Help Wanted: Hosts For The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series

After a year-long hiatus, The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series is returning in 2009. That means I need help from other bloggers who will host some of the carnivals at their site.

What Is A Blog Carnival?

A blog carnival, for those who are not acquainted with the term, is an "event" where a host blog accepts links to posts from other bloggers. The host then crafts the submissions into a single post and publishes it on their blog on a predetermined date.

A blog carnival provides a number of blogs with the opportunity to gain exposure at one time. Visitors will go to the host blog to view the carnival and be able to click through to links provided by each blogger participating in the carnival.

Why Do I Want To Participate In A Carnival?

Some of the benefits an individual blogger can gain from participating in a blog carnival are...

• Meeting new bloggers who attend the carnival and see their post
• Having more traffic coming to their blog on the day of the carnival
• Regularly getting more visits as a result of participating in the carnival
  
• Receiving more comments
• Receiving offers for link swaps

What Will Be Expected Of Me As A Host?

As a carnival host you are entrusted with the event to manage from implementation to execution. I work with you, however little or much you need, to provide support and assistance. It's to the mutual benefit of the host and myself that the carnival be as successful as possible.

• Most carnivals in the Gonzo Blog Carnival Series have a set theme; some are a "free for all" where posts on {most} any topic can be submitted.
• It's up to the host to accept a set of rules they can live with that will govern what submissions can be included in the carnival they're hosting.
  
• The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series, as a rule, does not reject posts which comply with the rules set forth by the host. Hosts should expect to include all entries which comply with the rules they set forth. {Questions? Ask.}
• Hosts of Gonzo Blog Carnival Series events do not reject posts based on their subjective judgment of "quality" and do not limit the number of entries they will include.
• Hosts are expected to run, in most cases, two promotional announcements; one announcing they will be hosting the carnival and one prior to the deadline.
• It's helpful if the host can create a banner for their carnival or to have a banner created.
  
• Hosts are expected to network to solicit assistance in promoting the carnival.
• Optimally hosts will send an email acknowledging each entry and ask for help promoting the carnival. {It's best to include links to blogs who help with promotion in the promo post prior to deadline that runs in the host blog}
• Hosts are solely responsible for creating the carnival post. Keep in mind there is not one way for a carnival to be presented an that the carnival has creative freedom in building the carnival. {Optimally, the carnival will be more than a simple list.}
  
• Hosts are expected to contact each blogger who has an entry included in the carnival once it is posted.
• Hosts are expected to visit each entry once the carnival has been posted and write a comment.

What Payoff Should The Host Expect To Receive?

• An increase in traffic leading up to the carnival
• A spike in traffic the day of the carnival
• The opportunity to have relationships with bloggers who contributed posts to the carnival and with bloggers who visit the carnival
• Offers for link swaps from bloggers who contribute posts to the carnival and bloggers who visit the carnival
  
• A boost in ongoing traffic after the carnival
• A larger amount of comments following the carnival
• An increase in Page Rank

The payoff for the host depends on the amount and quality of time and effort they put forth.

I believe that generally covers everything. It's important to remember than when you host a carnival it's both yours and mine. We're in this together and it's in our mutual best interest to make the carnival a success.

Why, As A Blogger, Should I Get Involved In Blog Carnivals?

There is no promotional effort better than a carnival to boost the performance of your blog. The key to make the carnival pay off is participation. That means contributing a post to the carnival, visiting the carnival and writing a comment and visiting the other entries in the carnival and writing meaningful comments.

This I know, because there were 17 Gonzo Blog Carnivals in 2007 and three Soup To Nuts progressive dinner carnivals this year. In addition to that experience I've appeared in hundreds of carnivals.

In the blogosphere as in life, you do not benefit if you make no investment.

How Do I Arrange To Host A Carnival?

Email me at: kilroy60@gmail.com with the Subject Line: Carnival Hosting.