A blog hop is an online event where you and other bloggers all share their own individual blog posts about a common topic with the goal of increasing blog traffic. Blog readers follow the links from one blog to the next, reading as many blog posts as they like. The end result is a chain or link up party of linked blog posts about the same blog post topic.
A successful blog hop helps raise awareness for everyone involved by providing them with another outlet to drive blog traffic to their website or social media pages. If you’re new to blogging and want to learn what blog hops are and how they work, you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading to find out how blog hops operate, why you should consider joining one yourself, and more.
How do successful blog hops work?
In blog hops, blog readers follow the links from one blog to the next, reading as many posts as they like. The end result is a chain of linked blog posts about the same topic. Blog hops can either be pre-planned or impromptu.
Pre-planned blog hops are scheduled in advance, with the hosting blogger(s) setting a date and time that everyone is expected to be online and ready to link up. This allows bloggers to prepare their blog posts (or social media channels), have them ready to go at the scheduled time, and then promote them to get the most out of the hop.
Spontaneous blog hops can happen at any time and without warning. Unlike the pre-planned blog hops, the host doesn’t set a date for everyone to hop and link up to one another’s posts. Instead, it’s an impromptu blog hop that occurs at the spur of the moment. The blog hop’s host of the hop simply asks others in the blogging community to hop on over to their blog and leave a comment.
How does it affect my blog post?
Blog hops help raise awareness for everyone involved by providing them with another outlet to drive traffic to their website or social media pages. A pre-planned blog hop is scheduled in advance – the hosting blogger(s) sets a date and time that everyone is expected to be online and ready to link up. This allows bloggers to prepare their blog posts, have them ready to go at the scheduled time, and then promote them to get the most out of the hop. A spontaneous blog hop can happen at any time and without warning.
Unlike the pre-planned blog hop, the host doesn’t set a date for everyone to hop and link up to one another’s posts. Instead, it’s an impromptu hop that occurs at the spur of the moment. The host of the hop simply asks others in the blogging community to hop on over to their blog and leave a comment.
Why should you join a blog hop?
There are many reasons why you should consider joining blog hops. If you’ve never participated in blog hops before, you may not know what all the fuss is about. Here are some of the many benefits of joining blog hops.
- You get to network and connect with other bloggers.The blogging community is a great place to make new friends. Joining blog hops are a great way to meet new bloggers and make connections. You never know who you might meet and what new friendships you might forge!
- You get to discover new blogs.Joining blog hops will allow you to explore other blogs in your niche and find blogs that you might not have otherwise discovered. You might even find new bloggers with a similar writing style as your own. Discovering new blogs is a great way to expand your network and grow your readership.
- You get to promote your blog posts.Blog hops are a great way to promote your blog posts. If you participate in blog hops, you’ll have a chance to link to your latest blog post(s) at the end of your blog hop’s post. This allows you to drive traffic to your blog posts and get more people to read what you write!
- You get to promote others’ posts and grow your readership.
- Participating in blog hops are not just about promoting your own posts. Blog hops are a great opportunity to promote other bloggers’ work too! When joining blog hops, you should always try to leave a comment on every post that you hop to. This is a great way to show your appreciation for the authors’ hard work and it will help to get you more involved with the blogging community.
How to join a blog hop?
As we’ve discussed above, the first thing you need to do is find a blog hop to join. You can use one of two methods to find a blog hop that interests you:
- Search for a blog hop. You can use a search engine to find a blog hop. Simply type in a search query, such as “food blog hop” or “craft blog hop” and see what comes up.
- Join a blog hop listing. There are several blog hop listing sites that list all of the current blog hops happening at any given time. This allows you to find an upcoming blog hops that you can join and link up to!
FAQ: Common Questions About Blog Hops
How often should you join blog hops?
This is completely up to you. Some bloggers join blog hops every week while others join a blog hop once a month. The more often you join blog hops, the more often you’ll be expected to link up to someone else’s blog post.
Why do bloggers hop?
Bloggers hop to share their blog posts with other blogs and get more readers. When you hop to someone’s blog, they will see your blog post in their feed. If they like your post, they may click on your blog and become a new reader.
What is the difference between pre-planned blog hops and impromptu blog hops?
Pre-planned blog hops are scheduled in advance, with the hosting blogger(s) setting a date and time that everyone is expected to hop and link up to one another’s blog posts. Impromptu blog hops don’t have a set date and time. Instead, they happen at the spur of the moment.
How to organize your own blog hop?
Hosting your own blog hops can be a great way to bring together your fellow bloggers and build a community around your site. If you’re thinking of hosting your own blog hop, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Choose a theme or topic that your site’s audience is interested in. You want to make sure that the topic(s) you choose is important to your readers so that they want to join in on the discussion.
- Create a calendar for your blog hop and share the information with others so that they can mark the date and plan ahead.
- Make the rules for your blog hop clear. Your readers will appreciate knowing what they can and can’t do when joining in on the fun.
- Create a blog hope badge. A blog hop badge advertises your blog and other blogs in your community.
- End your blog hop with a bang by having a final post that ties everything together. This final post should also have a call-to-action so that readers know how they can continue engaging with your site.
- Ask your readers to subscribe to your email list so that they get regular updates on future blog hops and events.
Ready to join the fun? Here’s how to participate in a blog hop!
If you want to participate in a blog hop, you’ll want to make sure you do so in advance. Here’s how to take part in a blog hop:
- Check the host’s blog a few days before the blog hop starts to make sure the date and time are correct.
- Make sure the topic of the blog hop is relevant to your content.
- Follow the rules of the blog hop by creating a post and linking back to the host’s site.
- Share your post on social media and with your email list so that as many people as possible can see it and join in as well.
Conclusion
A blog hop is a great way to network with other bloggers, promote your content, and drive traffic to your blog. If you’ve never participated in a blog hop before, now is the time to get involved! Begin your search for the next blog hop and get ready to participate in this great event!