Blog Hops and Special Events - What are Your Favorites? - Are they worth the effort? Love em' or hate em'?

[Lynda Coker]

Most blog owners love to participate in a few yearly Hops or Special Events. Please share you thoughts on any of the points below.

• Can you tell us the top events you look forward to each year?
• What makes these stand out for you?
  
• How does your blog benefit?
  
• Would you rather host or just participate in such events?
• How would you score the effort verses reward factor of hosting such events?
• As a participant, are they enjoyable and worth your time?
• Do you think there are too few, or too many of these events yearly?
• Have you ever hosted such an event, or would you like to in the future
• Any other thoughts you would like to share?
• Do you like events to be international in scope, or smaller?
• 
  

Blogmania Central - NEXT BLOGMANIA EVENT - SEPTEMBER 15th and 16th.

[Book Calendar]

There are also reading challenges. This is the library reading challenge. I like it because it seems almost silly. Come into the library and read as many books as you can.... http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-support-your-local-library-reading.html

[Amanda Markham]

Most bloggers seem to like these challenges more, too. You only have to look at the number of challenges and the number of badges on sites as evidence.

[Amy]

**How would you score the effort verses the reward factor of hosting such events?

I organize Book Blogger Appreciation Week (hope you will all consider participating this year! http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com) and have at times been accused of doing it for the links to my blog. I don't actually host it at my site as you can see, and the sheer number of hours it takes vs. increased readership makes this claim laughable to me.

I do it b/c I love book bloggers and I hope to raise our profile on the internet and in the publishing industry. I think most events of blogging are a labor of love.

I think blogging events are fabulous ways to get to know other bloggers and to help other bloggers know you!

[Lynda Coker]

These are some great suggestions, Doreen, Book Calendar, and Amy. Thanks for posting them.

Amy, I know how much work you're talking about when hosting a web event. Blogmania is like a full-time job, and if I didn't have the fantastic co-hosts and coordinators (Gina and Krystal) that I do, it would not be the great event that it is. As to the rewards, You've got to do something like this because you love it and want to help blogs, as a whole, get the recognition they deserve for the community service, entertainment, and wonderful content they continually provide.

Thanks Ladies, for you comments,

[Nicole]

I have to chime in and agree with Amy. Planning and coordinating some of the bigger blog activities and even the little ones are an enormous undertaking, and the reward in terms of gain for your own blog or amount of followers or whatever the perception is of what benefit people think that you come away with, would be miniscule if it were not for the love and belief in what you are doing. I volunteered to help with Book Blogger Appreciation week last year and even the small role that I played was an enormous amount of work. I have taken on an expanded role this year and I have yet to be overrun with new readers and subscribers to my blog.

I agree with Amy that getting to know other book bloggers and building those relationships has been the most fun and the best part of any involvement that I have had with the community.

[Julie Smith]

Actually, I'm planning to participate in your event, if I can ever do my post and the follow up! I know that just blogging and reviewing takes a lot of work, so I appreciate the amount of effort it takes to host an event! (It gives me the shudders just to THINK of all of the work that it entails!)

Julie @ Knitting and Sundries

[Amanda Markham]

Hi Lynda,

I generally DON'T participate in Blog Carnivals or Blog Hops. There's a few reasons:

-I am not sure what benefit these things are to bloggers
-Many don't interest me (e.g: Bloggiesta... if you're serious about blogging you should be making your blog the best it can be all the time not just one day every six months!)
-I never know when they are on
-Giveaways/author tours are not open to those outside the US. This REALLY REALLY ticks me off. So what if the book's not out in Australia yet? Promotion is promotion, right?

I participate in weekly memes like the Book Blogger Hop (note: I class this as a MEME not a periodic carnival or hop event) because these actually grow and promote my blog. I've kept detailed stats of WHICH memes attract the most participants and which ones convert to regular readership.

If I could be convinced that these things benefited me and were international friendly, then I'd think about it.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

I joined a blog hop once, visited about thirty new blogs that day, and found only one that interested me at all. But then I discovered that the blogger behind it doesn't respond to comments her readers leave--a kind of red flag for me--and so I eventually stopped visiting her blog.

As for myself, I got about seven new "followers" who, as far as I could tell, haven't shown up to read my blog since that day! I think they added me just so I would know who they were and read their blogs, which is kind of rude. Anyway, that hop wasn't an awfully negative experience for me or anything, but it was pretty useless.

(Most of the blogs I read and love, I found through this forum or through combox discussions on blogs I already knew. That works for me, so I stick to it.)

[Lynda Coker]

JMJ,
Thanks for adding to our discussion. I'm one of those bloggers who find it hard to respond to all the comments. But I'm always trying to do better. It amazed me that the followers I picked up after the April 30th Blogmania event all stayed with me. I didn't require a follow in order to win the giveaway, but over 250 followed anyway. I was blown away. What has been really nice to see is that my returning visitor stats have tripled since that event, so i know that a few of those new followers are also loyal readers. LOVE THAT!

Since I don't accept paid advertisements, I don't have too much trouble keeping my sidebars on the simple side, which I like. I blog about what I like, and read other blogs for the same reason. It's impossible to keep up with everything, but mostly I just love interacting with bloggers. They are some of the most innovative thinkers. They have strong opinions and the courage to voice them, and, for the most part, are the sweetest, most helpful group of people on the planet.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Hi, Lynda!

Two hundred and fifty followers after one event??? And some of them have turned out to be loyal readers, too? Wow! You're definitely doing something right--and I didn't mean my first comment to be a downer for those who do get something out of blog hops and events--so more power to you! =)

As for the not responding to comments bit . . . I've had occasion to visit your blog several times since I started my own, and you have always responded to my comments. =) I do understand that bloggers who get scads of comments at a time simply can't respond to each one, but the blog I visited got only about three or four per post, so I wondered at her refusal to engage her readers. Like you, I think the interaction is the best part--especially when I find someone I can have real rapport with--and I don't seem to get that on hops and such.

[Jillian Raymundo]

While most that visit me from the hop probably don't even come back to my blog, I have found select few that have become my 'blogger friends.' Like I said though, there are select few.

Blog hops are good for traffic; period. For 'real' followers and readers, however, it's rare.. but it happens.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

I just realised that there is a weekly blog event I do occasionally join: the Wednesday Book Review Party hosted at http://cymlowell.blogspot.com.

I didn't immediately remember it because I was thinking exclusively of self-described "hops." *facepalm*

Even though I don't get a lot of new readers when I join, I do get a chance to win an Amazon gift certificate! So, yeah, I'm in it mostly for the free stuff (and the occasional great recommendation); but since the host seems okay with that as long as all participants link back, I don't feel guilty about my self-serving motives! ;-)