What Are Blog Hops?
When I first started blogging I had no idea what Blog Hops or Linky Parties were. I know that just the words Blog Hop and Linky party sound pretty self explanatory, but they still left me feeling more than a little confused. I suppose that when a person is new to something even the simplest things can seem daunting or confusing or is that just me!
I took my time checking out a few Blog Hops and Linky Parties to see what they are all about and learned that they are a good place to link up your blog or post – always read what the blogger or bloggers hosting the Blog Hop or Linky Party want you to do to take party – get to ‘meet’ other bloggers and to get your own blog a little publicity – never a bad thing!
In a nut shell Blog Hops and Linky Parties are all about public relations for you and your blog. You basically get out what you put into them. You can link up and do the minimum that is requested from you by the host or you can participate as much as you can by reading, leaving good quality comments and even sharing the posts you read on your social media accounts.
You’ll generate far more readers by doing the latter, so it’s worth spending that little extra time browsing though blog posts. At first I thought I had to link up and check out the blogs in the Blog Hop in one go. I have since learned that it is fine to link up your own blog or blog post and then go back and read other peoples blog posts when you have more time. I tend to read a post or two when I stop and have a coffee or just want to sit down for a minute, but you could do it whilst on your commute to work.
Blog Hops and Linky Parties tend to be open for a few days and some for a whole week,so the is generally plenty of time.
How I Approached Blog Hopping And Linky Parties…
When I first started blogging, which wasn’t that long ago, I was even more clueless than I am now, but I wanted to learn everything I could. It didn’t take me long to realise that baby steps works best for me; if I try to take on and learn too much, too quickly, it only proves to be counter productive as I end up getting into a right kerfuffle {not a word, I know, but I use it as that is how I feel!}.
Bearing that in mind I decided not to rush into taking part in Blog Hops or Linky Parties. I searched Google+ and when I found one I thought sounded good, I clicked through to the post and read what it was all about. If I fancied it I’d give it a go, but at first I only did about one a week….I know! I’m a slow learner!
Not All Blog Hops or Linky Parties Are The Same…
There are all sorts of Blog Hops and Linky Parties out there waiting for you to take part in. Some are theme inspired, like sharing parenting posts or recipes and others are more laid back and allow you to link up to any post you fancy from your blog.
Before entering your link into a Blog Hop Or Linky Party, do read carefully what the ‘rules’ are. I do use that term loosely, but some require you to follow a bunch of hosts and co hosts on all the social media you have, which is fair enough as a lot of work goes into hosting and organizing some of them and at the end of the day they aren’t doing the hard work for the pure fun of it, although I am sure they do enjoy it too. The hosts and co-hosts are also getting traffic to their blogs, which is, I’m sure their incentive for hosting the Blog Hops and Linky Parties in the first place..
Some of the first Blog Hops and Linky Parties I took part in I found too complicated and I ended up following a load of people who I really wasn’t interested in following. I like to follow people on social media that have blogs that I find of interest.
Another fair enough rule is that you either link back, or display the Blog Hop or Linky Party’s badge on your blog or in your post.
It did take me a while before I cottoned on that their is no difference between a Blog Hop and a Linky Party. The difference is only in the name.
My Favourite Blog Hops So Far…
I have tried and tested a few blog hops and have come to the conclusion, that for me the nice and simple ones are the best. I don’t like too many rules as I like to try and follow them and I beat myself up if I can’t or don’t want to.
The following blog hops are ones I have been taking part in regularly on a weekly basis – except for Word Of The Week, which I linked up to for the first time on Sunday.
#1. The WeekEnd Blog Hop.
This Blog Hop is hosted by Laura and Vicky. It is nice and simple. the rules being that you link up your blog URL and not a specific post and that you read and comment on the first post in each of the two blogs in front of you in the link up….You can then browse and read through the other blog posts. Remember the more you read and comment on, the better it is for you!
The Weekend Blog Hop kicks off on Saturday morning.
#2. The Mommy Reality Challenge.
I love this link up, which is hosted by Jen, Celeste and Carolyn. The three of them came up with the great idea of getting Mums across the blogoshere to share the real side of being a Mum by setting a fun weekly photographic challenge. Which you then post on your blog or in your instagram account and link up via the hosts pages.
For this challenge you don’t have to even write a post, it is perfectly fine to just share the photograph. I think it makes a good excuse for writing a post though! Jen, Celeste and Carolyn then work really hard promoting the link up, driving traffic to your post.
The Mommy Reality Challenge kicks off on Friday.
#3. Brilliant Blog Posts.
This blog hop is hosted by Vicki and I think that this is the busiest blog hop that I take part in. I like it because I can link up any of my favourite posts and all I have to do in return is to browse through, read and comment on at least two other blogs in the link up. I always end up reading more as there are so many good posts to choose from.
Brilliant Blog Posts kicks off on Thursday.
#4. SHINE Blog Hop.
This blog hop is hosted by Jennifer and is also a nice and simple one. All you have to is link up your favourite post, read and comment on at least two other posts in the link up. Again this blog hop is a busy one, giving you plenty of choice of posts to read.
The Shine Blog Hop kicks off on a Thursday.
#5. Word Of The Week.
I only discovered this Blog Hop a couple of weeks ago and have been Umming and Ahhing as to whether I had the time to participate in another Blog Hop, but I really did fancy this one.
Word Of The Week is hosted by Jocelyn and it is also a nice and simple link up. For this link up you choose a word that best sums up your week and you can either write a short description or turn it into a post explaining why you have chosen that word.
I joined in with this blog hop for the first time on Sunday.
Word Of The Week kicks off on Friday.
My Experience So Far Taking Part In The Above Blog Hops…
Each and everyone of the hosts in the above Blog Hops have managed to find the time to check out my post and leave a comment, which I think is great, as all comments are greatly appreciated.
I have definitely seen a rise in traffic since taking part too. Using Google Analytics and the Jetpack Stats plugins I can see where the views are coming from and taking part in the blog hops have helped to increase the amount of visitors to my blog for sure.
When life is busy it is harder to find the time to read and comment on other peoples blogs, but I try not to get obsessive about it as that would take the fun out of it. Some weeks I may only have time to read two or three posts per blog hop and other weeks five or six, so it’s swings and roundabouts.
Would I Recommend Taking Part In Blog Hops or Linky Parties?…
Most definitely yes! Not only is it fun, but I have come across some really interesting blogs and bloggers.
I know that when I first started out I found the whole Blog Hop/ Linky Party thing confusing. So I hope that this post answers any questions you may have had in regards to what they are all about .
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and please feel free to share any Blog Hop/Linky Party stories and experiences. I’m always on the lookout to learn more!
© 2014 – 2019, Debbie. All rights reserved.
Comments