How to Build a Blog Hop: Part 2 "Structure"

(This is the second post about building my own blog hop)

There are good reasons for every requirement that blog hop hosts set up:

• to help publicize the blog hop
• to reward the host for hosting
• to ensure that participants get new followers

But following these rules is time consuming and frustrating on a slow-loading computer (ok, that's from a prior post).

I adhere to the K.I.S.S. philosophy whenever possible, so I want my blog hop to be user- friendly and quick to join. I'm a little nervous about a "no rules" blog hop, though. I fear that everyone would join the linky but not visit anyone else. Do you realize what that would mean? We'd all hear crickets! There'd be no benefit to joining the hop except name recognition. 

So, I'm taking a middle-of-the road position. By the way, A Rural Journal wrote a post to which I am referring as I set up the following guidelines...

Specifics

1. The blog will open at 6 p.m. each Monday evening, as much as it is within my ability to do so.
2. I will publish the linky post sometime between 6 - 10 p.m. each Monday evening and include a link directly to the full post.
3. I'm considering featuring a guest blog from the list of participants. But another requirement (to follow that blog)? I dunno.

Rules and Reasons

1. "Follow the leader(s):" Everyone who joins the blog hop needs to publicly follow my blog and the blogs of any co-host or guest host through GFC or Facebook.
2. Leave a comment so I can follow back, and I WILL follow back within a few days. I'm a little concerned about following hyper-posters - you know, folks who post twenty times a day? That's just not my cup of tea. But I suppose I could stop following if necessary. So far, this is the only dilemma I've come across in setting up a blog hop. I like to scan my Google Reader, and the thought that one or two bloggers would root out others by posting numerous times within the hour is not pleasant.
3. Link up your main blog, Twitter, and/or Facebook page (family-friendly only, please).

 Completely Optional, but helpful to all:

• Visit and follow as many new blogs as you like. Be sure to leave comment so they can follow back.
• Follow back those who follow you, if you're comfortable doing so. Leave a comment to let them know you did.
• Write a post about all the blog hops you're you're joining on that particular day.
• Add my blog button to your list of blog hops, if you have one on your blog.

Alright, so I've ended up building this blog hop on only three rules and the faith that those who join WILL visit and follow each other. We'll see how it goes! 

What's next? I don't know, but I'll post whatever it is in Part 3!