* What are your most and least favorite aspects of blogging?
Incredible expansion off your message, you can reach everyone all over the world.  You are "obliged" to post very frequently, every day,...it's like a drug, you "need" to post.

* What would you change with 20/20 hindsight?
nothing

* What three blogs have you gained the most insight from in the past month?
- Martin Varsavsky Blog
- Enrique Dans Blog
- Sound off Blog from Manage Smarter

[If you're a client-side marketer and would like to be profiled - even if you're not in the top 20 - send in your story!  See this post for details.]

Help wanted: Senior Marketing Manager - Social Media, Microsoft

Microsoft is looking for a social media manager in the US.  For more details, see their listing.

The M20: November 2007

Update of the M20.  See text below for notes.

1. Strategic Public Relations :: Kevin Dugan, FRCH Design [82]
2. ExperienceCurve :: Karl Long, Nokia [75]
3. Conversation Agent :: Valeria Maltoni, SunGard Availability Services [58]
4. The Lonely Marketer :: Patrick Schaber, Transition Networks [54]
5. BeRelevant! :: Tamara Gielen, eBay [53]
6. Todd And - The Power To Connect :: Todd Andrlik, Leopardo Construction [50]
7. Marketing Nirvana :: Mario Sundar, LinkedIn [43]
8. Decker Marketing :: Sam Decker, Bazaarvoice [41]
9. Flooring The Consumer  :: CB Whittemore, Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber [41]
10. Buzz Marketing For Technology :: Paul Dunay, BearingPoint [36]
11. Consumer Generated Media :: Pete Blackshaw, Nielsen Buzzmetrics [34]
12. Churbuck.com :: David Churbuck, Lenovo [34]
13. The Digital Mindset Blog :: Eric Kintz, HP [34]
14. AttentionMax :: Max Kalehoff, Nielsen Buzzmetrics [34]
15. Biznology :: Mike Moran, IBM [34]
16. Bernaisesource :: Dan Greenfield, Earthlink [33]
17. Cross The Breeze :: Kris Hoet, Microsoft [33]
18. Masiguy :: Tim Jackson, Masi Bicycles [32]
19. Andy Lark's Blog :: Andy Lark, Dell [34]
20. Randy's Journal :: Randy Tinseth, Boeing [31]

New entry on the list:  Randy's Journal at #20.  While all the numbers changed, which is to be expected after a month, most of the Google Page Ranks changed as well, which have otherwise been static over the past few months.

Methodology:  The listings are blog title, blogger, company and [score].  Scores are a weighted calculation of Authority (20% Technorati ranking + 20% Google PageRank) + Attention (10% Alexa traffic) + Influence (50% Total feed subscribers).

Next update:  December 2007.  Additions are always welcome - please post links in comments!  Also, if you're a client-side marketer and would like to be profiled - even if you're not in the top 20 - send in your story!  See this post for details.