So, you make really cute, adorable things. Your Facebook friends all seem to agree, that your crafts are, hands down, the best. But how do you get the word out about your handmade goods and find new blog readers and followers?
One great way to promote your crafts blog is to participate in linky parties. Also called linkups or blog hops, linky parties are regular gatherings of like-minded crafters who are invited to post their projects via a linkup application such as InLinkz or Linky Tools.
Linky parties happen all the time, all over the place, but you just need to know where to go to find them and when! If you need a little jump-start, hop over to the Craft Buds Linky Parties Page to see where we like to party each week.
How it Works
Some linky parties allow you to post a photo, but others are text links only. (This is generally a cheaper option for the blogger hosting the party, with annual linkup services costing around $20.) I’ve personally found that linking up with text linky parties is a great way to get a lot of hits. People are often so curious about your project that they’ll click on every link and visit every blog!
Weekly linky parties happen every week on a specific day of the week. If a Linky Party is for Mondays, for example, you typically have from Monday morning until midnight to add your project, and then the submissions list will close.
There are also a few monthly linky parties, such as Fresh Sewing Day (on the first of the month at Lily’s Quilts). A linky party may also be used as a giveaway tool (like at Lily’s Quilts), where each link counts as a contest entry.
Linky Party Etiquette
The purpose of posting your project to a linky party is to 1) get more visitors to your site and 2) find new and inspiring blogs to visit. An added bonus is creating links back to your site, which will increase your SEO (search engine optimization), making it easier for people to find you online.
With all these benefits, linky parties are sometimes used incorrectly. It’s important to read the guidelines set out by the blogger hosting a linky party, because if you don’t play nice, the party isn’t nearly as much fun!
Etiquette for linky parties usually includes:
1) Link to a recent project post, and not a link to the front page of your blog, your Etsy store or a giveaway, unless specifically stated by the host. The Girl Creative hosts two linky parties: Just Something I Whipped Up (Sunday) is for project posts, and Creative Girls Blog Hop (Friday) is general links to craft blog. Here at Craft Buds, we host a weekly linky party specifically for giveaways at our Giveaway Roundup.
2) Visit one or more links uploaded by someone else and leave a nice comment.
3)ย Link back to the host’s blog via a button or text link. This is a common courtesy, and it is usually appreciated if you link back in the same blog post that you are linking up, or in your blog’s sidebar. If you participate in very many linky parties, you may wish to create a separate page for all of your linky party buttons.
4) Follow the blog hosting a linky party via RSS or Google Friend Connect. This is not always required, but subscribing is a good reminder to link up week after week. Also, this will keep you in the know in case your project was featured as a favorite that week!
More Tips
If you are really a go-getter, why not leave a nice comment for the blogger hosting the party each week? It’s a bit of work to set up and manage a regular linky party, so make sure your host knows that their efforts are appreciated, and that you are not just looking for some free promo.
Try to build relationships with the other bloggers linking up by leaving kind comments and taking an interest in their crafts. These friendships will take you much farther than a few extra page views each week! You can check your blog stats to see how many people visit your blog from each linky party that week. Then you can tailor the linky parties you visit to that information.
So friends, who hosts the best linky parties on the Web? Do you party, and if so, where?
21 comments
I enjoy tesrosehome.blogspot for her linky party. She does a great job managing it! Love her blog overall too!
Yes, Tea Rose Home is a great one! We get lots of traffic from linking up there. ๐
I’ve just started using linky parties on my blog, thanks for the great tips!
Thanks Savannah! Let us know if you find any new ones. ๐
I participate in Sew Modern Monday on canoeridgecreations.com, Fabric Tuesday on Quiltstory.blogspot.com, Monthly Stash on Clover and Violet, a linky on lilysquilts.blogspot.com, and of course Sew and Tell Friday on Amylouwho.com
Love all of those ones–thanks for sharing!
Hey, thanks for the info. I didn’t really know any of that. It will be very useful as I read my blogs daily. I love to see what everyone is creating. I love your site too!
I started my first link party today. I have about 100 viewers to my site daily, but no one seems to comment. I thought a link party would help others to link up to me and help me to give and get the blogging love, but so far it isn’t going well. Do you have suggestions for how to get people to a new link party blogsite?
Hi Laura! That’s a really good question. I think you might benefit from co-hosting the linky party with another blogger. That way, you could host one week on your site, and they could host the next week on theirs. You could piggy back off each other’s followers. Also, when you are just getting started with a linky party, you may have to visit other linky parties, click on a cute project, and comment with a message like, “That’s so great! I’d love it for you to add this to my linky party at {address}.” For the first month, you also might just need to link up cute projects that you find around the web, so the party looks hoppin’! Hope this helps. ๐
Hi, thank you for this post, it’s great!
I’m your newest follower. I have a craft link part running each week. Would love it if you could stop by sometime and link up with us.
http://thepurplefroggieclaystuff.blogspot.com/2011/04/show-off-your-crafty-side-blog-hop-week_19.html
Hope that you have a great evening!
Cindy
Great summary of link parties. I party in lots of places when I have something new to share.
I think the biggest tip in there is to remember to post new links each time you visit a party. It is disappointing sometimes to see the same posts being linked to for weeks at a time – and must be frustrating for the host!
I’m glad I found your blog! As a new blogger I’m still learning my way around. Your tips are very helpful.
http://reneeschirpings.blogspot.com
This is a really helpful post! Thanks for sharing… I haven’t joined a linky party, yet.
Thanks so much girls for this information. I’ve had my sewing diy blog for almost a year and am just learning about linky parties. Love them!
sewcountrychick
Thank you so much, great information! I love your blog design too, very neat and simple. Keep up the great work.
Hi there! thanks for the info on these linky thingys. I am new to blogging and had seen them around, but I was never to sure what they were about.
Thank you for these amazing tips. I know I have stuff on my blog that at least someone out there will find interesting! ๐ That’s why I wonder how to get it out there for others to find it!
Check it out if you’re into mixed-media, altered art, and things that are distressed, grungy, shabby chic, etc. http://blog.intoxicatingarts.com Thanks again!
Hi, thank you for all this help, I am a self taught blogger and sometimes when self taught you don’t know if you are doing it right? I have just finished my very first challenge with a prize donated by me. I did get more followers and now I want to do Linkys – how about all of us who commented visit each other and comment? Thanlks once again craftbutd. I am at http://homecookedcards.blogspot.co.uk See you all on our Blogs!?
I’m so glad you’ve found the site helpful!
Lindsay, Thanks for the great info on these parties, you have cleared up a lot of my questions!
Sandra
Hi, thank you so much for the tips! I’m completely new to blogging and fumbling my way around at the moment so it’s great to stumble across blogs like yours with lots of helpful hints. I’m looking up some linky parties right now! Hopefully I’ll be able to encourage some lovely new followers ๐ Thanks!