Blog Hopping: For Fun or Necessity?

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Hello everyone! ♥

Welcome back to another discussion post! Today we’ll be talking about a topic that has been on my mind for a while but haven’t really talked about to anyone, blog hopping. Since the second half of December, I feel like I haven’t been able to properly blog hop. Sometimes I blame time and my hectic schedules but really, most of the times I’m just not in the mood for. I’m simply lazy, and I feel bad for it 😦

Before we discuss it further, let’s define blog hopping.

What is blog hopping?

According to this website, a blog hop is a linky list that is shared between a group of blogs so people “hop” from blog to blog seeing the same list on each blog so blog hopping means the activity of following said lists. Urban dictionary also defined blog hopping as following links from one blog to another, reading about the lives of people you have absolutely nothing to do with.

However, I noticed that the term ‘blog hopping’ has been used very loosely, referring to not only following links from a linkup, but visiting any blogs in general. So for the sake of this post, we’ll be talking about visiting blogs you’re already following, posts you find from linkup, or any blogs you randomly find while surfing through the internet. 

Are we already on the same page? Good 😉

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If you have time and are in the mood for it, blog hopping is a really fun and rewarding activity. Through blog hopping, I have discovered a lot of new, incredible blogs and connected with some of the most wonderful bloggers out there. Not only that, blog hopping also gives me a lot of inspiration for my own blog. It could be design ideas, post ideas, or just random things in general.

When I was still a baby blogger with a lot of free time and low traffic on my own blog, I used to blog hop all the time. I do it methodically everyday and with purpose. Like at first I would go through as many posts from my wordpress and bloglovin feed as possible, and then I would randomly click links from the blogs I was already following. And then if I felt up to it, I’d google something randomly and just like that, I found new blogs to follow. At that time, I also just started participating in meme like Top Ten Tuesday. TTT has its own linkup so I used to click through as many links as possible.

But now…

It saddens me that I don’t blog hop as much as I used to anymore. I feel like as my blog grows, I blog hop less. I get too preoccupied with working on my blog and replying to comments on my own blog that I usually get too tired to do some blog hopping afterward. It is sad because the reason why my blog is growing in the first place was because I blog hopped a lot and people also find my blog through blog hopping.

But apparently, I’m not the only one who’s being so bad in blog hopping. I’ve seen a lot of people complaining on twitter that they haven’t had the chance to blog hop, or that they plan to blog hop but end up not doing it, and then stress over it.

It started to make me think…

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Do we do it for fun, or is it a necessity?

Do we blog hop because we want to or because we have to? To be honest, my answer is both. I want to blog hop and read other people’s posts because that’s the reason why I blog in the first place. I want to share my love and opinion about books as well as know other people’s opinions. There’s also sooo many amazing posts out there, talking about things I never even thought of, so it bums me out when I don’t have the time or energy to read all those posts.

However for me, the feeling of being stressed out for not being able to blog hop comes from its sense of necessity. I feel like blog hopping is an obligation if I want to be a part of this community. I mean, no one explicitly tell me to blog hop every now and then, but it’s like an unspoken but universally acknowledged rule in the community. If you want your blog to get noticed, you have to notice other blogs. If you want people to comment on your posts, you have to comment on others’ posts as well. If you want to receive, you have to give first.

Everything is a cycle in this community. Sure, you could do fine without blog hopping for, say, a few weeks. But if you never blog hop, do you honestly expect people to still stop by your blog regularly?

When does it start being a chore?

A couple weeks ago I was busy outlining my WIP and during that time, I honestly felt like blog hopping was a chore. It was a task that I needed to complete. I was like, go visit at least five blogs and drop some comments, then you could call it a day and do other things. But… no, it was no fun at all! It was exhausting and I started blog hopping only for the sake of blog hopping. Like I didn’t even actually read the post and I only dropped generic comments.

That’s when I knew I needed to stop and take a step back.

I talked to some bloggers and all of them assured me that it is okay to not blog hop if I have other things to do. No one would forget my existence and I shouldn’t worry about it. I learned that once it starts to feel like a chore, I need to just take a step back and take things easy, one step at a time.

What’s the secret to blog hop effectively?

You know this section is a given. I’m always gonna share whatever works for me even if I’m definitely not a pro 😛 sooo here are some of my secrets to blog hopping! ♥

  1. Find your preferred time. I don’t do it everyday, it’s exhausting and it gets boring quickly if I do it everyday, so I usually do it 2-3 times a week.
  2. Blog hop while commenting back. I always try my best to visit back any blog who comments on my posts and drop some comments in return. I found that it was one of the best way to discover some great posts and new blogs.
  3. Take advantage of recap or wrap up posts. If you don’t have a lot of time to blog hop through out the week, do it at the end of each week or month! Bloggers usually have a wrap up posts where they list all/some of their posts each month. Most of them also share some favorite posts from other blogs. Go use it! ♦
  4. Let’s go back to the original meaning of blog hopping by joining linkup party! I love linkup! Every time I join TTT, I try my best to visit some links for the linkup. There’s also a lot of weekly linkup you could join. Lori @ Pure Imagination hosted Saturday Situation where bloggers could share all their posts from that week.

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I want to know about your blog hopping habit! I bet you also want to know about everyone else, don’t you? Go answer this poll and find out! 😛

 

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Alright everyone, that is my ramble on blog hopping! It’s slightly different from my usual post format because I kind of just winged it this time instead of writing an outline beforehand hahaha 😂 ANYWAY, what is your take on blog hopping? Do you think it’s a MUST or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts and don’t forget to answer the poll above! ♥

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94 thoughts on “Blog Hopping: For Fun or Necessity?”

  1. I hope that blog hopping never feels like a choir for me, I am still a baby blogger and as of right now it is always fun to read and comment on others posts. I also hope I don’t ever get too busy for it, but in the end that may happen. I think the best thing is to take it day by day, to do what you can and not stress about it if you can’t. (My philosophy is if your stressing about something instead actually doing that thing your wasting time on a useless task) anyway, great post!

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    • I genuinely hope so too! But for me it’s inevitable, like once my blogging honeymoon phase had gone, everything started to feel… less exciting, I guess 😂😂 but I really still love doing it haha and yes not stressing over it is sooo important! It’s always okay to take a step back when it happens 😀 thank you!

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  2. I love that you did a discussion on this, Puput! I remember we briefly chatted about this on twitter a little while back. Like you, I used to blog hop every single day back when I first started blogging. In fact I did just that up until December when it started to feel extremely overwhelming and like a chore. It wasn’t fun for me anymore and all I felt at the thought of blog hopping was anxiety. Breaks are definitely a key when you start feeling overwhelmed with anything blogging. And we actually have similar blog hopping routines. I’ve started doing it only two to three times a week and have found myself excited to blog hop again and actually getting reading done. Plus, I’ve been so busy with school the past few weeks that I haven’t had a lot of time to be on the internet for anything that isn’t school related lol. I also blog hop a lot while commenting back too. I just hate when it starts feeling like something that you HAVE to do rather than something fun that you want to do. Because really interacting with other bloggers is a lot of fun. I mean I think it’s a must if you want interaction but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. Anyway! Great discussion! 💕😊

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    • Ahh yes I was already thinking of writing this post when we talked hahaha 😛 ahh I knoooow when we were newbie blog hopping felt SO MUCH FUN! I mean, all the great posts and meeting all the great bloggers!! It’s still fun, but it’s more overwhelming when you’re following 500 blogs at once hahaha 😂😂 I think 2-3 times a week is a pretty great number though, I don’t get overwhelmed and the number of posts I need to read isn’t as high 😛 me tooooo I love interacting with other bloggers, most of them have amazing personality, including you of course 😛 yayyy thank you Melissa! ❤

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      • I know right? I used to not go a day without blog hopping no matter what and it was always so fun. But yeah after a while when you start following more blogs it builds up a lot. And I’m not even following 500 so I can only imagine 🙈. Although, I do want to start blog hopping more outside of WP. Yep! 2-3 times a week means keeping up with post while also getting little breaks to write your own and read. 😊
        Awwww thank you 💕. You have an amazing personality too and you’re welcome! ♥

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  3. I think that “both” is a good answer. I believe most of us visit other blogs because we like to, but it’s no secret that commenting around a lot will also bring traffic back to your own blog and help you be seen as an actual part of the community. I keep it fun by not having set goals, times, etc. I blog hop when I feel like it and comment however much I want to. Sometimes that means I read a bunch and don’t leave any comments at all, but it keeps things stress-free for me, rather than saying “I’m now going to comment on seven blogs.”

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    • Exactly! Maintaining our presence in this community is also important and we could achieve it through blog hopping ahaha me too! I try not to set any specific goal but once I do, I know I should take a step back instead because it starts to become a chore instead of something fun 😂😂

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  5. Very interesting post and hope you will post again with your poll results. I’m a newbie blogger so I’m spending quite a lot of time visiting other blogs both to read reviews/discussion posts and pick up tips. I just followed a couple more from your commenters here!

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    • Thank you! Mmm I didn’t have any plan to do that but I’ll probably post the result on my monthly recap post 🙂 ahh it must still feel so exciting! 😛 I hope the honeymoon phase wont wear off anytime soon though hehe yayy they’re all amazing bloggers whom you should definitely follow ❤

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  6. I found this on Twitter, and I have to say that I agree. Both is a great answer. I find myself so busy between all the various hats I wear. Sometimes, it is so difficult to reply back to a comment on my blog, let alone go blog hopping. Lately though, there are a select few that I let the posts build (everyday posting type blogs), and then go on a like/comment spree. Others, I visit when I can, or when I’m in the mood to blog hop. However, even with all the hats, it is hard to maintain the blog-hop hat. I think that’s partly why I stopped participating in TTT. I felt so bogged down by blog hopping that it took the fun out of it. Anyway, great post!

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    • I know right!! I looooove commenting and getting comments but it could be *really* overwhelming! I try to visit blogs 2-3 times a week but mostly I just go with my mood haha OMG SAME! I still participate in TTT but not regularly, but yeeeessss reading the same lists for like 20 times is exhausting 😂😂😂

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  7. Your discussion really opened my eyes to the fact that some bloggers take blog hopping as a chore. I’m not much of a blog hopper – but I do it once in a while just for fun. I like visiting other blogs mainly for the blog designs and layouts because I feel like most blogs out there are much prettier than mine 😅😂 But it’s never one of those things I ever felt like I need/had to do – it just came onto me naturally whenever I felt like it. Also – and I still consider myself a baby blogger even though I might not be a newbie – I have never taken blog hopping as a task to create traffic for my own blog or comment around. And I don’t know why. I know blog hopping can help in increasing followers and traffic but somehow, it never registers in my head as that. It’s just something I do very randomly just for fun and to check out other blogs. I didn’t even know bloggers had a schedule or something. Anyway, I loved your post and it was actually very informative 🙂

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    • Ohhh glad that I could help with that! Haha but to be fair I guess people don’t really talk about it here on the blog, I personally only noticed this from some blogger’s complaints on twitter, and my own experience obviously 😂 ahhh lucky you!! I think it’s amazing that you never feel ‘obliged’ to do that, it means you do it genuinely and it’s more fun like that 😀 thank you Anushka, glad you enjoyed it ❤

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  8. I agree that for me, it’s both fun and necessity. There are lots of great posts out there that I want to read, and I love joining in discussions and getting into conversations. But it *is* a kind of unspoken rule. I mean, think of it this way, if we all just posted on our own blogs and never visited or interacted with anyone else’s… we’d all just blogging alone in a void, and there’d be no community, no interaction, no point to it. So it’s a necessity for that reason.

    What I usually do is return visits to anyone who’s commented on my blog. Then, if I do have the time and energy after that or later or another day or whatever, I’ll also go through my feeds and find interesting stuff to read and comment on. But if I’m tired or busy, just returning visits is enough at least. Not necessarily 1 for 1 with the comments, but I try to visit enough so that I don’t feel like I’m neglecting anyone who’s visiting me.

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    • That’s EXACTLY the way I see it too!! It’s just like being human in general, like you can’t really live by being alone hahaha excuse my weird analogy 😂😂 but yeahhh I love discovering all the great posts and bloggers out there too! 😀 me too, sometimes when I’m so exhausted and don’t have the time, I don’t even have the energy to return visits and I feel bad about it 😦

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  9. lovely post, my dear, as usual 🙂 I feel like I blog hop a lot when I get bored of my dashboard being the same thing, but also so I can see what other blogs look like. I also like to blog hop to find new discussions and such, so pretty much finding inspiration. 🙂

    Also, question. How do you make your arrow and flower graphic on this post? do you use photoshop or a website? I really want to make new graphics for my blog, but I’m not sure exactly what to use. Thank you 😀

    -Amber

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    • Aww thank you so much Amber! 😀 ahh yes I do that too, I love looking at pretty blogs with their pretty designs and amazing posts 😛 I didn’t make it, I got the arrows and flowers from freepik and then I add the writing with Adobe Photoshop hehe if you’re looking for free clip art like mine just type ‘free watercolor clipart’ on google or pinterest 😀

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  10. I agree sometimes blog hopping can be overwhelming. Also its hard to keep up with so many blogs when you just don’t have the time. I liked your advice to visit wrap up posts – I feel you get all the good bits and most bloggers link to everything so its easier to navigate to what you want to read. Trolling through bloglovin day after day does get tiresome, and most people don’t want to read EVERY post a blogger publishes.

    Having said that, I always try to visit the people who leave a comment on my own blog – I feel like if people make the effort for me, I need to return the favour. Also thats how so many of my friendships have been made 🙂 Really great post!

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    • Exactly! ESPECIALLY when you’re following hundred of blogs 😂😂 I know right, I love reading people’s wrap up posts and I found it was one of the best way to blog hop. A lot easier than having to go through your feed one by one 😛 me too! I love commenting back because it allows me to visit blogs that I might not visit otherwise. Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😀

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  11. I’m still brand new to blogging (I started right at the beginning of 2017) so I’m trying to figure out HOW to even blog hop! 🙈 I try to go through and read as many posts I can from the blogs I follow, and usually if I see another blogger mentioned in a post somewhere I’ll check out their blog! But it hasn’t been easy getting into the community, luckily I just started! ❤

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  12. Great post! I definitely agree that it’s a bit of both: blog hopping is a really fun way to read posts by other bloggers, make new bookish friends and getting inspiration, but it’s true that sometimes it kind of feels like a chore. It’s always fun, but sometimes the time is just not there and then I feel super guilty and like a bad blogger/commenter. But it’s important not to stress about it and know that it’s ok to take a break once in a while. It’s not super necessary to comment on every single post a blogger makes. I try to blog hop about once or twice a week. That’s mostly the same blogs, while trying to visit a few new blogs now and then. I do always try to comment back though, as I feel like the interaction is one of the best parts about blogging 🙂

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    • I know right! I mean, I’m doing it with the best intention there is but still, even doing what you love can feel like a chore 😂😂 me too hahaha which is weird because it’s actually OKAY if we don’t visit or comment on every posts out there 😛 exactly! Meeting new bloggers is one of the best part of being in the community ❤

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  13. This is a very interesting topic! I usually check my WordPress feed daily. About once a week I click some more links. It doesn’t really feel like a chore to me, but sometimes I do get a bit overwhelmed. I would also say it’s both fun and a necessity. Also, this has nothing to do with the topic, but that flower graphic near the top of your post is really stunning!

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  14. I sometimes blog hop, but I’ve never really force certain myself to do it. Sometimes, I just look at someone’s post, and end up hopping around because of “More on WordPress.com” at the bottom. It is a really nice way to find blogs, especially since I’m a newer blogger. 😀

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    • Ahh funny that I almost never pay attention to that ‘More on WordPress’ thing hahaha 😂😂 I usually just click through links mentioned in the post or the commenters. Anywayyy, it’s good that you don’t see it as a chore, I hope you’ll always feel that in the future ❤

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  15. Lovely post Puput! I can’t say that I blog hop much but I do make an effort to find book blogs that I haven’t seen before or visit old favourites. But it can be difficult to keep up, especially as your own blog grows because the list of things you need to do in order to stay afloat never ends. That being said I find that I need to visit other blogs from timmes to time so that I can get inspiration and learn about the latest trends. It’s important to stay relevent to your readers as well as your fellow book bloggers because more often than not they form as part of your community.

    Loved this post – it was really insightful and such a fresh topic
    x

    Nihaad | Read & Seek

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    • Thank you Nihaad! 😀 exactly! Working on my own blog takes more and more time each day so it is getting harder to balance it with blog hopping 😂😂 but yes blog hopping, aside from its benefit, is generally a nice thing to do. Visiting and commenting on someone’s blog could certainly make the bloggers happy ❤

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  16. This is such a wonderful and thoughtful post, I love it, thank you for writing it! I do feel like I struggle with blog hopping a lot at times. On the one end, it feels like something I should do, because I know that if it weren’t for all the blog hopping I did, and still do, my blog wouldn’t be what it is today. Both in terms of followers, views, but also in terms of interations, comments and conversations I have with people I now am able to call my friends. On the other hand, I look forward to blog hopping and reading posts, especially when they’re writing thoughtful discussions just as that one right now that you wrote, or review a book I am curious about. I love reading some blogs, they have incredible writing and it’s just a pleasure to stop by everyday. I have sort of a routine of blog hopping, I do it every day from my WordPress feed and every now and then from the blogs I follow via email ; except when I’m on a break / holidays. It feels overwhelming at times, but also kind of something I “need” to do to keep up with everything and feel part of what’s happening and the community. It’s something I also love, but it gets overwhelming at times. I guess I’m crazy hahaha. Wow, sorry for the endless rambling here! Lovely post ❤

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    • Aww thank you so much Marie! 😀 me too! I feel like through blog hopping I could REALLY be a part of this community, and through it I met so many fabulous book bloggers like you 😛 OMG YES. There are so many great posts out there that I want to read but just like our TBR, it’s so many posts, so little time 😂😂

      I think it’s amazing that you have a routine you’re comfortable with. I personally check my feed everyday but only blog hop every other day so I don’t get bored easily haha no worries!! I got what you were saying perfectly hahaha thank you again! ❤

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  17. I post on Twitter and social media complaining I haven’t hopped, but not because it is a chore. It is a part of my daily routine that I am able to enjoy. So when I don’t get to, it means I am missing the community, not vice versa. Of course that is just me.

    I think this is a very valid topic, because sometimes I see comments or notice things that lead me to believe for some it actually is a chore or task that must be done. That’s pretty sad. I think it is an important part of the community. But let’s face it, if you are not into reading about the things you blog, how interested or passionate are you?

    But do I think you need to put in a certain amount of time. No! You definitely should be “hopping” and visiting when you feel like doing so. that is how the best communication will form. I do not think many of us have “expectations”. We love hearing from one another, but we all have lives. I would be one awful person if I expected regular visits to my site haha.

    Fabulous post! So much food for thought as a blogger. I hope anyone who reads my posts are only doing so out of want and never obligation ❤

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  18. I totally get how a lot of bloggers feel! But I have to admit…I think it can feel kind of rude to always been commenting/supporting a blogger but yet never get any interaction back? Like a lot of blogs don’t email you when a blogger replies to you comments. So that makes it feel like a very one-sided relationship! It’s unfortunate, but it does feel that way. I have a lot of bloggers I love and admire, but after months of only ME talking to them, supporting their art, and commenting on their posts….it starts to feel like I’m just a number. I don’t want to be a number!

    And I honestly think it’s polite to blog hop? I admit that’s like 90% of the reason I do it.😜 I like to blog hop for networking and driving traffic to my blog, AND for making friendships with other bloggers. ❤ But I also think it's just good manners that one someone makes time for you, you therefore make time for them!

    BUT TIME IS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. And also laziness sometimes.🙈🙊 I'm about 100+ comments behind right now and I DO FEEL BAD (which is silly because I shouldn't, I've been busy!) but it does totally get overwhelming. It feels wrong to spend like 2+ hours a day blog hopping and commenting and then not get to read/write posts/chill out. So it's definitely all a conundrum. But at the end of the day I want to blog hop and show my support for others + thank them for supporting me + read their awesome content + make friends!!

    (sorry for my long rambly comment here.😂)
    (And also I LOVE your discussions and how you write them.💕)

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    • That’s what I thought! I mean, I don’t *exactly* blog hop so people would visit back my blog but if I never get any visit return… well, that’s kind of sad and I don’t feel appreciated 😂😂 I know right! Blogging without interacting doesn’t feel like blogging AT ALL. It’s very lonely!

      Also yes aside from all its benefits I think blog hopping is a generally nice thing to do! It shows our support and appreciation for fellow book bloggers 😀 but yes, there are sooo many amazing blogs and posts out there but there will never be enough time, especially considering the number of our TBR and WIP 😂 and I get what you mean, when there are more important things to do, blog hopping is not a priority for me as well.

      No worries!! I love long comments even if it takes longer to absorb and reply hahaha 😛 and Caitttt thank you so much! ❤

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  19. Do you consider using a service like Bloglovin to be “blog hopping”? I’ve never used one of those “big links” posts, though I’ve seen them around, but I am a fanatic about my feeds and commenting now and again. I don’t think it’s a thing I have to do to get people to come to my site, since, I don’t know, I guess I’m more interested in making sure people feel appreciated on their own blogs. Though occasionally I suppose they come through and talk to me on mine, I don’t really consider it an effective method for bringing traffic to my own.

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    • I do! I use it to follow blogs that aren’t wordpress and I scroll through my Bloglovin feed daily hehe ohh really? Ever since I started blogging people keep telling me that the #1 strategy to draw traffic to my blog is to visit other blogs first hahaha 😛 but I agree, blog hopping *is* is a fun thing to do and it shows our support and appreciation for fellow bloggers 😀

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  20. Excellent post and survey questions! I don’t ever feel that blog hopping is a chore or obligation, but something I enjoy. However, I am not methodical about it – I’m not methodical about much, lol. I don’t use big link posts or wrap-up posts, or even Bloglovin, but just my WordPress reader. I do get really overwhelmed, though, from following so many blogs. My reader feed is daunting, but I don’t know how to deal with it because I keep adding and never subtracting blogs to follow. I don’t really care much about getting my own blog out there, I mainly just like reading and discussing. It feels like a lot when you want to find fresh people to follow. But there’s just too many blogs out there! That’s my biggest issue with blog hopping – the sheer number!

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    • Thank you Emily! 😀 ahaha that’s okay, we all have our own preferable method and I’m just an organized person in general 😛 I know right! There are so many amazing blogs and posts out there that I want to read but there’s never enough time, hence I become overwhelmed sometimes 😂😂

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  21. I didn’t reaaaally realise it until you mentioned it, but it’s so true that as my blog grows, I blog-hop less.

    I never think of it as a chore because it’s fun for me, but it does take time! There’s just quite a few more comments and things that I need to take care of for my own blog before I even check other people’s blogs. I think at some point you just have to admit that there’s not enough time for everything and prioritise, though. 😛

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    • I know right!! I feel like each day there are more and more things I need to work on my blog and in consequence I don’t have enough time/energy left for blog hopping 😂😂 exactly! We just have to accept that there’s so many posts, so little time hahaha and of course to not stress over it 😛

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  23. Great post- and topic! I love to blog hop and I agree- it’s both. Great point about when does it become a chore? So far it hasn’t for me yet, not really, but if and when it does that’s when it becomes relevant. Not to mention there’s only so much TIME. My biggest issue is sometimes I feel like I follow so many blogs (and most I really like) that I feel like I can’t possibly get to all of them. You can only do the best you can. And I agree- link ups are awesome. I spend an insane amount of time hopping through Sunday Post and TTT but I feel like so many bloggers are friends now, I don’t mind.

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    • Thank you! 😀 Aww good for you! I hope it’ll NEVER feel like a chore for you hehe but yeahhh, my biggest issues is that I follow so many blogs (not that I’m complaining) but there’s only so little time to visit and comments on all of them 😂😂 I know right!! I love linkups and I wish people host more of them hahaha 😛

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  24. I’m actually pretty bad in that I didn’t even know about blog hopping until recently and I’m five or so months into book blogging. I didn’t understand that blog hopping is an integral part to not just book bloggers, but to bloggers in general. I now know I need to take the time to leave comments or to visit many other blogs in order to meet new people instead of waiting for someone to come find my blog and comment LOL.

    I’ve been doing better in the past month, but I will admit that it does feel like a chore on some days while on others, it’s just pure fun. Because I’ve been slacking on leaving comments lately, I’ve set aside a day for hopping. But if I’m not feeling it that day, I tell myself it’s okay and to just do it when I have the time and when I’m in the mood for it! Talking to fellow bloggers and discovering new blogs shouldn’t feel like a chore, but I do think it’s necessary if you’d like to learn new things and meet new people 😀

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    • Ahh really? I’m the opposite, it was the first thing I picked up when I started my blog hahaha I’ve been doing it to builg my presence AND meet other bloggers 😀 I know right! It IS fun but sometimes when you ‘force’ yourself to do it in spite of your busyness, it does feel like chore 😂😂 me too! I try not to be too hard o myself either. Beside, doing it when you don’t feel like it is just no fun hahaha

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  25. I love this post. I am the worst at blog hopping because I’m usually never on my computer, which means I blog hop mostly on my phone, and sometimes websites have problems or don’t load properly which sucks. BUT I do love it. When I blog hop I discover new books or talk about ones I love with others. The most common way I blog hop is by responding to comments and scrolling through blog lovin.

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    • Thank you Marianne! 😀 ohhh I hate blog hopping from my phone! I do it quite a lot, especially for blogs I find through twitter but I usually don’t comment on them because I just don’t like doing it from my phone 😂😂 so what I do is I go back to those blogs when I’m on the computer haha and yessss I discover a lot of amazing books through blog hopping! 😀

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  26. I don’t do blog hopping often, because TIME obviously, but I love doing it when I do. It’s interesting to see what’s happening/posted around the blogosphere. It can gets overwhelming though, especially during wednesdays, I can read at least 25 TTT post! Reading lists are easy, but after reading 10+ it can get repetitive and overwhelming!
    Btw I tagged you for Who Am I tag on my blog, I hope you’ll check it when you have the time ❤ https://theliteraryhuntress.wordpress.com/2017/01/18/who-am-i/

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    • Oh I KNOOOOWWW time is the biggest issue, isn’t it? hahaha 😂😂 me too, I love to read all the amazing posts and talk to the amazing bloggers out there! I wish I have more time and energy hahaha & I agree! Reading too many lists are tiring especially when the books are pretty similar 😂😂 ahh I didn’t see that but I’m gonna check it out now, thank you! 😀

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  27. Interesting discussion Puput! I blog hop for several reasons- to get to know more people, to drive traffic, etc, etc. PLUS there are also some blogs I visit everyday. Ufff it can get a little tedious sometimes! Great post again 🙂

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  28. I agree that it’s kind of a mixture of “want to” and “need to.” I LOVE visiting other blogs and commenting—especially on discussions—but it definitely gets overwhelming sometimes, especially now that my blog is bigger. Just replying and commenting back (and, for me, reading and commenting on discussions linked up to the challenge) takes up ALL of my blogging energy some weeks. I want to go visit other random blogs too or surf my Bloglovin’ feed, but I can’t always manage to stir up the mental energy. For instance, today I’ve been commenting all morning, and I’m still not caught up. It can get crazy if you let it!

    I LOVE wrap-up posts for this reason. That’s why I started the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up—I love knowing that I can see an overview of what my blogger friends posted that month and see if I missed anything I would have adored!

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    • I totally agree! I feel the same too especially when we follow hundreds of blogs it gets super overwhelming real fast 😂 ahhh but yes I also love blog hopping through your discussion linkups, so many amazing posts! 😀 exactly. I guess sometimes we just need to accept that there’s just not enough time to do everything hahaha ❤

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  30. I don’t if followers, visitors, and comments are necessarily a quid pro quo for following or commenting on another blog. It’s true that I’ve seen if I comment less I get fewer visits and if I have trouble commenting regularly even many of the regular commenters on my blog mysteriously disappear. However, I think blog hopping is more necessary just to get people to realize you exist. If you don’t comment around, there’s not much likelihood anyone will ever find your blog.

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  31. I think blog-hopping is a necessity, if only because the point of my blogging is to connect with other bookworms! I don’t think that’s achievable without first reaching out by commenting on other blogs. I love reading and commenting on blog posts, but I totally know what you mean about it feeling like a chore. I want to leave thoughtful comments, and sometimes mustering the energy to do that is hard!

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    • Exactly! I always feel like, why blog if you don’t blog hop? JUST posting on your own blog without interacting is lonely and frankly, it’s a bit selfish to expect others to visit hahaha 😂😂 I know right!! It does take time and energy that sometimes we just don’t have hahah

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  32. Blog hopping through a discussion about blog blopping! Lol. I agree with the others saying visiting other blogs is also a matter of courtesy. I feel guilty about not visiting enough blogs mostly because I feel people give my blog their time then I should probably return the favor. I don’t feel obligated to comment though, but I do feel like I should at least check out their nook and stay around for digital tea if a post catches my eye! XD

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    • Hahaha blog hopping-ception? 😛 exactly, I definitely think it’s a nice and polite think to do if you’re a part of the community 😀 me too, I used to try to leave comments all the time but it wasn’t fun and I found myself getting bored quickly so now I just comment if I really have something to say 😛

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  34. This is such a great post! I’ve been blogging for a long time. I did a lot of commenting/ blog hopping when I first started getting serious about blogging in 2008. I think it definitely helped my blog grow back then. But then my blog got bigger and bigger and I couldn’t keep up, just like you said. =/ So I stopped hopping around as much as I should have. I probably burnt myself out too. It definitely started to feel like a chore. I took a big step back from blogging when my first son was born and I’m just now really getting back to it. I love visiting other blogs and commenting. I honestly look forward to it. It is hard to balance the small amount of extra time I have each day between reading, blogging, or visiting other blogs. I never feel like I have enough time!

    Thanks for the great post and the link love! 😀

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    • Thank you 😀 ohhh it’s been so long and I’m such a baby blogger in comparison hahaha 😛 but it’s true isn’t it? We got too preoccupied by our own blog and just don’t have the time/energy left to blog hop, which makes me really sad because it’s actually so fun! It’s great that you’re getting back into it and I hope you find your groove soon 😀 no worries! ❤

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  37. I go through phases of blog-hopping a TON and then just … not wanting to. I’ve learned to not force it when I’m not in the mood (because, let’s face it: I’M not getting anything out of it, and neither are ANY of the blogs that I visit when I’m just not in the mood for it). And when I DO feel like blog hopping, I take FULL advantage 🙂

    ~ Michelle @ FaerieFits

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  39. I think most bloggers do it for fun and necessity. But probably more the latter. Think about, everyone has their favourite blogs they frequent and in between that, a few posts that catch their eye. You can tell when people just want to comment and go because they don’t put much thought behind their words, and I feel like that kind of blogging comes from a necessity of sorts and wanting to draw attention/readership to their blog. If no one made made any effort to blog hop, no one would visit their blog and then people wouldn’t visit much and communication would be left to Twitter and such. I think it’s important to leave blog comments and blog hop, but you have to enjoy it at the same time. It shouldn’t be a short like you said!

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  42. When I first started out there were some fun ones I tried to do weekly because there were always over 100 or some odd links, but I’ve noticed in the past few years that those blog hops have gone down drastically. It sucks to see that happen because I feel like I don’t get to see all the newer blogs that have popped up in those couple of years. I’m lazy when it comes to going through my blog feed.

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  46. Those polls were lots of fun to vote in, I loved seeing what everyone else thought and how my opinions fitted in with that. I think I’m generally of the view that as a blogger, I should be blog hopping a little, but I’m just so busy! I use link ups to find interesting posts, it definitely helps me find content easily 🙂

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