Who can submit a nomination and how do you do it?

Anyone can nominate a business to get them on the Best of Alabama ballot. Click here to nominate them and show your support for small businesses. It doesn’t cost anything! Self-nominations are also encouraged.

What kind of businesses are eligible?

Any business or organization in good standing is eligible. There are more than 20 industry and community sections, including categories like Arts & Entertainment, Beauty & Spa, Real Estate, Healthcare, Legal, Insurance, Education, Sports, Recreation, and more! The bottom line? All types of law-abiding organizations are eligible to be showcased in the Best of Alabama.

Is there a cost associated with being nominated or winning Best of Alabama?

Of course not! There is no fee to have your business listed on Guide to Alabama, or to be on the ballot to receive votes for the Best of Alabama. All winners are listed in our newsletter, on the website, and the print annual at no cost. We do offer optional advertising in the print annual and merchandise items after you have been told your final result. We also require a license to use the Best of Alabama winner art if you wish to use it on your own marketing materials to ensure the integrity of the award.

When can you nominate an organization?

You can nominate an organization any time during the year.

How long after a nomination is submitted, does it appear on the official ballot?

Typically, the company you nominate should appear on the online ballot within 5 days of your nomination. Guide to Alabama will review the nomination, then reach out to the nominee business to claim and verify their information prior to being placed on the public ballot. It can take longer than 5 days, depending on the responsiveness of the nominee business.

When are you able to vote?

Voting remains open 24/7/365 and concludes on April 30th at 11:59 PM for each calendar year. In other words, results are tabulated each year using all the votes that come in before April 30th. After that date, votes count toward the next year. Voting remains open throughout the year so that organizations can ask for votes as they serve their customers.

That being said, over 90% of the total votes cast roll in during the last 30 days of voting when Guide to Alabama begins promoting voting to our readers – so even if you have a late start, you still have great odds at being recognized!

How often can you vote?

Voters can cast a vote one time each day for each company they wish to vote for. As you might imagine, repeat customers and ongoing support are traits of the best, so vote often!

Are there things a business can do to encourage voting?

For sure! Posting signs in locations, adding a voting link to your emails, and talking it up on social media are great ways to generate voting support. We even provide a campaign kit with artwork you can use to promote your company in the Best of Alabama awards. Download your campaign kit here.

How many winners are there & how are they selected?

Winners are selected primarily on the voting results. However, the Guide to Alabama editorial and compliance team will review the votes in order to ensure that all votes are valid. Guide to Alabama will also review all winning businesses to verify that they are in good standing with broad consumer reports and trade-specific organizations where applicable.

The number of winners per industry will vary with the total number of businesses in that category. For example, Food & Drink will have many more nominees, and thus winners, than a smaller industry segment such as Professional Sports. We recognize up to 30% of the businesses within a specific industry who are nominated. Companies are grouped into winning tiers based on their regions and the statistical variance of total votes within a category.

What are the winning tiers and categories?

For each industry, there are three tier levels of amazing winners.

• Best of Alabama: This is the highest designation given to the businesses that rake in the greatest number of votes for their category.
• Regional Winner: Since Alabama is a vast, diverse, and widespread land of opportunity, we recognize deserving businesses on a regional level too. While some businesses may not get enough votes to win the statewide “Best of,” they are still regional superstars and are worthy of the Regional Winner designation.
• Honorable Mention: Making it to the Honorable Mention tier is a worthy accomplishment, given only a small percentage of Alabama businesses get recognized at all. Often, these are those little-known places that end up being the hidden jewels of Alabama just as worthy of attention. If a business makes it to the Honorable Mention category, their odds of getting more recognition rises with the increased publicity through our promotions.

How long after voting closes are the winners announced?

Once the voting tabulations and verification process is complete, the results will be formatted and posted on GuidetoAlabama.com within six weeks after the voting for that year is closed.

What is the Best of Alabama Print Annual?

The Best of Alabama Annual is a perfect bound print edition covering all of the Best of Alabama winners and is released two months after the voting period for the year has closed.

Are there advertising opportunities in The Best of Alabama Annual?

Optional advertising packages are available to all Alabama businesses within the Best of Alabama print annual, with special rates offered for all winning businesses.

Where is the Best of Alabama Annual distributed?

The annual print edition will be distributed throughout the state to reach new customers and will be delivered to all winners. In addition, the annual can be found online at GuidetoAlabama.com.