March 14, 2014

What Are Your Thoughts on Linky Parties?

Personally, I have mixed opinions. For the most part, I like to visit them, and sometimes participate. It's one of the best ways I've found to see new ideas. Of course there are also repetitions of the same old ideas although there are some with a new twist on that old idea.

But lately, I've been talking to other bloggers and researching an idea for a new linky party, one that is specific for do-it-yourself home repair, building and remodeling. Tell me what you think by taking the poll on the sidebar, or leaving a comment. Don't feel you have to agree with me. I'd really like to know all opinions, both from people who do participate in parties and those who don't.

I first began linking to parties in 2009 as a way to grow my blog, and it worked in a way. Of course back then, I thought the most important thing was the number of comments I got. It's really not, at least not as far as ratings go. I was really hung up on comments and would comment on every blog linked in the party, only to get a sprinkling of comments in return.  I didn't have a stat counter back then so I don't know if joining linky parties increased my hits on other blog posts.  Of course, back then I didn't know what hits were and how they affected my blog.

Once I found out what hits were and saw that I really didn't have that many, I realized that what I really gained from linky parties was blogging friends.  And for this empty nest stay-at-home mom, that was invaluable.  Still is.

That was before pinning. Now there is a lot of pressure from some blog hosts to pin from them in order to participate in the party. Why? Because pinning brings them hits, and hits raise ratings which brings in advertising and makes their blog come up higher in search results. And advertising pays for the time spent blogging instead of washing the dishes or working a nine to five.

Getting back to comments though, when I joined linky parties five years ago, I probably averaged twenty to forty comments per project. Lately, I average five to fifteen. Partly, it's because I am more selective about the parties I join, but partly, mostly I think, there are soooo many links per party, and soooo many parties, that there just isn't time to comment as much.  But I've also noticed lately that my daily hits are much higher in the months when I join a few linky parties.

So why start yet another party? To fill a niche. I've searched many times for linky parties that are specific for home repair, remodeling, and building and there aren't any. If you are into diy and you join a lot of linky parties, you know that posts about painting a china cabinet get ten times the hits that one on rewiring a light fixture gets. It's the wrong audience for that type post.

Don't get me wrong, I like to make crafts, refinish furniture, sew, and paint. But I also like woodworking and remodeling. Actually, I love woodworking. I'd give up eating for woodworking if my stomach would let me. It won't. But I'd like to find other bloggers who love remodeling and this seems like a good way to connect.

This won't happen next week, or even next month. I've talked to another blogger about doing it with me, and both of us are going to unavailable for the same times so we need to work out a few thing. But if there is enough interest, I'd like to start planning. I'm sure there is a learning curve involved with it as well as some costs.

11 comments:

  1. I would love a home repair-building-remodeling linky party! I have pretty much quit doing the usual round of linky parties mainly because of the repetition. The same people posting their project on several sites. Which is smart on their part, however, I get bored with seeing the same projects 4 or 5 times , and it's too time intensive to look through all the (craft) linky parties.

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    1. I'm glad to hear it. There is a lot of repetition on the linky parties I go to also, partly because a lot of linky parties have multiple hosts and the same links appear on all the host's blogs. So what have you been doing with yourself lately? I miss seeing your projects.

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  2. I love your DIY posts, but would not participate in a links party.

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    1. That's fine too. DIY isn't everyone's thing.

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    1. Good! I'm curious how many people will vote. I've been getting about 60 hits a day, but that doesn't mean they'll stop to vote or comment.

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  4. I'd visit your links in such a linky party, but probably wouldn't have much to contribute, being not much of a DIY-er on home remodeling projects, save the occasional paint job or wallpaper removal job. But I admire those who do and I might learn something.

    I never think about blog hits, probably because I don't do ads. Have you ever?

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    1. I cringe at the thought of wallpaper removal!

      I haven't done any ads, but have given it some thought. Hubby would like it - he thinks I waste too much time online. I was about to pull the trigger on it when I decided to check into advertising a little more. From other blogs and websites, it looks like it doesn't pay unless you have a couple of hundred hits a day, and I don't.

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  5. I think you will be filling a niche. I haven't found many rock solid DIY woodworking links. Time is the issue for us all. I intentionally keep the number of blogs I follow on the manageable size as I truly like to keep up with them.

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    1. Thanks, I think time is a problem for everyone. I wish I managed mine a little better. If we do this, it won't just be woodworking though. I think that would limit it to the degree that we would have very few people linking. But anything related to home remodeling would include a lot of woodworking too.

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  6. I agree. I love comments, but quilty, crafty blogging friends are the best part about blogging. I met most of them from quilt-alongs and a weekly linky party.

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Your comments make my day and I look forward to visiting your blog too! If you are a no-reply blogger and don't have your blog on your profile, could you write it in your comment so I can visit you? Thanks! Due to a recent spamming problem, comments with links and unidentified anonymous comments will be deleted.