Recently, I’d found that I wasn’t visiting as many blogs as I used to. I have a solid group of blogger friends who come by my blog and I visit them back regularly, but I was rarely visiting any other blogs, and I started to feel like my blogging world was getting a bit myopic. Especially since, over time, some of my blogger friends have (sob!) stopped blogging.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT complaining about the folks who hang out with me all the time (I love you all!), but it’s a great big book blogosphere out there, and every once in a while I notice what a tiny sliver I’m interacting with.
So I’ve decided to make an effort to expand my bookish world a little. Here are a few steps I’m taking (each of these on an occasional basis):
- Visit posts that my friends have linked to. This one is pretty much a no-brainer, and I was doing it anyway—I’m just being a bit more intentional about it now. My blogger friends often link up to other bloggers’ posts that they’ve loved. Lots of them pique my interest. The result is obvious: I visit!
- Visit blogs my friends tag. Okay, confession: I’m terrible at following through on tags. I’m getting better (Renee, I have a draft of your tag waiting for me!), but I’m … not great. BUT checking out the people my blogger friends have tagged is a great way to find new blogs. If they’ve tagged them, they probably really like those bloggers, so maybe I will too!
- Visit bloggers who comment on my friends’ posts. If I like Shannon’s posts (for example), and they like Shannon’s posts, there’s a good chance I’d like their posts too, right? Well, there’s only one way to find out!
- Visit bloggers who I follow on Twitter/Instagram. This is something I haven’t done much of yet, but I plan to. I follow some people on social media who I don’t really know well from their blog. Why? Who knows? I usually follow back if a fellow blogger follows me, so that’s one probable reason. Or maybe I followed them for a giveaway or something. Either way, these are other bloggers that I have a connection to, but I don’t really know their blog content. Might as well check them out, right?
- Visit bloggers I don’t know in link-ups. Most of you know that I read every discussion post that’s linked up to the Discussion Challenge and I really try to also get to every monthly wrap-up linked up in the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up. But I often also try to visit random posts linked up to a meme like Top Ten Tuesday or the Sunday Post. It’s a great way to meet new bloggers.
- Visit random bloggers on Bloglovin’/Feedly/Wordpress. I’ll confess that I used to be better about checking my feeds on all these platforms, but when I get busy, I start to forget (or just don’t manage it). I follow a lot of blogs that I don’t visit regularly, so checking out those feeds helps me find posts I otherwise would have missed.
One key point: No pressure.
I find that the best way to actually enjoy more blog-hopping is putting absolutely no pressure on myself. This means I don’t stress over visiting a certain number of blogs. I also don’t comment on every blog I visit or even read a post at every blog I visit. If I head to a blog that doesn’t have content that immediately interests me, I leave. Simple as that. After all, they never knew I was there, so nobody’s feelings are getting hurt.
I also go in with low expectations about reciprocation. Not every new blog I visit is going to turn into a new blogger friend. I might post a comment or two and never see that blogger again (unless I happen across them another time I’m randomly hopping). I have to be just fine with that, or it will turn into a frustration rather than a fun experience.
I try not to go at it with a goal of “gaining followers” or anything else related to stats; it’s just nice to visit new blogs and maybe make some new friends along the way!
And I only do this when I have time. There will be times (maybe even months) where I’m just too busy to do anything more than reply and comment back. I know this, and I can’t let myself get too worked up about it. Sometimes reality sets in, and blog-hopping has to take a backseat to other things. That’s okay.
How do you find new blogs to visit? Do you often visit new blogs or do you have a set of tried and true bloggers that you interact with most of the time? I want to know!
This post has been linked up to the 2019 Book Blog Discussion Challenge.
I don’t visit new-to-me blogs as often as I would like, despite my good intentions. But I do feel like I’ve gotten into something of a rut and need to shake things up by visiting more. When I do, I tend to visit others that have commented on my favorite blogs. I have the same thought process as you… that the common link is a positive sign. 🙂
I go through periods where I don’t visit many new people at all. When you get busy, it’s easy to fall back into that default.
I pick a few new blogs to visit every month. That’s actually how I found your blog recently. You made a comment on one of the other blogs I follow * I don’t remember which one* and I clicked on your name. That’s how I find new blogs to visit each month. I don’t always find new bloggers to follow but sometimes I do. I also find a few bloggers on Twitter.
Proof that it’s a great way to meet new people! 🙂
Before I got my current job, I used to visit new blogs all the time. I love linkups because they help me discover new bloggers. For the past 2 months, I’ve mostly just been visiting my friends because I don’t have time for anything else. Working a zillion hours a week really cuts into my blogging life.
That’s totally understandable. Like I said, I’ve gone through a period where I wasn’t doing it at all either because I just didn’t have the time. Just recently. I’ve been branching out a bit more, but I have no doubts I won’t be able to always do it.
I think you’re coming at this from a wonderful perspective. I follow the same rules, and they’re working beautifully for me.
As far as how often I visit new blogs, I try to visit one new one a day on average. But sometimes that means I find ten interesting ones in one day or don’t do it at all for a week. It’s not something I pressure myself to do at all. It just happens whenever someone shares a link to something interesting.
Yeah, it’s important not to put pressure on yourself or it will just turn into a chore instead of a quest to discover new blogs.
Sometimes I find new people to follow through things like Wyrd and Wonder where we all talk about fantasy for the month. That way its easy to find each others interest right away. If I have time I try to see who I follow on twitter that I don’t have on my feed or I check out one of those follow thread but I don’t always have the time nor do I want to. And I also try and check out others who do the same readathons as I do. For their tbr posts at least and sometimes I see more that I like.
I don’t belong to anything like Wyrd and Wonder, but it sounds like a great place where you could find like-minded bloggers! Readathons are another great place to make new connections.
This is such an interesting discussion! I have noticed that I tend to stay close to a circle of bloggers I always come back to because I am always enjoying their content and they are on my feed,but whenever I have an extra moment, when I’m spotting a link in a blog post that inspires me, or even in the comments of a blog post, someone I’m curious about, I go for it. I always enjoy discovering new bloggers and hopefully making new friends, too, it’s always one of the best parts of blogging for sure 🙂
Yes, it’s easy to get caught up with the people who you always visit and forget about the rest of the blogosphere. I mean, it makes sense in a lot of ways—but it’s also nice to branch out now and again!
Most often I visit blogs who visit me. I occasionally visit blogs when recommended by others I “know”. I do enjoy finding new to me blogs but time often is the reason I can’t visit too many new blogs. Great discussion!
This is what I tend to do too, and I definitely agree that time is a major factor. It’s only periods when I find that I can spare the time (and mental energy) that I do this.
Yes yes yes! I have this too! I find that I’ll be so busy commenting on all the people I follow that I don’t branch out. I now try following links in tags and monthly wrap ups! I’ve discovered some great blogs and posts this way! But I try not too stress about it too much. If I have too many blogs opened my tabs at once I get overwhelmed, so I’m learning to be mindful of how many new blogs I visit in a day.
Yes, and of course, I want to visit the people who come to my blog regularly, so I definitely don’t want to push that aside in favor of visiting new blogs, but it’s nice to sometimes get out there and “see the book blogging world” too, you know? 🙂
I used to do SO many of these, but I confess it is rare now. Sometimes I will see a name on, for example, this particular post’s comment section, and be like “aw crap I haven’t visited Marie in a hot second!” and head over. (True story, tab is open right now hah.) But I really only visit NEW people when I see them around a TON on a friend’s blog or they interact me on some other platform, or come to my blog. Not because I don’t want to, I do! But… time, you know? So I’d rather make sure I am keeping up my existing friendships and such!
I totally get it—I mean, this is basically the position I was in for the past several months. Sometimes we just don’t have time to do any more than that. I just realized that I’d fallen into a bit of a rut, and I really DO have time at this very moment (and, let’s face it, I’m procrastinating my writing), so why not branch out a little? 🙂
I’ve been struggling the past few years with finding time to read and blog, and now that I’m slowly finding some balance again with real life stuff, it’s like starting all over again because most of the bloggers I used to chat with regularly no longer blog. I love your no pressure approach to checking out new blogs; that is definitely the mindset I’m striving for as I get back into the book blogosphere.
Yeah, you have to have that attitude or you’ll start to drive yourself crazy. And I definitely get the fact that lots of bloggers have disappeared over time. I’ll find myself thinking, “Oh, I haven’t heard from so-and-so in a while,” and I’ll go over to their blog and find that the reason I haven’t heard from them is that they stopped blogging three months ago. Happens ALL the time!
I’ve been visiting so many new blogs lately. I’ve been checking link ups and checking the people who comment on the blogs I follow. I’ve found some to follow as well so that’s been great!
That’s awesome!! I feel like I used to do that A LOT, but then at some point I got busy and ended up in this pattern of only having time to reply and comment back to the people who visit me. Sometimes that’s just reality, but I don’t want to get stuck in that spot when I have more time!
I’ve also found that my blogging world is limited. I don’t have time to visit all the blogs I’d like to discover during the school year, but now that I’m off I’m trying to visit more new blogs. I primarily find new blogs through other blogs – if a blogger I like mentions another one or I recognize a name that frequently comments on a blog I like. I also discover new blogs through link-ups or social media.
Yes, those are the best ways to find new blogs—especially when they link to a specific post because then you know you’re going to be interested in the topic right from the start.
This post was such a great read for me right now! Commenting on other people’s blogs and blog-hopping is something that I need to do more of, but it’s also something that can become super overwhelming for me if I let it. I really loved your “No Pressure” tips for that very reason. Thanks for such a lovely post ???
Yes, keeping the pressure off is key, otherwise you’ll just make yourself crazy. I’ve definitely been there! 🙂
I routinely click on comment links I’m curious about and links that bloggers link to. I love the idea to check out followers on Twitter! I need to try that. I’m slowly making a system for myself but it means not posting as much so we’ll have to see what time there is. 😉 Great discussion topic.
Yes, I’ve found tons of posts that I’ve loved by clicking on ones that my friends have linked to. The Twitter thing just occurred to me shortly before I wrote this post. I realized that there are lots of people I follow there who I’ve never checked out in other ways.
On my other post, What’s New?, I wrote that I had created a book blog list that I’m following. Every Friday, I’ll try my best to go through it to see their new blog contents.
That’s a great idea!
This post is making me feel sad that lately I don’t have time to do a lot of blog-hopping – or even to visit my regular blogging friends! I hope that might change soon. My most frequent reason to “hop” is that a blogger I follow to links to someone else’s. Our shared interests create an ever-expanding web of connections.
I know–sometimes we just go through periods where we can’t realistically do a lot of blog-hopping, even if we really want to. It’s a shame, but that’s just the way it is. That’s why the “no pressure” approach is so important; otherwise you can drive yourself crazy!
I’m in a couple Facebook groups so I try and comment on as many of those as I can, and then I try and keep up with my bloggy friends who comment on my blog too. After that, I do like trying to find new blogs here and there. I’ll comment on Top Ten Tuesday posts, or I’ll do what I call “comment hopping” which is what you said above about finding blogs in other blogger’s comments.
-Lauren
I’ll confess that I’m really terrible about keeping up with FB and Goodreads groups—I think those are my worst areas, actually. I always have good intentions when I join, but somehow they get neglected.
I am really bad about checking out new blogs. I have a core group that I visit regularly and a larger group that I visit if a post interests me, but even then I often read a post or two but fail to comment. I would like to get better about this but for me it cuts into what reading time I do have. It is a struggle to find a balance between reading, reviewing, writing posts and reading and commenting on other blogs.
It’s really easy to sort of get set in your ways and then forget to venture new places. And time is definitely an issue. That’s why I try to take the no pressure approach so I don’t drive myself crazy.
I have started included links to other people’s discussions, because I have found so many new lovely bloggers to visit that way. I used to link up my meme posts, but I couldn’t keep up with trying to visit everyone on the Linky, though I still attempt it for the discussion post, because those are usually fun to be a part of. I mean click those links I see on Twitter, but forget to do so when I get home. It is fun to go and check out some new bloggers every now and again.
Yeah, I don’t even attempt to visit every single person who links up to TTT or the Sunday Post. I’d never have time for anything else!
-“Renee, I have a draft of your tag waiting for me!” There’s no pressure 😉
I have a few blogs that I visit on occasion, but I’m working on making myself a list so that I can get better about it.
My blog is still somewhat new, so I rely on challenges like yours to help find new blogs.
Actually, believe it or not, I now have a completed draft of your tag done. I just need to decide who to tag and which day to schedule it for! 🙂
I do it a fair bit, I regularly go through my WP feed and follow up (it’s how I got here today) but I also use many of the methods that you outlined to find new bloggers. Sometimes I’ll google a title I enjoyed + book review and see what comes up, I’ve found some bloggers I likely wouldn’t have stumbled across in my usual circles that way.
I tend to do my blog hopping at night while watching tv since I find its a task that doesn’t require a lot of concentration. Sometimes I’ll just ‘like’ the post if that is an option, but I try to leave a minimum of five comments a night, particularly on posts which have none, as a way of acknowledgement and encouragement. I always return visits, mainly because I think it’s polite to do so.
I often blog-hop while watching TV too. It’s a good way to multi-task! And I used to regularly visit the blogs on my feed, but when things get busy I find myself sliding into the pattern of just replying and commenting back to the people who’ve already visited me. It’s mostly a time issue, but then it starts to morph into habit (which I need to break).
A lot of times I just find people through the linkups on Top Ten Tuesday. But then I’m often visiting the same people every week. I need to click on more random people. I’m trying to follow more people on Bloglovin’ so I know who to visit when it’s not Tuesday.
Yes, you can even get in a rut when you have a strategy—sometimes you have to mix things up a bit. 🙂
Very occasionally, I will see someone who comments a lot on my friends’ blog posts and I will think, “I like this person and their viewpoints,” and then I will click over to check them out. Considering how behind on blog reading I normally get, this kind of thing does not happen a lot! But that’s mainly how I find new people to follow.
That’s the problem, right? Even when we have the best of intentions, it’s impossible to keep up with everything—and finding new blogs to follow just ends up getting pushed to the lowest priority naturally. That’s why I have to make sure to keep it all very lowkey (and low-expectations) or I’d drive myself crazy.
Feedly has become my main focus when commenting and blog hopping. Of course, like you, I make sure to comment back on blogs of those who have left comments for me. But Feedly is such a great way to stay organized. I love that you can create lists. I have MANY! And I organize the blogs there in order of my personal favorites, so when I’m low on time to blog hop, I know which lists I want to focus in on. I also make sure to comment on all the links in linkups or facebook group posts that I take part in.
I really love your point of not putting too much pressure on yourself. That’s definitely key. I used to bend over backward to comment on EVERY blog post from the people I have in my feedly lists… Now I skim to see which headlines I’m interested in, and I spend my time reading and commenting on those posts that catch my eye.
Yes, I used to do that too, and it got overwhelming. At some point, you have to let those unrealistic expectations go or you’ll drive yourself crazy.
Before I started helping take of my Grandma even more than I previously did, I’d always search out new blogs a few times a month. I’d click on new to me ones through Top Ten Tuesday link ups and your monthly post link ups. In the last 4 to 5 months I’ve been awful about that because I’ve been helping out with my Grandma so much. Now I just make sure to visit the new ones who visit us. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back into my routine someday.
I hope things get easier for you as far as caring for your grandma is concerned. There are definitely periods where you just can’t do more than the minimum, and that’s okay. We all go through it!
Thank you so much *hugs*. It’s definitely been that way and even started affecting my reading. But I was just able to pick up a book a few nights ago and I have missed reading so much. It’s been weeks. Can’t wait to catch up on blogging too. ♥
Glad you’ve gotten back to it!!
This is a really good question! So far, I’ve tried to follow the general rules. But it’s been difficult lately and I haven’t reciprocated as much as I wanted to (which I feel awful about). But when a post catches my eye on Twitter, I really push myself to go and comment, even if I don’t know the blog and blogger. Nothing has to come from that, as you said, but I figure everybody appreciates comments. And I like it best to write comments when I really have something to add 🙂
Time is always limited, of course. And I think we all realize that when we visit each other. This is just one way to really enjoy the blogosphere as much as we can. 🙂
I like your suggestions and they’re ones I follow myself but I find that time is always the limiting factor. Some weeks it’s all I can do to visit my favs/regular blogs and return comments from my posts… But as you say, if you go into it with no pressure and no expectations (return comments, subscribers etc) then it’s fun.
Yes, exactly. No pressure is key. Otherwise it just ends up being frustrating.
I tried to set goals for visiting new blogs, but that backfired. Instead I try to click on links when you link to other blogs, or when I find them on things like Wednesday posts, etc. I love meeting new bloggers, so like when I do! Fun post!
Yeah, too many goals can just bring frustration instead of progress. That’s why I have to stick to the no pressure approach.
I actually find this so hard to do! I do have a list of blogger friends who I love and I try to follow their blogs regularly and always read their blogs first and foremost when hopping. Then I try to hop on people’s blogs who comment on mine. But… after that my hoppping time is usually up :/
I definitely understand. You can see how behind I am on comments—it’s impossible to keep up with everything AND visit new people. I do like to make it a priority sometimes though!
Oh, I really like this post as a friendly reminder that we’re not obligated to always comment and read other people’s posts, and they’re also not always obligated to comment back. <3 Also I definitely feel like there can be pressure to comment on a lot of posts so that we are seen in other places and interaction etc, but it can be so tiring! Loved this post.
Yes, if you put too much pressure on yourself, you’re pretty much destined to fail. Going in with a healthy attitude of enjoying your interactions with another blogger and enjoying their content is much better, in my opinion!
When I have free time, I hop around blogs here there and everywhere! (And I recommend you check out #DiverseBookBloggers on Twitter – so many awesome people!)
But lately I’ve barely had time to comment-back (you may or may not have noticed how late I’ve been with doing this!) so I’m prioritising the people on my ‘comment-back list’ (it’s literally a word document where I write the names of people who’ve commented on my blog!) and that’ll have to be good enough! <3
I will definitely check out that Twitter tag—sounds like a great place to find new bloggers to follow!!
Honestly, I agree with everything you said. I don’t have much to add! I’ve been on a hiatus so I haven’t been doing any blog hopping in the last year – today is my first day back! BUT when I did do it regularly, I just took my time, browsed, and didn’t put any expectations on it. I will say the only thing I do differently is that I TRY to set aside one day per week to blog hop. If I don’t, I actually do get a bit stressed that I’ve missed some good posts from other people haha. So I try to just set aside even one hour (it usually ends up being way more) to check out as many blogs as I can 🙂
Well thanks for visiting me on your first day back! I’m definitely honored. 🙂
[…] Nicole of Feed Your Fiction asks: How Often Do You “Randomly” Visit New Blogs? […]
FANTASTIC topic, Nicole. I feel like I visit new blogs like I used to, but it isn’t because I don’t want to. It’s more that I don’t made or have the time. Seeing how this blog world has changed does make me sad because SO many of the people I used to have great conversations with (on their blogs as well as mine) are no longer blogging. That said, I know there are still lots of bloggers out there who I would enjoy “meeting.” Just have to find their online blog spaces. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
It is very sad to see so many bloggers disappear. I miss so many of them!
I love this post, Nicole! I never thought much into my random visits to blogs. I think it’s called blog hopping? Anyway, I love link ups as it does allow me to find more bloggers but I haven’t thought about looking at a post’s comments for that purpose. That’s very interesting. I’ll do give it a try.
Yes, I find comments a great place to find new bloggers!
Honestly, I start with fellow challenge or blog hop participants. Sometimes I find a blogger that either thinks the same way I do, or who opens my mind to something completely new.
Then, I start by visiting those compassionate bloggers who have read and commented on my posts. But, sometimes I forget to check back. So, I decided to start subscribing to their blogs (why I didn’t do this earlier I don’t know).
Those are great ways to find blogs to love. I especially love it when a blogger posts something that opens my mind to something new—that’s one of the benefits of blogging!!
[…] Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction wonders how often do you “randomly” visit new blogs. […]
These are some great strategies. I used to make more of an effort to find new blogs to follow, but I think I have reached my saturation point, i.e. I don’t think I can keep up with anymore. But I like your no-stress approach to leaving one off comments on posts that catch your eye. I think I could do that more often.
Oh, I definitely hear you on keeping up. It can seem almost impossible sometimes!! The ONLY way I can make random blog-hopping work for me is if I keep it completely guilt-free and no expectations. I even have to be okay with falling behind in other areas (that can be hard!!!).
[…] couple weeks ago Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction wrote about How Often Do You “Randomly” Visit New Blogs? And in there she suggests visiting those who follow you of Instagram or Twitter. So I’ve been […]
I’ve stopped using Bloglovin’ because they post my whole review on their site and I want people to visit my site, not theirs. I wish I could delete my profile there. But I visit lots and lots and lots of blogs, through WP notifications and emails, and also now more on Twitter. I use Instagram, but I don’t like that it is part of Facebook which has decided the URL to my blog is abusive or spam or something and they don’t let me use it on my FB posts or my Instagram profile. Very frustrating. I’m getting close to closing down my FB page for my blog and my Instagram account.
Sorry you’ve had so many problems with your social media accounts and Bloglovin’! I know there’s been some controversy with the way Bloglovin’ displays posts, but I haven’t seen any direct negative impact, and I’m not as focused on numbers as I used to be, so I haven’t adjusted anything. I find Bloglovin’ easy to use and helpful so it’s worth it to me. But I can definitely understand why some people don’t feel that way.
This is a really great point! I’m glad you found my blog soon after, and I found you through your comments as well ?
It’s a great way to get out into the blogosphere more and find new blogs!