Interaction is, for me, one of the biggest parts of book blogging and of being part of the book blogging community. Despite being content creators, putting ourselves out there with content we spend hours working on, lists we spend hours researching for and so on… well, for me, you’re not truly part of something unless you actually take part in it.
It’s a silly business, especially if you’re crippled with anxiety, realizing that the book blogging community never really ends, because when you think you’ve already seen thousand of millions of bloggers everywhere, there are just more people. It can be beautiful, yet it can also be, in more than one way, kind of terrifying and, let’s face it, we’re not here to be scared. We’re here to have fun and scream about books, not sweat in front of our computers while interacting with the community.
Spoiler alert: I’m sweating right now writing this. No one’s perfect.
Yet, for me, it’s so, so important to build relationships, for many reasons. There’s one obvious, selfish reason that everyone will most likely approve of: if you want to grow your blog, this is the way to go. Yet, there are also other reasons that make me, yes, even happier than numbers and a lovely spike in my blogging statistics: friendships. People I can scream to when I finished reading We Set the Dark On Fire because this was TOO GOOD, people I can go to for so many other things, too. This all happened because of books and because I interacted with the book blogging community, too.
☂️ Related blog post: Why I blog hop and why I think you should, too.
There are many ways to interact with the book blogging community, as we are not developing solely on one platfom and giving our bookish love away on one single type of post, either.
We’re on twitter, instagram, pinterest, wordpress, blogspot, goodreads, other book blogging platforms I might forget at the moment. We’re everywhere – well, some of us are, I’m not because I just can’t, if you’re everywhere, tell me HOW?!. There are so many ways to interact with the book blogging community, in comments, in tweets, in messages.
Honestly, I find it overwhelming and stressful, at times.
The only place I really find myself interacting a lot – well, the most, really – is book blogs and, for this, I feel like I am sort of an old soul.
I’ve noticed that, if a tweet for a blog post might get shared hundreds of times on twitter and commented on a little bit, the comments directly on said blog post might not be just as strong, too.
Twitter is easy, for sure and, despite its many drawbacks and dramas, it’s also very convenient, somehow. You can retweet a blog post you appreciated so easily, you can leave a small comment on a tweet, you can interact with someone so quickly on something they say, too. It’s immediate, it’s instantaneous, it feels like you’re really chatting directly, too, in a way and in constant connection with the community and… isn’t that what I talked about earlier? You’re not truly part of something unless you take part in it?
☂️ Related blog post: Is book blogging still relevant?
Maybe I said that. Maybe, like I said just before, there are many ways to interact with the community and we’re not all at ease with all of these ways.
I’m talking about twitter, because it’s the social media I’m the most familiar with, yet it also gives me anxiety and that not-good-enough-check-your-tweet-a-gazillion-times, do not comment on that tweet because anxiety and so on. I could be talking about instagram, for those of you on this social media, goodreads if you’re fond of it (I personally keep on forgetting to update my books there, why, brain, why) or blog-hopping and so on.
My kind of interaction with the book blogging community is blog hopping and commenting. I love “old school” comments. I’m calling them “old school” because they seem a little passed, somehow, as in they still happen, don’t get me wrong, but also so many things happen on social media, they’re a little less fruitful as before. It feels less pressuring, it feels less instantaneous than social media and having to be everywhere all at once, answering your notifications, mentions and so on. It feels more relaxed for me and, I don’t know, I love showing my appreciation for a blog post and a blogger’s work this way too, with comments. I also feel way less anxious/shy about leaving a comment on a blog than tweeting someone. Or just tweeting on my own, too.
Yet, no matter what your favorite kind or way of interacting is, there is always the pressure that goes with it.
The pressure to be everywhere all at once. To interact all the time, to feel part of the loop, to know what happened, what book are we talking about, not to miss something big, small, medium, to just, be there. I know that pressure, I feel that pressure every day, I sometimes even feel that pressure squeezing around my chest even when my body tells me to lie down, Marie, you’re f*cking sick you don’t need to see what you’ve missed, the world’s still turning okay.
I love interacting with other bloggers. I love being part of the community, but I also need that tiny reminder from myself (okay, from my sister screaming at me) that if interacting is amazing, it’s also exhausting and it’s okay to take breaks from it, too. I can chat and support book bloggers when I’m feeling healthy, less anxious, totally up to it, too.
Okay so this turned out to be a little more personal than I expected it to, but… well, I hope you liked my rambles. I’m really, really curious to hear about your ways of interacting with the blogging community, friends, so please let me know your thoughts in comments!
How do you like to interact with the book blogging community best?
Do you find yourself interacting more on social media (twitter, instagram, goodreads, etc..?) or on book blogs, via comments? Do you find it easier to interact in one of these places or in others? What do you prefer in each of these?
Do you also need breaks from interacting, at times? I would really love to know your thoughts on the topic, so feel free to leave your thoughts in comments!
I’m new at this, but I have to say I really enjoy the comments way of doing things; I feel like it gives me an opportunity to go more in depth about what I think, and somehow (even if that’s not true) I feel like it gives me more time to think about what I’d like to say 🙂
I’m glad to hear this, I feel the same way! Somehow I feel less, rushed, when I’m leaving comments and I also love to rant a whole lot, so I’m happy when I don’t have a word-limitation of some kind ?
Thank you so much for your comment!! ?
I just like and share on Twitter. I mainly interect through blog and then Instagram. I’m moody reader and also a moody conversationalist so yes sometimes I just read post and avoid writing comments and sometimes I write generic comments to show my interest and sometime I write like I just did now. But most of the time I show the love and appreciation for efforts all bloggers make to publish a content.
Oh I get that, I feel like interacting is something you really have to be in the mood for, too, because it can be overwhelming and draining at times, too. I think it’s so amazing that you are already taking so much time to share and like and show appreciation to other bloggers, this is so important and makes me and, I’m sure, so many other bloggers so happy ?
Thank you so much for your comment! ?
You’re welcome! ♥️
Interesting discussion, Marie! I love how you tackle anxiety and how it’s a big factor in how/if we interact.
I personally love twitter and try to interact there when I want to make a more direct connection. But for bigger topics I like to comment on blog posts too, and I have so many lovely conversations that way. But I still prefer twitter because it feels less like a two-way monologue and I can express myself with memes and emojis too and it takes away some of the anxiety that I get when commenting on blog posts.
Oh thank you so much, Silvia, so happy you enjoyed it! ? It’s funny, I feel like it’s the contrary for me: communicating on twitter gives me more anxiety than leaving a comment on a blog post somehow, ahah. But yes, I agree with you about twitter being… wider, somehow, because you can have bigger conversations with more people that way, too, for sure 🙂
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts! ?
First, blogging is all about interaction. If a person doesn’t like to interact with people, they shouldn’t be blogging.
I see some blog where the comments section is always closed. Theses blogs have no interaction and honestly, there is no connection. It is simply a faceless blog. You feel no compassion, delight, or friednship with these people.
I don’t blog everyday. And I find that is a good way to get away and relax from the stress of blogging, I get plenty of comments on my blog, ands sometimes it is hard to keep up with them, but I make sure to reply to each and every one even if I am late with my response.
Blogging is part of the socail media spectrum. Key word being social. Bloggers always ask me how to build a blog and following. Be social..
I think everyone has their own way and own ideas of blogging, but for me, I’m with you, I’m all for the interaction and I love it so much 🙂
I think it’s amazing to take time to answer to all of your comments and take time to interact, this is so, so important to me, too. Like you perfectly said,yes, it’s so important to be social and chat with others to grow… and to have more fun, too 😀
Thank you so much for your comment! ?
My pleasure. It was interesting to read your thoughts.
I like leaving comments! Social media is overwhelming sometimes because I have to scroll past people’s drama to see interesting posts. It gets exhausting. I also like leaving comments because a lot of people (including me) have ads on their blog. We get paid for pageviews. I want to help my friends by contributing to their views.
I agree, social media can be a little exhausting, at times. And yes, this is such a good argument, actually and it’s so sweet of you to do that and support bloggers this way, too. You’re awesome <3
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts! ?
Great post! I know what you mean about Twitter – I love to use Twitter to interact with other writers, but I find it a little too busy to try and keep up with other bloggers. Like you, I’d much rather just leave a comment on a blog post – I know I feel all warm and fuzzy if someone takes the time to leave a comment on my blog post, so if I’m going to interact with someone I’d rather do it that way, too.
I tend to get kind of anxious about interacting with people online generally. I’d love to build more friendships with other bloggers and more general book lovers online, but I often feel like I’m just being annoying if I get involved in a conversation? Plus I’m rarely on top of new releases, so while a group of bloggers might be yelling over a new release, by the time
Sorry! My finger slipped and somehow I posted my comment before I’d finished it…
Anyway, by the time I read a new release I feel as though the conversation’s already died down. I’m also quite a critical reader – I enjoy reading that way and holding characters up to a microscope and being critical – so I also worry that if I join a conversation I’m just going to be a Debbie Downer. It’s no one else’s fault but my own, but this year I’d definitely like to push myself to get even more involved with the online book community! 🙂
Twitter is great to interact quickly with people and it is fun, too, but sometimes it’s hard to keep up and, to me, it feels a little more overwhelming somehow. I also get this warm and fuzzy, happy feeling whenever I get a comment, way more than I do for twitter, because somehow it feels more… rewarding and personal, too? I don’t know, I love it ?
I think it is so great to be a critical reader, there are so many details and interesting things you could bring to a conversation! Obviously with respect for others’ opinions and everything, there is absolutely no reason you can’t get more involved with the community! I really hope you’ll get to do more and, most importantly, that you will have a LOT of fun doing it 🙂
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment and sharing your thoughts, this means so much ?
What a great post! I’m also an “old soul” type of person, and I really love old-school comments. As someone who writes YA, I look at the Twitter community for that sphere and just see loads of drama and dragging. I know tons of good stuff happens there too, but I just don’t feel pulled to participate because the risk-reward for having any sort of “controversial” opinion seems unbalanced. So even though a lot of people say it’s bad practice, I only post things on Goodreads and my blog at the moment–that’s just what I’ve decided works for me right now. At least one good thing about using only a few social media platforms is that you’re not pulled in too many different directions!
I don’t think that it’s bad practice to post on goodreads and your blog, I think what matters is that you’re focusing on the places you’re the most at ease and enjoying yourself the most, too 🙂 And yes definitely! Using too many social media can feel a little overwhelming, I know I would never keep up and… well I’ll get even more stressed and everything ?
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, Katie ?
I definitely also fall into the old soul category because I like commenting directly on someone’s blog the best. I am not great about doing it all of the time, and I certainly have taken some breaks lately, but I enjoy engaging with people through their blog posts. I also feel like a dinosaur because…I don’t really understand Twitter. It kind of confuses me, so I don’t really interact with people there all that much. For social media, I am much more likely to interact with people over on Instagram. But blog commenting will always be my favorite. Sorry for the rambling comment!!
Oh never apologize for leaving a rambling comment, I LOVE THEM ?
I’m happy you love comments, too, they’re my favorites! I am not using bookstagram, therefore not really interacting there, but it seems like a great place, too. I’m so happy to hear comments are still your favorites though, yay ?
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! ?
Great discussion. I’m pretty old school to and I mostly interact with bloggers through their blog by commenting. I like being able to write more if I want, and while I’m on social media, I don’t necessarily have “conversations” per se. I think it’s a bit more difficult. I use social media more for spreading the word about something, or just random thoughts or something. It’s fun, but I’m all about blogs when it comes to really getting to know someone and that’s how I like to interact with someone the most!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Thank you so much, Lauren, I’m so glad you liked it! ? I agree with you, I feel like I can chat more in depth somehow through blogs and I love that so much, too ?
What a great topic! I’ve thought about this, but mostly around twitter. I feel more pressure to do twitter to put my reviews and what not out there, but I suck at interacting on it. It feels like it takes so much time!
I mostly interact via blogs and Instagram. I’m trying to do more on Goodreads.
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
I feel like, at some point, we all feel the pressure to be everywhere all at once, it’s good to focus on what we like to do best 🙂
Thank you so much, Nicole! <3
Great Post! I mostly interact via blog hopping, leaving comments and also through Twitter. I struggle with Instagram. I try, but it is what it is. And you’re right, the book community is great! The book community is a lovely group of supportive people!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you feel this way, too, I love the community so much <3 <3
Awesome discussion post, Marie. 😉 I love interactions on WordPress more than anywhere else, I love waking up to new comments from new and old faces. I love connecting with everyone and hearing what everyone has to say. There’s so much to learn from everyone’s experience. I do find it hard to be on all platforms at the same time with the little time I do have. But it impresses me to see people with 100 comments, 100 retweets, 100 instagram comments. I do wonder what life would be like as a full-time blogger sometimes hahaha
Thank you so, so much Lashaan! <3 I agree, I find it hard to be everywhere all at once even if, I have to admit that I would love to be able to do that, it seems impossible with working full time. Being a full time blogger would be… kind of cool haha 🙂
Thank you!! <3
I’m not a book blogger or content creator, but I recently created a twitter account just for talking about books, because I really wanna talk about them to other people who also love to read!
I like to read my twitter feed but I seldom interact with the various content creators I follow. Though when I do, I like to reply to book related polls and questions posted. Most of the time though there’s this feeling of being an outsider looking in. Mainly because I am not a content creator or aspiring writer and it seems like everyone knows each other! I hesitate to reply to more personal tweets or tweets that did not explicitly invite a reply.
I mostly don’t comment on blog posts because I felt like it’s difficult to link these comments back to me because I base my bookish identity on my twitter account. But that was before I realised I could log in via my twitter on some of the commenting platforms and establish a consistent identity. I definitely want to build relationships with book bloggers or booktubers on twitter but as just a random anonymous person who just likes to tweet about books it feels hard and intrusive.
The pressure for book content creators to maintain a presence on so many forms of social media, and to maintain relationships, in addition to try to improve engagement and other stats must be really stressful! I think I kind of forgot how much book bloggers and booktubers appreciate a simple comment or reply from readers/viewers so I will be more conscientious about this in the future!
Thank you, Jessica, it’s so sweet of you to take the time to leave such a sweet, thoughtful comment when you’re not used to doing so and thank you for supporting bloggers, we do love even a simple reply or comment anytime, really, they always make my day <3
I get that feeling of being an outsider looking in, especially on twitter and social media overall – with time though and certainly courage every now and then by interacting or sharing your thoughts, I believe you can find your little group of people you enjoy talking to and find these people to talk about all the books you love, too 🙂
Thank you so, so much for your comment and for sharing your thoughts! <3
Great post! I have bad social anxiety, so my communicating varies a lot. I try to comment on blog posts, but only a handful a day (a lot of times I just like them). I use twitter and instagram. But I’m a mod in a facebook group, so that’s where I interact the most. We have quite a few bloggers in our group, but not everyone is.
Thank you so much! 🙂 I get that, sometimes you have to be in the mood for interaction, because it can be quite draining, too 🙂
You’re welcome!
It is such a relief to know that I am not the only one that gets anxious about these things. I’m constantly worrying about if I’m doing things right, the pressure of being everywhere and making sure I insert myself and keep myself active in the community is very taxing.
Thank you for sharing ?
You’re not alone, AT ALL, Nisha, I’m the one happy to hear that you have these same feelings. It’s hard sometimes for us anxious souls. Take care of yourself and take breaks, too <3
Thank you so much for your comment! <3
Sometimes the anxiety can get a bit overwhelming. So thank you for that, I really do appreciate that. You take care of yourself as well. ?
Of course! <3 and thank you, you're too sweet <3
Marie, I’m so glad you wrote about this. Before I read this post, I was honestly freaking out about (a) how behind I am on blog hopping and (b) how I can’t keep up with Twitter anymore and I honestly don’t want to.
It’s easy to see the people who are on all these different platforms and post consistently everywhere and feel envious and left behind. I also feel guilty because some of the best bloggers I know are working fulltime jobs and in school and post way more than I do! But reading this post just solidified how I feel: I am much more comfortable making my rounds to people’s blogs and sharing in their words that way. I love reading people’s posts and leaving my thoughts in the hopes that it shows them how much they’re appreciated. I love the pace of wordpress: sure, people on my feed post every day of the week, but it doesn’t overwhelm me nearly as much as trying to keep up with book Twitter.
Reading this post gave me such a sense of relief and helped me solidify my decision to take a long, possibly permanent break from twitter. I want to focus my energy on the area of blogging that brings me joy, and if that means I’m an “old soul” or that I miss out on things…well, so be it. I have to do what makes me happy and where I feel most comfortable.
Thank you for writing this post and helping me feel less alone <3
Oh, oh Christine, your comment made my entire day, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts <3
You are not alone in this, at all – I'm always amazed when people can be everywhere all at once and I know, deep down, I would love to be able to do so, too, but…. it would be very draining and I absolutely love interacting through book blogs the most. <3
I think it's so important to know what we can do and what we like the most, too and to focus on that, on what makes us the happiest <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Christine <3 <3 <3
I really liked blog hopping because it’s very personal – you get to know other bloggers through their own content, and by getting to know what they like and what they enjoy blogging about.
On social media, it can be easy to also make blogging friends, because it’s a lot of quick interactions which don’t require a lot of reading, but social media is a bit daunting to me because you can judge who is a more “experienced” account, and who is “more creative” based on their content like photos on Instagram or funny tweets. I don’t know if that makes sense? ?
I just know that I personally prefer to comment on blogs, because it makes me more comfortable to comment based on what the other bloggers and I have in common 🙂
Oh yes I love your vision! I feel like it’s a bit more personal for sure, because somehow we can… dig deeper with a lenghty blog post and I love it 🙂
This makes a lot of sense, actually ? I feel the same way and I am in awe of what some people can do on twitter and instagram, so much talent on these social media, it’s incredible <3
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic! I'm so happy you like to comment, too 😀
Honestly I feel completely overwhelmed by Twitter sometimes too. There’s just so many conversation happening all the time and I’m one of those people who wants to be involved in everything. That combined with Instagram, it always feels like there’s so much to say and comment on and do all the time. Normally, to combat this, I tend to stick to just commenting on people’s blogs. A lot of the time this happens because I tend to have SO MUCH to say (which you could probably tell from my sparse but extremely long-winded comments!) that I don’t always feel like typing in my phone (am I the only one that HATES typing on a phone’s keyboard??). I guess bottom line is sometimes I like stepping away from the whole community to take a breath before diving back in again. I’ll go on Twitter spurts where I’ll scroll every day for a week and then spend the next week completely off of it and the same goes for Instagram. I feel like there’s just so much to book blogging and trying to do it all the time all at once isn’t really conducive for a full time student with three part time jobs, you know? Anyway, wrapping up! This is such an interesting topic to think about, Marie, and I look forward to seeing other people’s thoughts!
Laura @BlueEyeBooks
Ohhh let me tell you right away, you are not alone about typing on the phone! I always love to write a lot and I always prefer to type on my computer keyboard, too, I’m just… faster and I don’t know, things are flowing easier, somehow ?
I’m with you on doing everything all at once, there are just so many things to do everywhere and so many interaction to have… but we can’t do it all, can we? Especially besides work, studies and everything else on top, as well, haha 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Laura! <3
I find I try and comment on blogs same as you but the only problem is not every blogger returns the favor. For me, I comment on blogs because I know when I get comments it brightens my day and I want to do the same for other bloggers. I’m not out on twitter promoting my blog, mainly because that is a form of social media I’m not the best at and sometimes feel like because of that, I am somewhat an outcast to the community.
Oh you are not an outcast at all! I think it’s all a matter of preferences, some people really like to interact on social media, while others don’t really like or do social media at all and that’s perfectly okay, too. As for answering to comments and commenting back, not every blogger has the same policy and that can be understandable, too, depending on how busy things can get, too. I know that personally I do my best to aknowledge all of my comments at least, but not everyone is able to do that, it also quickly gets overwhelming, too. It’s all a matter of preferences and of how we see blogging, too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!! 🙂
I think I tend to interact more with people via Twitter as that’s the social media outlet I use the most, but sometimes I can’t bear commenting on something just in case it’s taken the wrong way and blown out of proportion. However I do always love writing blog comments and feels good because it takes time to compile and write posts and I think it’s nice to honour that with a message no matter how short or long.
I can understand that – there is a lot of drama at times on twitter and everything can quickly grow, grow and grow I guess. I’m so happy to hear you feel that way about blog comments! I agree with you completely, it’s so nice to honour bloggers’ work by commenting on their posts, I love to <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! <3
You’re welcome. A nice message always goes a long way!
Agree! 😀 <3
Personally, I love interacting through comments! I don’t have any social media (I could go on and on about why, but I’ll refrain!) so I don’t interact on Instagram or Twitter, although I know Twitter is a massive platform. I’ve thought about making a Twitter a few times just for my reading/writing life, but I really like interacting directly on posts! ?
I’m so glad to hear that, I love interacting on posts so much, too, it’s my favorite thing to do 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Sarah <3
I interact mainly on WordPress Marie and on Instagram. I love Instagram as I can express my creativity taking pics so it’s a media that I find fun. I don’t like Twitter as it’s too “short”. I need to express nuances and I am very chatty. I also am on Facebook and Goodreads but recently I can’t follow on GR like I used to do. It gets too overwhelming and even unhealthy.
Oh yes, I love how creative instagram is and, even if I’m not on bookstagram, I follow a lot of accounts and love them SO much. <3 I've heard that goodreads can get a little… well, overwhelming and not that great at times :/
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Sophie! <3
This is a really amazing post, Marie! <3 I'm with you, my main interactions come from reading and commenting on other posts. For me, I know how happy seeing a comment from someone makes me and I just want to spread that love to someone else! And I really just love writing comments in general, haha. I am on bookstagram, though I don't think it's brought anyone new to my blog, I just like posting and seeing aesthetic books.?I also feel you with the pressure of interacting! It can definitely be hard to, like you said, remember that the world goes on even if I don't comment on posts for a couple of weeks. It's difficult because I want to support others but I might be just too busy or need to take some time for myself, and that's definitely okay. <3 Again, lovely post!
Ahh I can relate, comments make me so, so happy and I want to spread that love, too <3
I'm so glad you're on bookstagram, I really love your posts every time I see one on my feed <3
I need to get better with the pressure, too, you're so right, it's important to take time for ourselves when we need to, too <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Olivia! <3
Interacting with the community in all the social media is pretty hard and stressful. I mostly interact through blogs and Instagram and sometimes goodreads. I have a twitter account but I’m not much active there.
It is… well, impossible ? I don’t know how some people manage to be so active everywhere, I admire that so much.
Thank you so much for your comment, Raven! 🙂
I hear ya D: It’s something I have to consciously deal with every day. The upside is that we get all these amazing connections and the sense of validation and belonging. But when you don’t, it’s like the happy parade ends! I used to be on twitter a lot, and it’s so fast-paced and I tried to always keep up, but I don’t know… I think I distanced myself because I didn’t think I was witty, funny or controversial enough to ‘make it’ there. I felt like I was always a step behind, more like getting all the content but never really part of everything.
Then came Instagram! And I get exactly what you’re saying because it just feels like the whole blog commenting has kinda slowed down? I know it’s instant too, but it’s harder to actually start conversations now. I’m totally guilty of having been focusing more on instagram.
Here’s my theory: Now more than ever, people in general seem to want to say hi and just talk in social media, and blogs are more for posts like this one, to discuss stuff more in depth. (In depth discussion through the phone is not for the faint of heart! XD) Review posts have been accepted to be one of the least commented ones (unless controversial), but we have no problem leaving a comment on a mini review on instagram or twitter.
For example, I’d probably never leave a comment this long on someone’s IG pic XD
I get that – I feel like twitter makes me feel like I am always behind. I like interacting a little bit on here, but it’s also… kind of overwhelming and stressful and I feel like I’m constantly missing things, too? It’s a weird feeling.
I feel like people are focusing more on social media than blog interaction via comments. It makes me a little sad, but I love your theory so much and so agree with it, people are only going in depth with some blog posts, while most of the rest is happening over on social media now.
And I LOVE your long comments, Pam, never stop haha <3 <3 Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! <3 <3
Marie, this post speaks me to me deeply. We’ve talked before about how much we love blog hopping and the interaction/friendships that we’ve formed through the blogging community before, but I have never really talked about the anxiety & pressure of it. I love it and so I put a lot of pressure on myself to read everyone’s posts and leave comments and boost on Twitter… and it’s draining.
I often times I have to take a break from reading/replying to my comments or blog hopping because I need time to recharge. I sometimes panic about my DMs and responsibilities and just ignore them (unread) until I have the energy to be social. And I feel a lot of guilt for that, too. I’ve been kind of drowning in my mental illness for months now, and I definitely see a relation to my interaction patterns since I’ve been suffering more steadily.
In terms of how I interact, I prefer blog post comments but I will also RT or comment/share on Twitter sometimes as well. And I also noticed the correlation between heavily replied/RT posts not having a lot of interaction on the post itself — while that engagement is still lovely to have, I almost prefer those comments on the post itself.
Great post, and very brave of you for being so personal about this!
Thank you, Kaleena, for sharing your thoughts on the topic, I feel like we are so alike when it comes to this and… it makes me so happy and feel less alone, so thank you, really. <3 I also tend to put A LOT of pressure on myself for these kind of things, but at times I just want, I just need to ignore everything and hide for a little while, too. We really should support each other when it comes to this and scream at each other that it's okay, we shouldn't feel guilty and everything else ahah. <3
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts. You're doing incredible and are such an interactive, amazing blogger Kal, remember that <3
Totally feel this post. I love blogging hopping and I have no idea how I didn’t do it before, in my early years of a blogger, as it’s one of my favorite things to do now. And maybe it’s because I’m also not very good on the social media aspect of things, but I definitely interact much more by commenting on blogs directly, as opposed to interacting about blogs on a platform like Twitter. And nothing makes my day more than getting a comment, especially on a post that I worked hard on!
Thanks for another lovely post! <3
I’m so glad you could relate to this post, thank you so much Nicole! <3
I'm with you, nothing makes my day more than a sweet comment, really. Thank you so much!! <3
I definitely miss people commenting on blogs–I’m more of an Instagram kind of person for interactions with the book community. I wish I could comment more, but as you mentioned, it’s really hard to stay connected everywhere, all the time. But I’m going to try blog hopping and see how it works out! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Afoma
afomaumesi.com
I’m glad to hear you like instagram, it’s good to see how different we all are with interacting and what we like best, too! 🙂 You’re right, we can’t be everywhere all at once 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! <3
I feel the exact same way! Blog comments are the easiest way for me to interact online. I interact a bit on Instagram as well, but posts or comments that I want to respond to can easily get lost in the shuffle there. As for Twitter, I refuse to go near it. I have Chana handle it because I don’t see myself handling the app well.
Honestly, I’m lucky to have Chana to split the load with me. Otherwise I’d get overwhelmed in an instant. And even with the two of us, sometimes we both get busy that the thought of catch up is truly daunting. I’m starting to let things fall through the cracks when that happens so that I don’t beat myself up over not getting to everything. I can always go searching for a post I enjoyed or that sounded interesting at a later time when I’m less overwhelmed.
Oh yes, I get that and I feel the same way about twitter, too, I feel like things and bits of conversations can get lost, while interacting on here with comments feels… somehow more grounding, too? I love that 🙂
I think you’re doing the right thing and yes it’s so important to go back to it when we’re feeling less overwhelmed, too. We can’t do it all, can we 🙂 At least I’m trying to tell myself that, even if I’m too obstinated to listen to myself sometimes, too haha.
Thank you so much for your comment! <3 <3
This was such a wonderful and thoughtful post, Marie! It definitely makes sense that blog hopping and comments are your preferred method of communication because your comments are always so long and well thought out 🙂 I always get happy to see them because it’s a nice way to catch up and talk more casually.
I completely agree with what you said about Twitter. It moves so fast, and as much as I love it because I feel extremely connected (like at the speed of light), it’s also sometimes very overwhelming. In a way, it’s also a bad habit for me because I feel like I constantly need to be checking!! which of course isn’t very healthy either.
You might consider yourself an “old soul” but you’re still lovable as you are <3 Great discussion, Marie 🙂
Aww thank you for saying that, Tiffany, this means so much that you like my comments <3 I do love to interact this way the most <3
I understand what you're saying and I agree, it feels… so immediate and like we're having instant conversations there, too and that's great, but it's also overwhelming and so much is happening, too.
Thank you so, so much for your comment! <3 <3
oh I relate to this so much! Like I tweet a lot, but for some reason I’m always struck with super intense shyness/worry when it comes to interacting with other people’s tweets?! But I LOVE instagram and do a lot over there. I do miss when blogging was like The Thing though. I’ve found comments dropping hugely and sometimes I feel like just sticking to instagram. ? But it’s easier to write longer more thoughtful posts on blogs. And I just love blogging still!
oh I’m glad I’m not the only one, I feel like blogging was THE thing when I first started and slowly I’ve seen it decline, social media and bookstagram taking over and… I can’t help being nostalgic a little bit, though it’s fantastic to see how creative people can be elsewhere, too 🙂
Thank you so much, Cait!! <3
This is such a interesting post and I can relate to this so much. When I started I didn’t interact that greatly on social media at all and it is something I am building up at doing. But I kind of go in a circle of talking myself out of sending a tweet and talking myself into sending a tweet, haha!! But I think I am improving. I also got instagram last month or the one before and have been working at interacting on there too.
I think I really enjoy blog hopping as a form of interacting like you— because I like commenting on the work someone put a lot of effort in and saying when I have enjoyed it!! And it is probably my favourite place to interact with others. But like I said I do want to get better on social media too.
And I think breaks are really important— just because the blogging world never stops, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You need time to relax and just breathe. And you have to remind yourself that you don’t have to be everywhere because it can be so tiring trying to keep up. You have to do whats best for you. 🙂
Lovely post!! <3
Oh thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post <3
I'm glad you are putting yourself out there on social media and enjoying it so far, I hope you'll keep on liking it and meet new, great bookish people through this, too! Somehow, it feels a little more… relaxed, at times to chat via comments and I love how I can endlessly expand my thoughts, too haha.
Thank you so much for that reminder. Much, much needed today. Thank you! <3 <3
You’re welcome!!
Yes I hope to meet more bookish people too!! Yes true– comments definitely allow you to write loads and have good conversations with people!!
You’re very welcome!! ❤ I hope you are well!!
Conversations with bookish people are always THE BEST ?
Marie, I love this post so much! I personally like interacting via WordPress and Twitter, especially since the community is so active on both! Since I’m so bad at interacting, I typically have bursts of interacting – sometimes I’m really good at it, others, not so much (i.e I fall of the face of the planet?) Boosting this forever and always ❤
I get that feeling so much. I’m really trying to… well, be everywhere all at once, but sometimes it’s just so stressful too and I think it’d be great to have moments to relax and moments to have bursts of interaction, too. It can get quite exhausting haha.
Thank you so much Taasia, you’re the sweetest <3
I am totally with you on that to be honest! I spend most of my interactions on the actual blog posts rather than other social media. I have Twitter and Instagram accounts and watch a lot of booktube, but I utterly fail at bookstagram, don’t have the confidence for booktube, and rarely interact on Twitter. Like you said, it gets so overwhelming, especially on Twitter and Instagram because it feels like interaction is always happening and I feel like I miss a lot because I don’t check as frequently. I still use it occasionally, but my main focus is WordPress, and my blog. I love scrolling through my feed and liking everyone’s posts so that I can later go into my “liked” tab and comment as I have time (like now!).
I get that feeling so much – on social media, it feels like I have to be checking it constantly and it causes a lot of anxiety and stress, too, at times. It gets overwhelming, while it’s a little less like that when we interact through blogs.
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, Samantha! <3
Love this post! 😀 I mostly interact on blogs right now. I really want to get back into bookstagram at some point this year though. It’s nice and fun connecting with other people who love books.
It really is the best, isn’t it 😀
It’s really the best, isn’t it 🙂
thank you, Ashley! <3
I love interacting with you <3 Your posts are always so relatable! Please keep the old-school comments coming my way because I will never get bored of hearing from you hehe. (Not a creep, I promise.)
I'm finally getting caught up with blog-hopping after falling behind for about two weeks due to things going on at work. But the pressure I felt was immense! I hated the thought of missing out on those interactions!
Oh thank you Alex, you’re too sweet, this makes me SO happy to hear you appreciate my ramblings haha <3
I get that, I also feel that pressure, that fear of missing out on interactions and everything, but… we also need to relax sometimes I guess. Something I have a hard time doing haha.
Thank you!! <3
I have an email subscription feed of blogs I follow so I usually go through and read/comment on the ones which have titles that pique my interest. Other than that I’ve become more active on book Twitter this year but I don’t go on it that much. It can definitely be stressful especially when my email column starts getting overflowed but I think it’s similar to my youtube watch later playlist; if it gets too overwhelming I cut it down. And it’s definitely a great way to make friends, I think commenting directly on peoples’ blogs is an easier way to make friendships but these can be solidified on platforms like Twitter?
I think you’re doing this great, really! I have the hardest time cutting my feed down because I always want to do it all haha, but sometimes it’s necessary, too 🙂
I love your thoughts on the topic! I agree, I feel like I like to build up things better on blogs, but once I do, I’m a little less scared of reaching out directly on social media, too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Honestly I had SOOOOOO much trouble commenting on people’s blogs unless I’m on a desktop computer. So If I happen to leave a comment while I’m on the computer its easy and breezy and I love it. However if I did every comment on the computer then I’d be on a computer for 18 hours a day I kid you not. So I HAVE to get off and work off a tablet or a phone and its just not easy. I never stay logged in for some strange reason, Blogger comments don’t work most of the time and even WP is a pain. So while I love blog comments I’ve been branching out to twitter comments and instagram comments too. Goodreads is where I track everything and I couldn’t live without it but I don’t do much interacting on it. 😉 My two cents Marie. Love your perspective.
Oh I get that – I don’t do my commenting sessions on my phone at all, I prefer doing it from my computer as well 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Dani!! <3
I love this post, Marie!! I definitely feel a lot less anxious about interacting through blog comments vs tweets, since like you said, replying to tweets feels a lot more personal than commenting on a blog post! I think I interact the least on Instagram — that’s like the platform I want to keep very stress-free for me haha!
oh that’s great! I would LOVE to join bookstagram someday, but I feel like I would get overwhelmed and pressured to interact, too, haha. I’m happy you found a place that you keep stress-free, this is so important. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, May! <3
Great post and very thought-provoking! I admit I’m one of those Twitter people 😉 I’ve been going through a massive blogging slump, and with that, I very rarely find the energy to go blog hopping and post meaningful comments. But I can like and share and still show my appreciation that way. “Old-fashioned” comments are still so wonderful, though, so I try. ♥
Oh thank you Inge, so happy you liked it <3
I get that feeling, when you're not in the mood to blog, you're not really in the mood to do these blog hopping sessions either, this happens to me, too. <3 and likes and shares are still so, so appreciated as well to show your love!
Thank you so much for your comment! <3
I definitely comment a lot on blogs themselves, that’s probably the biggest way I interact in the community. Now that I’m on Instagram, I also comment a lot on there, but sometimes I wonder if I comment too much? Like, are people getting annoyed if I react to one of their IG stories? But I try to tell myself, if people didn’t want a reaction, they wouldn’t post!
I can’t really give an Instagram-specific feedback, since I’m not really on there, but people always love it when you interact with them, at least I know I do! So if you ask me, you’re doing GREAT 😀
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Angela! 🙂
Overwhelming is a good description 😀 I kinda feel like that sometimes. I reduced the time i spend on twitter/instagram a lot lately, and it does make me feel better 😀
I prefer the blog hop / commenting 🙂
I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better about it all – really I should do that too haha 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Norrie! <3
I love this post! I’m back after a week being away and I am so stressed out because I have dozens of comments to reply to, and I love checking blogs once I’ve done that, but it takes forever and I’m worried I’m gonna miss stuff!
I like Twitter but I stay away from the drama. I don’t really talk on Instagram, but like you, I’m old school! xxx
Oh I get that feeling so much, I’m always worried and a little stressed out about this, too. But we can’t do it all and sometimes, it’s okay to take a break when we need it, too, we’re not robots. I’m trying to remember that haha. <3
Thank you my sweechie!! x
ah yes, Marie, the queen, bringing some good content once again. (please scream to me about We Set the Dark on Fire, even though I haven’t read it yet? I trust that I can scream to you once I read it, yes?) (should I read We Set the Dark on Fire next month bc I astonishingly own a copy?)
Okay, yes, the story about you being SICK and feeling like you need to interact kind of hit me hard because that kind of happened to me yesterday night!! I was like “wow I need to wRiTe a pOst” even though it was 10pm and I was really tired and wanted to sleep. I did end up putting my computer away and just not writing a post, because I was like “bro what am I doing, I’m mentally exhausted” @ myself. So. Yeah.
THIS PRESSURE IS SO INTENSE and sometimes I just feel like I need to… withdraw from all of book blogging society, which kind of sucks but I feel like if I don’t go on to book blogging world for three days, then everyone hates me and I’m like “god I need to stay away” which is?? WILD?? anxiety sucks.
Anyways, yeah, I love this post okay this comment wasn’t coherent I love yoU!
YES READ WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE PLEASE PLEASE DO IT IS AMAZING I LOVE IT SO MUCH AHHHHH.
I’m so sorry this happens to you -too, I want to add, because this is 200% relatable and exactly me, too and oops, it’s so tiring and frustrating at times and I wish we weren’t like that sometimes :/
I get that feeling, too, and I wish that this pressure would go down and just disappear sometimes, but… sometimes we just need time to ourselves and to disappear and just to, do other things, too? It feels refreshing when we do and come back to it, but… yeah leaving is stressful and anxiety is never fun. I’m always here if you need to rant about it all <3 <3
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! <3 <3
OMG OKAY I WANT TO READ WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS!!! I’LL DO IT!!! HOLD ME TO IT MARIE. <3 <3 I love you and your posts always, and thank you so much for this response!!
YES YES PLEASE DO AHHH and update me when you do, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH ahh <3
I TOTALLY WILL MARIE
I can’t wAIT ahhhh
I agree that interacting with other bloggers is really important, but it can also be stress-inducing from time to time. I recently commented on a blog and didn’t word my comment well, and the blogger ended up sort of taking offense (she wasn’t mean about it or anything, and I don’t blame her–when I went back and reread the comment I could easily see how it could have been read with a condescending tone–one of those things you really have to be aware of on a written platform). Since I’m a people-pleaser, I was actually really stressed about the interaction. I apologized, but I thought about it for way longer than I probably should have/needed to, and it was definitely anxiety-producing. (She was fine after my apology, by the way.) Some of us just have to realize we’re sensitive to these sorts of interactions and do our best to avoid them (if we can!).
Oh I can understand that so much -I sometimes think about a comment I said a long time afterwards, even if things weren’t offensive, I just want to be sure I worded everything in a good way and this can be so anxiety inducing, I so agree with you on that. It can get a little stressful at times, too, which is why it’s important to take our time with them 🙂
Thank you, Nicole! <3
I love blogging and I love instagram. I’m trying to give Twitter a go this year, but it’s a lot to keep up with and I just don’t have the time or the energy to deal with it (to be quite frank). I always forget that goodreads is a social platform – honestly I’m just there to catalogue books, check page numbers and steal covers for my blog… ?
I’ve joined a couple of discord chats too, but unless I stay on top of them, they can become quite daunting as well.
Great post Marie!!
I’m the same when it comes to goodreads, only there to update my reads haha 🙂 and I can understand that, dealing with different social media platforms can be quite overwhelming at times.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 😀
Somehow that bit about there being so many of us always makes me feel better though. I don’t know why, maybe it’s cause I do the newbies thing, but it just makes me feel glad there’s new people again and again, and they keep coming. Our community always grows 🙂
Although I have to admit I’ve been really bad at spending time in the community lately. But I just don’t have the health or time resources. I still have my community relationships, but they’re fewer than I used to have, and maybe that’s okay because it’s the depth and not the number that matters, right?
I find that I interact most on Twitter though, because that eats up less time. I’ve been spending more time on Instagram too for the same reason (posting an Instagram update takes me a few minutes, scheduling a blog post takes hours!) But yeah, it’s easy to drop off, especially due to the algorithms – if you’re absent one week, then the system will keep you down for two more weeks (on Twitter too!), which is a little demotivating.
I agree about the pressure to be everywhere though. Especially when you’ve got a full time job and other responsibilities. I’ve given up trying to do that, to be honest! Which is why I’ve been having less interactions on the blog and everywhere else. But that’s fine! Having to reply a ton of comments every day is exhausting too. As long as someone remembers me I’m happy 🙂
I agree that it’s the depth of the relationships that matter the most. there are just too many people and the community keeps on growing and growing and we just can’t be everywhere all at once, I don’t have the time for that either in between working full time and handling other life’s responsibilities, too.
I’m glad you’re finding your pace on twitter and instagram, that’s great! 🙂
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic, Evelina! And you’re so right, what matters is quality 🙂
I feel like finding Twitter too overwhelming is almost my brand in this community, lol. But I really have to mention this everytime, because the pressure to be a part of it is real. I’ve always felt anxious about the idea that I only have a limited amount of characters to express my opinions, because I do like writing a lot and leaving very long comments, and I’m always scared to be misunderstood if I don’t have enough space to share all of my thoughts. I also find that, as you mentioned, everything in Twitter is so instant and I find it hard to keep up with it.
It’s honestly funny to me that even though I grew up with social media, I still struggle so much with it, hahah. But commenting really is how I feel the best. I definitely do feel the pressure as well to comment before a post is “too old” and I never know exactly how to continue conversations after a reply, but I try my best to push these thoughts away so I can focus on what really matters. I haven’t had time to comment on recent posts, so a part of me says that “it’s too late now”, but I’m still here! It’s definitely hard to let go of these thoughts that pressure you and sometimes even stop you from interacting with the community, but I’m working on it! ?
I get that so much, everything is quickly overwhelming and I find myself being active on twitter here and there, but just not all the time because it quickly gets stressful, too. It’s so hard to keep up with everything and yet the fear of missing out is real, too.
I’ve had this conversation before with another blogger about blog posts being “too old” to be commented on and… well, to be honest for me, a post is never too old to be commented on, if you went back to a 2017 blog post of mine and commented, I would be… well, a little curious as to how and why you went all the way back there, but also happy to see my content is worth commenting on even if it’s a bit older, too 🙂 but that’s just my thoughts on the topic 😀
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lais <3 <3 <3
Exactly because so much is happening on social media, I feel like I lose a lot constantly, and so, the best way for me to interact with other bloggers is still through comments on blog posts. I feel I could do so much better on twitter, but have yet to know how, and I’ve had to give up bookstagram because of how it made me feel. It’s great you have someone to scream at you when you’re overwhelming yourself!! haha I also wish I could be everywhere all the time, but how???
I’ll be that person for you if you need me to, Marta, I never want anyone to feel overwhelmed, it’s not a great feeling AT ALL ahah. <3
I feel the same way, it's so easy to miss out on SO much on social media and… well, even if we don't HAVE to be there all the time, we feel like we should, somehow? That's not healthy at all haha.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Marta <3
That’s weirdly sweet, Marie! haha I recently attended a marketing basics workshop and they really emphasized how important social media is. I kinda want to go back to bookstagam but I constantly have to remind myself that a) I have no time !! and b) it would make feel really bad about myself as a blogger )):
Social media can be important, yes, but you’re more important too, you and your own health, so if a social media isn’t making you feel good overall… well, is it really worth it? <3 It's important to think of this too <3
Thank you ?
I mostly like leaving blog comments because I like reading others’ content, and there’s more room to say something long and thought-out, if you want to do that. I also like commenting on Twitter, but it can be harder to hold conversations there. I’m not big on commenting on Instagram, but that may be one of the reasons I have few followers….
I agree with you, I feel like there’s more room for me to rant on an on with comments haha, I love it 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Briana 😀
I guess I’m old school too! I like commenting on blogs and chatting via comments, I find that so much more comfortable and relaxed than interacting on social media. Twitter just stresses me out, I always feel like I’m playing catch up with DMs and my mentions and I never really feel the need to tweet something. I keep trying though, cause there’s that annoying pressure we put on ourselves to be everywhere all the time. It’s good to know I’m not the only one though, thank you for sharing ❤️
I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling this way – this pressure never ends ahah, but I think it’s so important to focus on what we love to do the most and… just try our best not to let that pressure get the best of us. <3
Thank you so much for your comment, love! <3 <3
How do you like to interact with the book blogging community best?
I’m like you Marie. Blog comments are my biggest form of interacting in the bookish community.
Do you find yourself interacting more on social media (twitter, instagram, goodreads, etc..?) or on book blogs, via comments? Do you find it easier to interact in one of these places or in others? What do you prefer in each of these?
I am so bad about interacting on twitter, instagram, and goodreads… It just all too much for me. Between reading, reviewing, creating blog content, blog hopping, etc. I don’t have time to interact across limitless platforms. For me, my blog is my #1 platform, so that is the platform I chose to be the most active on.
Do you also need breaks from interacting, at times?
Yes! At the end of the day, I can’t do everything all the time. I hate it, but blog hopping takes a back seat when things get hectic in my life. I miss the interaction, but I can only do so much.
I agree with you! For me, my blog is also my first platform and this is where I interact the most and where I love to, the most, too <3
I'm also frustrated when I have to take a step back, but sometimes we just can't do it all, we're not super humans unfortunately haha.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Amanda! <3
I am the same as you! I do not have all the social medias & even if I did, I’d never update them. The only way I interact with other bloggers is blog hopping & commenting on their posts, too. It’s my favorite form of support to receive & give. 🙂
YAY! I’m so glad you love blog hopping and commenting as well <3
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! <3
Aside from writing my own blog content, I do leave comments to engage with the community! I recently started using Instagram, too, so that in case I don’t have a review ready, I can snap a pic of another book and start a discussion. Plus, it’s just nice to see everyone’s artsy pics of pretty book covers!
Yay! I’m so glad you like comments, too. I’m not on bookstagram, but I do admire everyone’s pictures so much as well! 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂
Oh I totally feel that pressure! Especially on Instagram and Twitter but nowadays I’m taking things at my own pace and letting it be. Trying not to miss posts is the thing that gives me the most anxiety but I’m still trying to control it. Actually the reason I’m here on this post rn is that umm I missed like 3 months of blog posts and am now aggressively blog hopping to catch up hehe.
Love the post! ?
ALSO I’M SO SORRY I’VE NOT BEEN FOLLOSING YOU THROUGH WP, I AMENDED THAT!
AHH what no need to apologize Charvi you’re too sweet!! <3 <3
I'm glad that you're trying to take things one day at a time and not to feel too overwhelmed, I'm trying my best to do that, too, even if sometimes it's hard haha. 🙂
Thank you so much!! <3 <3
Since being out of the blogging loop, i’m finding it quite hard to get back into interacting. I’ve always struggled with twitter, I always have the anxious thoughts of ‘nobody cares,’ or ‘if you comment in their discussion then your barging in and your rude.’ I’ve always found commenting on blog posts easier but it takes away so much possible interaction too.
I don’t take breaks from interacting really because I don’t get that much, but life automatically gives me breaks I guess because I keep going into these blogging slumps… if that makes sense. My brain is so broken today from work, if i’m rambling pure rubbish please just say Han, shut up.
I’m 200% right here with you, Hannah, I’m feeling really anxious about interaction on twitter at times and it’s so frustrating, but we can’t help ourselves, can we :/
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been going through slumps, I’m always here if you want to talk about it or rant. It’s okay not to be able to blog as often, either, life comes first too and self-care, too, obviously <3 I'm always always here for you, love <3 <3
Thank you Marie! Honestly you’re amazing xx
YOU are the best, love xxxx
I have a small circle of friends in the book blogger and I talk to them in all media -Twitter, Facebook, IG and Discord and sometimes whatsapp too. But to other bloggers I talk mostly through blog commenting system and maybe some times through Twitter.
It’s so great! 🙂 and we can’t talk to everyone unfortunately, there are SO many people!
Thank you so much for your comment! <3
Marie, I loved and related to this post SO MUCH. There are so many people that make up this incredible community which is an amazing thing, but can also be so overwhelming. It can make blog hopping seem like a daunting task (as it is for me right now) and when I can’t comment on EVERYONE’S posts it makes me feel like I’m not interacting with other blogs enough. I think I definitely interact with bloggers through their actual blogs the most, but I’m finally starting to get the hang of twitter and have found it’s a great (and quick) way to show your support to other bloggers and promote their work!
I’m 200% with you right here about blog hopping and everything and feeling like we’re not doing enough. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by these things, but there are way too many bloggers out there and we’re just one person, we can’t do it all either. I’m trying to tell myself that ahah and to take it one day at a time <3
I'm so happy you're getting the hang of twitter and enjoying it! It really is a quick and fun way to interact with bloggers, I agree 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet comment <3 <3
This is so true! Why does it have to be so awfully stressful?! I’ve found in infuriating lately when I want to do my best to be involved but real life is simply too busy. That’s when I love just interacting with the few who read my blog. I find the friends I make in the blogging community have come, exclusively, from reading and commenting on others people’s blogs. I like that there’s often more thought in those comments; they’re longer and a great place to just SPLURGE thoughts.
I’ve just never been able to crack the mystery of Twitter and Instagram. Whilst I love creating and sharing content over on Insta, trying to rack up a community around me feels like I’m throwing myself at a brick wall sometimes. And I just don’t have the effort for it. So it’s good to just take a breather and be selective in where I put my efforts towards interacting with others. Then, hopefully, I don’t get so stressed!
Oh yes it’s so important to be selective and focus on what we can do, we can’t do it all unfortunately and life gets quite busy too, it’s important to focus on what we like the most doing and the places we love interacting in the most, too <3
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic! 🙂
I find Twitter really hard because, unless you make a lot of effort and post every day/interacts constantly, it feels more like you are just shouting into the void? Plus it takes so much time! Combining a blog + a bookish Twitter + my personal social media + trying to start up an art-based Twitter+ of course, LIFE; there’s just no way I can do all of that successfully. As such my Twitter audience is pretty much nil most of the time.
Instead I am very much like you- I much prefer to blog hop and comment when and where I can 🙂 I can’t say I’ve been the best at developing bookish friendships, but in terms of getting myself out there and involved in the community, blog hopping has been worth it. 🙂
It’s great that you have posted about such an important topic given the stress of social media and the desire for many to become “influencers”, thank you!
It takes SO much time to do it all, honestly and when you’re not on all the time it feels like you’re missing out on so many things. Blogging really can be a full time job ahah, so much time is spent on everything.
I’m so, so happy to hear blog hopping has been worth it for you! I’ve created 99% of my bookish connections and friendships thanks to blog hopping and it’s so, so nice to chat with them via comments, I love it so much <3
Thank YOU so much for your sweet comment and for sharing your thoughts, I'm so, so happy you enjoyed this post! <3
I definitely feel that pull to be everywhere at once! It’s invigorating and exhausting, if I may so. While Twitter is fun and gives instantaneous replies, I too find blog hopping to be more reliable. I’ve found that I get more interaction from blog hopping. I think, with Twitter the best way to do it is to have a community of your own who supports, and you can talk to.
I also find that with blog hopping I always tend to stumble on more bloggers to love!
Agree, it’s exhausting at times! I also get more interaction from blog hopping and I love how many great bloggers I find this way, too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
I understand when you say Twitter is overwhelming. It can be at times. But I try to focus on the positives and ignore the negative. Nothing beats the old school blog comments though. I want to do it more often.
Such a thoughtful post. This opens up a lot of topics for discussion and chats.
Agree, I love the old school comments, too 🙂
Thank you, so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Wonderful article! As someone who struggles with social anxiety, I find that my ability to communicate fluctuates greatly. Although I make an effort to comment on blog posts, I typically limit myself to only a few each day (often resorting to simply liking them instead). I primarily utilize Twitter and Instagram for social interaction, but I have found that I am most active in a Facebook group where I serve as a moderator. While we have several bloggers in our community, not everyone shares that interest.
I completely get that, interacting, even online, can get a bit overwhelming at times. I’m really glad that you’ve found the place you feel the most comfortable in! 🙂