How a Blog Carnival Can Seriously Boost Your Site Traffic

There is no doubt in our minds that Content is King.  But sometimes content alone isn’t quite enough to get your blog the masses of visitors that it really deserves.  We’ve all been there, dutifully researching our market and publishing unique posts week after week.  Posts that we think have the potential to change the world yet seem to go unnoticed by the general surfing public.  At best it’s very frustrating, at worse it can mean that we hang up our blogging shoes for good.  If this is you then retie those laces because we have discovered a great networking opportunity called a blog carnival and it may very well change your entire blogging career… or at least get some visitors to your site.“What on earth is a blog carnival?” I can hear you cry.  Patience, patience.  This article is going to tell you exactly what a blog carnival is and how it may be the very best thing you have ever heard of…  for this week anyway.

What is a blog carnival?

A blog carnival is an online community that consists of people that collectively blog about a similar niche or topic.  A carnival is often described as being like a magazine, there is a weekly or monthly publication that covers a particular topic and highlights all the blogs that have published an article relevant to that topic.  In the same way that a magazine has an editor, each carnival will have their own editor–or carnival owner–someone who screens all the entries and writes an introductory paragraph in the publication that describes the article and why it should be read.

Why is a blog carnival so important for your site?

Participating in a blog carnival can work wonders for your site.  Here’s some of the things it can offer:

• It’s a great method for marketing your blog posts off your own site and potentially boosting traffic through the wider exposure that you gain.
• Being featured on a list of ‘experts’ in your niche will promote your brand and reputation.
• It’s totally free!
• Regular participation in blog carnivals will provide you with a free back link on an ongoing basis, often from sources with a higher Pagerank than your own.
• Increased traffic on your blog will improve your Alexa rank.
• You may one day get an opportunity to host a blog carnival and by doing so will get even more traffic and visitors.

How to find a blog carnival

One of the best methods of finding a blog carnival that is relevant to your site is to use the Google Blogs search tool: http://blogsearch.google.com/

In the Google blogs search bar type “blog carnival” followed by a keyword related to your niche.  E.g. if I owned a finance blog and was searching for a suitable carnival, my search would look like this:

Alternatively you may wish to use a blog carnival directory like www.blogcarnival.com.

How to join a blog carnival

Once you have found a blog carnival that is appropriate for your niche you should locate the carnival’s homepage, contact the owner and find out the process for joining.  Make sure you check the rules and regulations covering participation and ensure that you are fully aware of any requirements your post will need to adhere to.

Blog carnival tips

1. Only ever submit your very best content to a blog carnival.  It acts as a showcase of your work and you will attract far more traffic if you have something unique and interesting to say.  Generating content of the highest quality will also improve your chances of being accepted into the carnival.
2. Submit early.  Check the carnival timescales and make sure you submit you post as early as possible.  This will give you the best possible chance of getting your work published at, at the very least, will provide you with time to make changes should they be required.
3. Don’t oversell your site but do make sure you include a brief biography that contains a link to your own blog and your social networks.
4. Submit one article to one carnival.  Don’t be tempted to use the same article in many carnivals, this will undermine your reputation.