However, most bloggers have never even heard of blog-hops, which are one of the most effective free tools available to bloggers and considered to be the most powerful tools available in the web market.
Most bloggers are aware of the importance of using tools to reach their blog’s, such as social networking, newsletters, and advertising. Now the question is, what exactly are blog-hops and how can you use them to build up your community?
This article will provide an overview of blog hops, covering their purpose as well as the advantages associated with participating in them.
The next thing on the agenda is instruction on how to participate in a blog hop that is specific to the topic of your blog.
What are blog-hops?
A few blog hops are temporary and are typically held in celebration of an event, like as the Cheerful Love Blog Hop that was organized by Sixth Street Sundries to mark the release of their honey bee stamps. Other blog hops are ongoing and take place on a regular basis.
Blog hops explained
Others, such as the Author Toolbox Blog Hop, take place on the same day and time every month; specifically, the third Wednesday of each month from 2021 through 2023 (although this particular blog hop is now on an indefinite hiatus).
Every blog hop operates in the same manner, regardless of how frequently it occurs: participants sign up ahead of time to publish content that is connected to a particular subject during a predetermined window of time, which is typically either a predetermined week or a predetermined day.
For this reason, the issue at hand is often always something general, like working life in a particular field, so that users aren’t forced to submit the same thing over and over again.
Bloggers compose their own entries, publish them on their websites, and then forward the link to the person who organized the blog hop.
The creator will then compile all of these links into a single article or place them on a dedicated website for the Blog Hop. Everyone who contributed an article then reads the contributions made by the other bloggers, and leaves a remark on each of those blogs.
It’s possible that participating blogs are expected to share each and every article in the blog hop.
The majority of blog hops include their own hashtags and social media visuals, and they need you to include a brief mention of the blog hop somewhere in the body of your piece, typically either at start or the conclusion.
This makes it easier for other participants to find you, and it also makes it simpler for your readers to learn about the remainder of the blog hop.
What are blog hops good for?
What exactly is the function of participating in a blog hop? remarks serve as a form of social proof, and taking part in a blog hop ensures that you will receive those remarks.
These hops have the potential to make a significant impact, particularly for less popular blogs or maybe just blogs which don’t often receive many comments.
When I used to maintain a personal blog, for instance, the typical post would only attract one to three comments. On the other hand, articles that took part in the Author Toolbox Blog Hop typically earned more than 20 comments:
Since April of last year, when the blog hop first began, I’ve also established ties with a few of the authors who are participating. They may not comment on each blog article that I make, but we do talk to each other on social media, and several of them have signed up to get my newsletter.
Although participation in the Authors Toolbox Blog Hop does not necessitate that authors share each item on social media, many authors do so regardless.
These posts have been able to attract comments and subscribers who aren’t taking part in the blog hop as a result of this, which has helped them to reach a more extensive audience.
To summarize, doing so is a fantastic way to breathe fresh life into your site and to integrate yourself into the blogging community that is specific to your subject.
What types of blogs do blog hops work best for?
Blog hops are created to link individual bloggers, thus they are most effective when used on sites that have a more personal tone.
However, blog hops can be used with any type of blog. You may have noticed that the example of Sixth Street Sundries that was provided earlier is a store blog; nevertheless, the majority of the brand is based around the proprietor, Emily Midgett.
You are eligible to take part in blog hops if your blog is composed from your perspective, and if it gives readers an opportunity to learn more about the person who is running the business.
If the majority of your posts are written from the perspective of a third person and the sole subject of your blog is your business, then it is unlikely that your blog will be a good fit for a blog hop.
How can you find a blog hop?
You will need to perform some research because there is no dependable directory that compiles blog hops that span multiple niches. To begin, you should inquire with a few bloggers in your field.
This can help you determine whether or not blog hops are common in your particular area, whether or not they are successful, and whether or not other bloggers would be interested in participating in one.
If it doesn’t work, you can always try searching for the answer on Google. A fast search for “blog hops” combined with “your niche” ought to reveal any hops that are worth engaging in.
There are certain blogs that are exclusively accessible through invitation, especially those that are timed precisely with a particular occasion.
If you find that a blog in your field often holds hops but you are unable to locate any sign-up forms, you can get in touch with the blog owner directly using mail or social networks.
It’s possible that there aren’t any blog hops relevant to your niche. This is almost always a hint that website hops are not effective for reaching the audience that you are attempting to connect with.
It’s okay if that’s the case; there are plenty of additional methods to get the word out about your blog.
How to get the most out of a blog hop
Participants in a blog hop are required to read your article and write a comment on it; however, they don’t have to visit your website in the time between hops, and there is no necessity for them to subscribe to your feed.
If you want to get the most out of your newly acquired traffic, you need to ensure that you are consistently providing high-quality content that your audience can relate to.
This necessitates the selection of relevant themes to write about, the revision of your articles, and the monitoring of their success in order to determine which topics resonate most strongly with your readership.
Additionally, you shouldn’t just rely on the quantity of comments; instead, follow these posts closely in Analytics from Google so that you can learn how your regular readership is reacting with them.
How can you join a blog hop?
The procedures for participating in a blog hop can vary from one event to the next. There are some that are by invitation only, but the majority use a tool similar to Google Forms and let new bloggers sign up whenever they want.
In most cases, you will be required to submit a valid e-mail, as well as the name of your blog, the URL of your blog, and the subject matter of your blog. This will allow the admin to easily add your contact information to the main list as well as keep you informed of the blog hop’s progress.
Final advice
Then, what exactly are blog hops? Blog hops are one of the greatest ways to interact with other authors in your field, which is useful whether you’re trying to establish an individual site or a brand that’s focused on yourself as a professional.
Would you ever consider participating in a blog hop? How come, or why not? And which particular kind of blog hops would you like to see more of in the various niches?
