Do you Link Up?

Do you join linky parties? Here’s a few guidelines about what to do when attending a linky party, how to find them, and what you should look for from your hostess.

Participating in Linky Parties is a great way to get to know new bloggers.

Why you should reach out and link up –

1. Adding your link gets you out and about. Think of it like a cocktail party. You go and mingle, head on over to three or four different blogs in the party, leave them a comment saying hi and something nice about their post – pin an image, yumm the recipe or Stumble the post. Be polite though – don’t ask for a follow back or expect something in return. This is part of building a friendship.
2. You could be featured. Most bloggers who host linky parties feature a handful of images. Being featured is no different than a collection and it’s the link back that you are ultimately after. Google loves link backs to your post. It shows Google that your post is relevant and useful which will move you up higher in search results – and we all want to be on the first page of a Google search.

Tips to finding a great Linky Party –

1. Ask your friends where they link up. Do they have a linky collection of all the parties they attend? Check out different parties to see if it’s a good fit for you, your niche, and your audience. There is a party for everyone, you just have to look around.
2. Create a page of the parties that you attend regularly, similar to the one I have on Pint Sized Baker. Track if they post features or reciprocate in any way. Most bloggers will come right out and tell you, others don’t.
3. If they offer an email about the party, sign up for it. The email is another reminder to get to the linky early. Nobody likes being the last one to the party. Your chances of others visiting you are drastically cut if you are page 2 or 3 of the party. Most parties display the first 200 links while other just show 75. Get to know what them.
4. Does the hostess feature bloggers? Most linky parties will feature their favorite posts from the previous week, while others just pick one. Some bloggers will have a post strictly for the featured posts and do weekly round-ups that usually involve a theme.

Common Courtesy when attending a linky party –

1. Get to know the hostess and let them get to know you. I’ve made a lot of friends blogging through linky parties. Don’t be shy and drop a link and run. Leave a comment letting them know you stopped by. The hostess should take the time to thank you for stopping in. This can be done with a comment in return, a pin, stumble or yumm.
2. Don’t be a link and run. Stop in on other posts and let them know your found them through someones linky party.
3. Don’t expect a return like for like situation. Let your post speak for itself and people will come see what’s going on.

I polled 50+ bloggers about what they like and dislike from Linky Parties. Here’s a few things they had to say:

• Set date and TIME laid out specifically on the party post.
• Use Inlinkz NOT LinkyTools for your party.
• Having features within the party post and not in a separate post.
• Keep your intro short and sweet. Yes I want to know what you’re up to, but I don’t need a blow by blow of your week.
• I like hosts that share party links on their social media. They are helping to promote me.
• Don’t have a million rules to abide by. People don’t follow them and it’s frustrating to those that do.
• If there’s no chance of being featured the next week, I don’t bother
• I only link up to those that post in order of submission because I try to be at the top for better exposure.
• A turn off was requiring me to put up a badge on my site in return for being featured.

If you host a linky party, please add your link to your site and list the time your post goes live.
Monday Linky Parties

Tuesday Linky Parties

Wednesday Linky Parties

Thursday Linky Parties

Friday Linky Parties

Saturday Linky Parties

Sunday Linky Parties

Now, not sure what to do once you get to a linky party? It’s so easy. Here’s 5 easy steps.

Step 1. Open your blog and then open a post. Now, go to the linky party and find the Linky Button. It’s usually at the end of the post, just before the comments.

Step 2. You’ll be  redirected to the InLinkz screen. Go back to your post and COPY the entire link address. It’s starts with your blogname.com/this-is-my-amazing-post.html. Highlight and COPY it.

Step 3. Come back to the InLinkz screen and paste that link in. Once it’s added to any InLinkz party, it’s in your history. You only need to copy and paste if you’ve never linked it before. At the second party, just double click in the link box to see a list of your recent posts.

Step 4. Make sure that the title is correct. This defaults from your post, but you can change it. Add your email if it’s required (hint – if you don’t want to leave it you can add ). Select a picture that you want to share. You can maneuver the crop a bit to get the object in the square frame.

Step 5. Hit Done. You’ll be sent to this submission screen and you can decide if you want to add a second link or return to the post to leave a comment.

That’s it! you’re done!

Now, get out there, link up and mingle! It’s a party after all!

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