Blog Linky Parties – What Are They?

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Here on Rock-A-Bye Parents I host two different blog linky parties, but do you have any clue about what they are?  Blog linky parties are very popular. Especially among bloggers that blog about food and crafty things.  They are very helpful to bloggers.  I often talk with bloggers about them and tell them that using them is one of the best blogging tips that I could give them.  At the same time though they can be very useful for blog readers as well because readers can use them to find a ton of useful and fun blog posts and information. If linky parties still have you scratching your head tough than you’ve come to the right place.

So what are Blog Linky Parties?

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Until you get into blog linky parties the thought of them may confuse you. Don’t feel bad though because we’ve all been there. Blog linky parties are a place on a blog where you can link up posts from your blog. Many different bloggers hold them and they usually have a theme and rules. For example I hold my Giveaway Link-Up every Saturday where I don’t have a lot of rules, but I do require that the link goes directly to the post and that the post be some type of giveaway. On Sundays I also hold my Parenting Pointers linky party which does have a few more rules, but I still try to keep it simple.  Hosts may require such things as you following them, that you post their button somewhere on your blog, and/or that you visit so many other posts from the party (remember the point is to get exposure and make connections).

How Do You Participate in Blog Linky Parties?

Participating in a linky party is very easy. Find a blog linky party that you feel one of your blog posts would be a good fit for. Then check out the rules that the host, or co-host, has posted and make sure you follow them. Then find the link up button and follow the instructions for adding your blog. It usually requires that you add a title, the link, and an email address. Most also require you to choose a picture to use.

Some hosts will choose their favorite linkys from the prior week to showcase at the start of the next week’s party. This is great exposure, and sometimes being chosen means that you get to co-host the next week’s party. Co-hosting is very easy. The host will email you the post, and it will include all of the code for the linky. You just have to copy and paste it into a post on your blog. They may want you to add a little bit of your own writing to the post so the search engines don’t see it as a double post, but they should tell you if they want you to do that. Other then that you just schedule it to post at the time the host wants.

How to Find Blog Linky Parties

This can be easy, or tricky, depending on the bloggers you follow. I found finding parties at first to be a bit difficult, but it’s starting to get easier. Pay attention to your feeds because all bloggers will share their party. Also check other bloggers sites. I have a subcategory for linky parties where I post the buttons that some bloggers require you to share. This is the way that I’ve found most of the parties I participate in. You can also ask your fellow bloggers. They’ll happily tell you what parties they go to.

How to Host Your Own Blog Linky Party

Anyone can host a party, and if you host it then you can name all the terms. The only thing you’ll need to get is a link-up tool. There are many out there, and most require a small monthly fee (sometimes you can pay month’s in advance for a discount). I personally use InLinkz. InLinkz is a good price, and I love that you can choose to have picture links or just text links. I always use the picture links. I like having a visual to go with the link, and it helps to visually break up all of the text links so it’s easier to see everything. After that you just decide what day you want to post on. It’s good to have parties every week on the same day, so pick a day that works best for you.

Do You Need some Help with Blog Linky Parties?

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed the button in my side bar, but a service that I offer to other bloggers is to help them out with blog linky parties.  They give me links that they want linked up, and I do the linking for them.  The more parties you hit each week the more traffic you’ll see from them, but they can be time consuming so this is a great way to outsource blog work.  If you would like more information on this service check out my Lots of Linky Party Links information page.

Why do you like blog linky parties?