When considering all of the benefits I’ve enjoyed from participating in various blog carnivals over the year, I wonder why every blogger doesn’t do the same. The blog carnival is a wondrous collaboration, an artform unique to this magnificent medium. Active participation in the right carnivals can bring a blogger more of everything he or she desires, including the following:
1. TRAFFIC
The most obvious benefit of participation in a blog carnival is more visitors to your site. If your blog is interesting enough and you participated in a carnival consistent with your topic, the increased traffic should translate to more regular readers and subscribers. That is what you want, isn’t it?
2. LINKS
Not everyone realizes that links from other blogs, particulalry those with strong page ranks, have powerful benefits beyond the referrals that might click through it. Blog links translate to authority with certain search algorithms as well as arbiters like Technorati.
3. SCOPE
The process of assessing which blog carnivals are suitable forums for your particular brand of opinion helps refine the scope of your blog. In some cases, you might crystallize your focus while in others, you may find relevant ways to expand your niche. Over time, participation has the potential to shape your site as you write posts specifically for inclusion in different carnivals.
4. CONTACT
Sending submissions to the hosts of the carnivals you participate in is an overlooked way to establish authentic connections with bloggers you respect. While Blog Carnival provides a convenient submission form for most carnivals, this method lacks a personal touch. Sending your contribution directly to the host with some friendly words can initiate real communication that might lead to more opportunities for collaboration and exposure.
5. COMMUNITY
Many micropublishers expect to leave this blogosphere the same way they came into it… ALONE. But not only is that unnecessary, it’s downright wasteful. Many successful blog carnivals provide the nucleus for genuine online communities that often translate to gratifying offline networks. Some carnivals attain enough critical mass to not only promote its niche, but to define it, and working in concert with like-minded bloggers to further your collective voice is extremely rewarding.
The bonus sixth reason participation in blog carnivals makes blogging better is that once you’ve participated, you can actually host a carnival, which provides all of the aforementioned benefits twentyfold!
*Darren may not realize it, but his ProBlogger Group Writing Projects have all the hallmarks of a successful carnival. That’s why I never miss them!
Well said! I’ve enjoyed participating in many blog carnivals and have always found them to be worthwhile. The only problem I have is when certain carnivals start giving off that exclusive vibe…only those worthy can join. It takes just a couple of snobby hosts to create that aura so it’s important for organizers to stamp it out!
You’re right about that, Hsien. Some hosts don’t realize the long term impact, good or bad, they can have on the carnival.
Carnivals are a great way to get the traffic and exposure that a blogger needs.
It was only recently that I tried to apply in a blog carnival. However, my blog was rejected. I think it is because my blog was still new and didnt have enough authority for the carnival to profit from.
Well, I think that’s the way things go. ^_^
Thanks for your helpful post.
If you have time, why don’t you drop by my post:
http://mobileko.blogspot.com/2007/05/snatch-top-5-tips-on-how-to-be.html
It’s also an entry for the problogger top 5- group writing project. ^^ Goodluck to us all!
I have never done one, but I do want too.
Thanks for the post/information.
I have actually never heard of a Blog Carnival and this round is my first experience wtih a group writing project. I will have to look into blog carnivaling. Thanks for the information.
Great ideas, thanks are in order for showing the initiative to put your ideas down