What is a Blog Hop and Could it Bring More Readers to Your Blog? Top Tips for Successful Blog Hopping!

If you’re running your own blog, chances are high you’ve come across something called a blog hop. Bloggers are generally a friendly bunch who knows the benefits of networking, socialising and eventually building links to their sites. And they all want more visitors to their own blogs. A Bloghop is a way to make all of this easier!

In a nutshell, a bloghop is simply a list of links to blogs that is shared across multiple blogs. This list is sometimes called a Linky list or Linky tool. The blog readers can click on the links and ‘hop’ from one blog to the next until they’ve visited all the blogs in the list.

Blog hops are usually organised around a theme or subject, and there is a theme to suit every blog. Some examples include photo, parenting and pet blog hops.

Hosting the Blog hop

One of the blogs will act as the host of the bloghop and features a ‘linky tool, or linky list’. You can see a typical example of a blog hop linky list featuring 31 blogs on the right.

Each participant of the bloghop simply adds the URL and thumbnail they want featured in the hop to the list, and the thumbnail and link become visible in the list across all the participating blogs immediately. The host can moderate the list to remove any inappropriate content.

Add the Linky Code to your Blog

If the participants want to feature the linky list on their blog, they can also pick up the ‘code’ for the blog hop to feature the list on their own blogs, although this is not strictly necessary to join the hop. The video on the right, show how to add the linky code to your blog step by step.

The Blog Hop Button
Most blog hops will also have a logo, or a button that the host wants each participant to feature on their blogs when they join the hop. This is usually a jpeg with a a snippet of html code attached to it so that when someone clicks on it, they are taken back to the host’s original blog post.

If you don’t know how to add html code to your blog, or if your blogging platform won’t allow it, then a simple text link to the blog hop host is usually enough.

Every bloghop has their own set of instructions, so make sure you read them carefully - some may request you comment or visit certain Blog Hop entries or the host.

• Its fun and you’ll make new friends
• You will discover new blogs in your area of expertise.
• You will promote your own blog and gain new readers.
• But beware of spending too much time blog hopping!

• Visit the other blogs in the list and leave a comment letting the other blogger know how you found them.
• Leave a personal message, not just a quick hello - we all love getting positive feedback on our work!
• Stay in touch! Add your favourite blogs to your RSS reader, or add them to your blogroll.
• Always try to include the Linky tool, or the blog hop button. This helps promote the hop and you’re adding value to your readers by supplying links to other interesting blogs.

If you have an established blog and a good idea for a bloghop then starting your own bloghop could be a good idea. It can generate valuable incoming links as well drive traffic to your blog. It can sometimes be hard to get a new hop off the ground though, so if you already know some other blogs on the same topic as yours then why not join forces and host it together?

Bear in mind it can be a time consuming task - as the host you’re expected to visit all the blogs in the blog hop, and you will need to post every week (or however often your blog hop will take place).
The Linky tool will cost an initial fee to set up and as the host you’re expected to cover this cost from your own pocket.

Bloghops are usually a weekly affair and there is a blog hop to suit most topics. Here 's a list to get you started!

• Monday Mischief - The Pet Blog Hop that wraps up the weekend!
• Monday Meals - Chat about your meal plans for the week!
• Blog it forward Tuesday - A blog hop where they hope you will also go a step further to do something nice for another blogger. Just another way to meet new blogging friends.
• Terrific Tuesday Bloghop - The bloghop that helps you increase the your Twitter followers
• Best of the Blogosphere - Share your favourite reads.
• Wordless Wednesday Bloghop for humans & for pets
  
• Thrifty Thursday - Crafty Bloghop with style
• Boost My Blog Friday - the clue is in the name...
• Fashion and Friends - Saturday Bloghop
• Social Sunday - Find new Blogging friends and Socialise
• Book Blogger Hop - If you love books, you'll love this!

Good Luck and Happy blog Hopping!

This article was written by Linda Bliss. I am earning money online by writing here at HubPages.com. Would you like to earn money online too? Read the success stories and sign up today to get started!