Here’s a nifty idea for new bloggers looking to get their name out: submit an article to a blog carnival.

Blog carnivals are a group, community or collection of bloggers and article entries.  It’s similar to a magazine and has an editor.  The editor collects blog articles and posts an entry with all the links submitted to them, usually with their own comments.  Blog carnivals come out on a regular basis, just like magazines come out with new editions every week or every month, and there is usually a host blog, which changes each edition.

Basically, bloggers post on similar themed subjects, and their posts are all anthologized and grouped together to make it easy for web searchers to find information and blog posts on the topics they’re looking for.

So here are four reasons to use a blog carnival to promote your blog:

1. They help your audience find you

Blog carnivals will already have a large assortment of visitors, who will be led to your blog.  It’s an easy way to find readers – all you have to do is submit your post, and the readers come to you.

There’s a large assortment of information out there, and it can be tough for readers to find your blog over all the others.  A blog carnival will help readers find you more easily.

2. Connect with other bloggers

This is a great way for you to find other bloggers in your subject area and connect with them.  When the carnival is posted, check out the articles and see what’s around.  Read other bloggers’ articles and comment on them.

Blog carnivals provide an arena where you can network with other bloggers and build relationships.  Now not only are you getting readers from the carnival, but you might get links from other bloggers.

3. See what’s popular

You can see what other people are writing about, what articles are getting responses.  You can see what opinions, subjects and thoughts are floating around and being shared, and this may help give you ideas for what to write about.

Find out what topics are “hot” and see if your blog can jump on that bandwagon.  Or, you could always take a different route, and post the controversial opinion.  Both are good ways to attract readers (just different types of readers).

4. May help establish credibility

You have to submit your article to an editor, who then decides to include it in the article.  Since you have to go through this “approval” process, this can establish your authority on a subject.  After all, if an editor includes you, this means that at least one other person has read your article and is willing to share it with others.  This means readers will be more likely to click your link, especially if an editor has written positive comments about your article or blog in their post.

Intrigued?  Get started promoting your blog, and check out Blog Carnival for more information and for a list of blog carnivals out there!