One topic that comes up a lot is ‘Linkys’; how to join in, what the benefits are, how you find out about them and when they are on. You may or may not know that I have a sizeable document that features lots of linkys ( Join my mailing list & get my Linky List as your welcome gift!). This list details most of the linkys I know about (or am told about!) and which day they go live.
So, I thought I would answer the other questions and share an overview of linkys.
Let’s start at the beginning.
What’s a linky?
There are many different linkys and types of linky, but a linky is a prompt/theme that one blogger sets and writes a post about. Then anyone wanting to join in would write a post on that theme and link their post on the bottom of the host’s post.
Some linkys have a specific theme, while other are more general. There are all shapes and sizes of linkys; ones that just need a single picture, linkys for vlogs, linkys for movies, for giveaways and everything in between.
Join my mailing list & get my Linky List as your welcome gift!
What are the benefits of joining in?
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- Building relationships with other bloggers.
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- Potential new traffic.
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- More comments on your post.
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- Writing inspiration (some linkys provide a writing prompt).
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- Sense of community.
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- Supporting other bloggers and they will support you.
How do I join in?
Once you have written your post, which corresponds to the linkys theme. Go to the host’s blog and find the relevant linky badge. Copy the code under the badge and paste it in the html section of your post (where you want the badge to appear). This will make the badge appear on your viewing screen. Bloggers will love hosting their linky and the sense of community it gives them, however they do want the back link that using their badge will give them (for exposure rather than SEO value as the link will be nofollow).
Please add badges (or a basic text link back to the host if you have an issue with the badge), otherwise the host is spending time commenting and potentially sharing your post and getting little in return.
Then, when the post is all ready to go and the linky is live, pop over and link up. Most bloggers will use Linkytools, Inlinkz or Mister Linkys Magical Widgets for their linkys. I prefer Inlinkz as all you have to do is pop in the post html code and it fills in the blanks for you. Lazy?!
Join my mailing list & get my Linky List as your welcome gift!
My view of linky etiquette; (this isn’t linky law, just my personal view)
- Include the hosts badge or at least a link back to their blog. This is their ‘reward’ for the effort they invest in the linky admin, as it does take a lot of time running a successful linky.
- Comment on the host’s post. Even if the host is linking up a post. I think you should still comment on the main linky post as well, even if it’s just to say thanks for hosting. It only takes a couple of seconds.
- Make sure you comment on some other posts. Read the rules to see what the minimum requirement for commenting is. Always try to comment on as many other posts as you can, but we all have lives and so just do as many as you can over the minimum requirement. I try to do the host plus five and more if I have time for most linkys. For #MySundayPhoto as it is just images, I tend to do more as it is quicker.
- Tweet your entry (the linky will pop this option up for you) as it helps spread the word for the hosts. You could always just tag the host in this tweet. Most hosts will then retweet it for you.
Can I run my own linky?
Of course you can! You need to make sure you have the time to devote to the people joining in and it is important to set rules for your linky, so people know what to expect. i.e are you going to tweet out all the links or just retweet those that include you in their tweets? The later is much easier. Are you going to comment on all (you should or share it with a co host)? Do you plan to pin them all to Pinterest? Think about these things and set clear guidelines before you start. Also make sure you have a good idea. Try not to make the idea too specific, as it will reduce your pool of potential linkers. If you do set up a linky, be sure to let me know so I can add you to the ‘ Join my mailing list & get my Linky List as your welcome gift!’!
What are Linky Carnivals and Blog Hops?
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A Linky Carnival – The bloggers taking part all write a post on a specific theme. They then send the links to these posts to the host, who complies them all in a feature.
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A bloghop – Is a linky where all the participating blogs put the linky code on their posts. So everyone involved will display the same thumbnails/links at the bottom of their posts. This means people can ‘hop’ from blog to blog without going back to the host to find a new link.
Phew! Well I think I have covered the questions I have been asked and that this information is useful to you.
Do you currently join in with linkys? If not, will you jump in now? Has this guide to linkys helped you?
