How Blog Hops Keep the A-Z Spirit Alive Year-Round
Participants of the annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge are well aware of the April Rush, followed by the post-April Sigh of Relief. Along with that relief though, how many of us hear that little voice in the back of our minds, asking, “OK, now what?”
For me, the answer is blog hops, those online networking events where bloggers collaborate to promote each other’s blogs through shared themes or topics. The A to Z, according to the organizers, is “first and foremost a blog hop” itself.
Many blogs go quiet after April. Blog hops are just what we need to keep our blog alive between Aprils. These small weekly, or monthly, sparks are like small creative appointments, giving structure, a reason to show up. You keep your writing muscles warm and your blog remains visible year-round. When April rolls around again it feels less overwhelming! In addition, blog hops can be a great starting point to help new bloggers find their footing.
Participating in blog hops keeps the momentum going. They keep us motivated to continue writing beyond April, and keep us connected to other bloggers, bringing us a sense of community. You may even make friends! Some will remain online friends, others may become pen pals (or email pals), or even real-life friends.
There is bound to be a blog hop, or several, to interest you. A short list of the basic types are:
- themed hops
- niche hops
- photography hops
- writing prompts, prose and poetry
- open-topic hops
- community-building hops
I enjoy the weekly niche hops of Sunday Stamps and Thursday Postcard Hunt, which align to my collecting and bring me hours of engagement through research.
Photographers may enjoy sharing photos of the sky on Fridays at Skywatch Friday, where dozens of sky shots are shared from around the world, or a photo in black and white for The Weekend in Black and White. Writers get inspiration from word prompts for prose or poetry. You’ll never be at a loss for words to write with blog hops, even 13 words is enough for Thursday Thirteen! Weekly too often? Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is a monthly hop to share what’s in your garden mid-month.
You may find yourself so caught up in blog hopping you want to host your own. I do! I inherited Shadow Shot Sunday (simply a photo of a shadow) from the previous host.
There’s a hop for every interest, so joining one might be the thing that keeps your blog alive between Aprils.
I was introduced to one of your two blogs through A to Z several years ago, and I have read it ever since. All my blog posts at this time are written for blog hops., and I find the participation rewarding I heartily recommend these hops.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was you who introduced me via your blog to the A to Z Challenge!
DeleteLove this! When I had a self-hosted blog platform I had support for mobile posts, moblogging it was called. I could take a picture, email it a pre-defined email address, and it would land on my blog. I did a bit of this. Miss it. Maybe I'll get my blog back on the cloud ... soon. Always soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm finally getting here to read this. I enjoy blog hops too and have hosted one for. many years. I inherited it from someone who no longer blogs and its a fun community. (The Wednesday Hodgepodge). I like to have a mix of my own random thoughts and then hops that inspire writing too. I'm so glad to see your post here.
ReplyDeleteI've visited your blog, but didn't know you hosted The Wednesday Hodgepodge. I sometimes post a Wordless Wednesday, but don't link it anywhere, so I'll have to check out your hop. It looks like you have a lot of participants, many familiar ones!
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