A Linky? What the heck?
When I first started blogging I had no idea what a Linky was, or how to be part of a Linky, or how a Linky could even help me. My first thought (after I heard about them) was……
A Linky? What the heck is that?
I had no idea what is was, and I was left pondering how on earth do I do Linky’s as well as write blog posts and do social promotion.
However for a new blogger, or a blogger who wants to establish themselves in a particular niche, a Linky is a catalyst to do just that.
So what makes a Linky so special?
As a Linky co-host at #fortheloveofBLOG here are my thoughts on why Linky’s are beneficial.
- As a new blogger Linky’s are a great way to make yourself noticed amongst other bloggers who also link-up to that Linky. This is good for raising your blog profile.
- It’s a great way for finding and reading new blogs. I’ve been blogging for nearly two years (where’s the time gone) and since I started blogging so many more blogs have come onto scene. I love finding new bloggers and helping to share success.
- Which leads me into community. Being part of a regular weekly Linky and linking up on a weekly basis means you start to become part of that community. I have my own community for #fortheloveofBLOG on Facebook, and I’m also part of the community for #KCACOLS and #DreamTeam. It’s so nice to be part of these, it takes away the pressure of attending blog events and that feeling you are on your own, plus they are a good way to discuss blogging related topics.
- They are great for link building and DA. Often the hosts will feature a favourite post on their Linky post and include a link to that blog, which builds DA.
There are so many different Linky’s out there. Some are for any blog post (like ours), some are for competitions, some are for days out out, and some are for travel. The list is endless, but don’t be afraid to link up. They are lots of fun and most have a standard way to link up and similar rules.
How to be part of a Linky?
- Simply find a Linky you want to join. I run #fortheloveofBLOG which is open every Wednesday at 8am until Friday at 10pm. There are so many and Aby at You Baby Me Mummy has created this brilliant list.
- Choose a post you want to link up, obviously this depends on the type of Linky, but most accept any type of post. Often you will submit it from the hosts blog via a tool called Inlinkz.
- Then tweet that you’ve entered that Linky, adding in the hosts and your blog post URL, plus the linky hashtag.
- It’s then usually the norm to comment on the host(s) posts and the post before yours. My top tip is that if you are a new blogger, try to comment on as many posts as you can, and also share on Twitter. It’s really nice to share the blog love as other bloggers will really appreciate that.
So go on! Don’t be afraid to join Linky’s. They are fun and like I said a brilliant way to make your presence known. Some of my favourite Linky’s are #KCACOLs run by A Moment With Franca, #BigPinkLink run by Pink Pear Bear, #CoolMumClub run by Motherhood: The Real Deal and #BloggerClubUK run by Cuddle Fairy. And last but not least, as a shameless plug, there’s #fortheloveofBLOG run by myself and Bringing Up Georgia.
I hope you found this useful? Where will you be linking up this week?
Claire x
2 Comments
Kim Carberry
Ahh! I love linkies….There’s a few I join in with every week. Meal planning Monday, Word of the Week, PoCoLo, Project 365 & My Sunday photo are my favourites.
Years ago when I first started blogging I used to think you had to be invited by the host to join in with a linky. Doh! I spent months not asking or joining in. lol
Karen, the next best thing to mummy
I love a linky party, especially since I have been self hosted meaning that I lost all of my comments, linking up has enabled me to build them up again