Just a heads-up: This blog post might make you think I’m talking about you.
A couple of years ago, the following post debuted on this blog.
7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog
It got people rethinking why they follow particular blogs. And that was my aim. Job done! Or so I thought.
It won’t come as a surprise that, having already read many posts this year where the writer outlines how they are already feeling overwhelmed and guilty about not being able to keep up with reading, commenting, and writing posts (and we’re only a few days into the 2026), I thought it a good point to say a few things that some bloggers find difficult to talk about.
Is this you?
Not only is following too many blogs something that can have an adverse effect on your mental health, but it can also have a negative effect on your writing and creativity.
Some people act immediately when they start to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or guilty about blogging, but sadly, some leave the world of blogging, sometimes without giving any notice of their intention to do so.
Of course, some people also give up blogging on a positive note.
As I already mentioned, following too many blogs is one of the biggest pitfalls of blogging because many bloggers believe they have to follow every blogger that follows them, read their posts and leave comments on every post. Sure, some of those bloggers only ever leave short, non-engaging comments more as proof they’ve visited, but sadly, some go on to abandon their blogs when it all becomes too much.
Let me be clear. If anyone suggests it’s only polite to follow the blogs of everyone who follows your blog, they are talking nonsense. If I took that advice, I’d be following over 7,000 blogs. Can you imagine how overwhelming that would be and the effect it would have on my mental health, especially if I felt I had to read and comment on every post?
Thankfully, I only read and comment on posts that interest me.
Before following any blog, ask yourself these questions.
1. How often are new posts published?
The frequency at which posts are published is important. Some bloggers publish a new post once a month; others publish weekly; some publish daily; and then there are those who publish more than one post a day.
I once followed a blog where the host was publishing up to five new posts daily.
I could have ignored how often she published new posts, but because I found some of her posts interesting and she was following my blog, I felt obliged not only to follow her blog but also to read and comment on all her posts. Yes, those comments were short and non-engaging because I was not able to keep up.
This led to guilt when I missed any of her posts, left comments only to prove I visited and to feeling overwhelmed by it all.
Check how often posts are published before pressing the ‘subscribe’ button. If posts are published daily, and that’s too much for you, consider not following or do not feel obliged to read all the posts.
If you receive email notifications for new posts, consider getting one email a week with the posts they publish. Yes, there’s an option for that. You can then choose which of those posts you want to read.
How To Change How often You receive New Post Notifications
On the ‘Manage Subscriptions‘ page of your blog (under the ‘Reader‘ button), click on the three dots (Kebab menu) next to any of the WordPress.com blogs you follow and choose how frequently you get email notifications of new posts.
The choices are Instantly, Daily or Weekly.
Consider getting new post notifications via web and mobile notifications if getting email notifications become too overwhelming.
If you are happy with the frequency of new posts, by all means, subscribe and enjoy.
2. Is the content interesting enough?
Time is something many of us cannot manage when reading blogs, usually because we feel we do not have time to read everything, yet we feel obliged to and often leave a comment as proof. It’s a surefire way to get yourself on a slippery slope toward blogging burnout.
If none of the content interests you, don’t feel obliged to follow or read.
Don’t become a ‘ghost’ follower by subscribing to blogs you know you’ll never visit. After all, would you read a book on a subject that did not interest you? Be honest and ask yourself, ‘will I actually read this blog, or will it just add guilt to my unread list?‘
Time is precious, and wasting it on reading content you have no interest in is one of the main blogging mistakes you can make.
Spend time on reading content that interests you and which may inspire you to leave genuine, thoughtful comments.
Leaving a thoughtful, genuine comment occasionally far outweighs the impact of posting brief, unengaging comments on every post simply to show you were there. Make your comments count, ensuring that “thank you” isn’t the only response that resonates.
Thoughtful comments show you are interested and want to engage. Short, non-engaging comments simply prove you visited. They do not prove you read the post.
And remember that if a blog you follow publishes posts on various subjects, you are under no obligation to read everything they publish. Read only what interests you.
3. Does the host look after their blog?
- Would you shop on a website with lots of broken links, a poor layout, or where you have difficulty finding what you are looking for?
- Would you follow a blog that is broken because the host keeps blaming WordPress or anybody else but themselves for the faults?
- Would you follow a poorly designed blog or one full of errors, broken links, and no sense of organisation?
- Would you follow a blog that no longer has security updates because of it’s outdated theme or has a comments section full of spam and unverified links?
I hope you answered ‘No’ to all of those questions.
Just as taking care of your home creates a warm, inviting, friendly, comfortable, and safe place for family and friends to visit, maintaining your blog is equally important. Bloggers who prioritise maintaining their blogs demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impression on visitors, showing that they truly care about their audience.
Unmaintained blogs present a significant security threat to visitors. Bloggers utilising unsupported WordPress themes are not receiving crucial security updates, jeopardising the safety of their audience, particularly when clicking links.
Consider carefully before following or engaging with any blog that presents itself as outdated, disorganised, unsafe, or uninviting due to its poor layout. This caution extends to blogs that permit hostile or inappropriate comments in the comment section.
4. What do you know about the hosts(s)?
- Who is the individual behind this blog?
- What is their name, and what is their geographical location?
- What topics do they cover in their writing?
These are critical questions to consider before deciding to follow any blog. Reflect thoroughly on the implications of following a blog that fails to provide sufficient information about its author(s). While their posts may appear engaging, the absence of identifiable information raises concerns regarding the safety and credibility of your decision to follow.
I have misjudged by following various blogs based on the appeal of their content, only to discover particulars of the hosts that were quite disconcerting. A more sensible approach would have been to inquire about the blog’s authorship and to consider why I should place my trust in them.
More often than not, some bloggers adopt a seemingly friendly manner to attract visitors, only to later reveal their true intentions, often by posting derogatory comments directed at you or fellow bloggers.
I’ve discovered that with time, I can quickly judge what people are like from their blog posts before deciding to follow their blogs. However, if I can’t find any information about who they are and what they blog about, I won’t follow.
A simple rule of thumb
If, after reading 3–5 posts, you’d be disappointed not to see the next post, it’s probably worth subscribing.
What has been your experience with following too many blogs? Have you felt overwhelmed? Do you prefer quantity or quality in blog subscriptions? How do you choose which blogs are worth your time? How important is it to know about the host behind a blog before following? What tips do you have for bloggers feeling overwhelmed by subscriptions? How do you balance reading, commenting, and writing?
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The featured image on this blog post is sourced from Pixabay. AI reviewed spelling and grammar errors.
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I found myself at one point extremely overwhelmed at the amount of blogs on my reader and alerts in my email inbox, when in reality there was less than 10 at any given time that I absolutely did not want to miss a post from. Unfortunately, that was 10 or so years ago and most of those bloggers have long since stopped posting… its hard to find blogs I truly love that much anymore
I agree that it can be difficult to find new blogs to follow. I tend to find new blogs to follow in the comments sections of posts, but only if those comments are engaging and show that the person leaving the comment wants to engage, rather than just visiting and always leaving short, non-engaging comments. I also look for blogs by using keywords and searching for that subject in the WordPress reader.
Yes, the comment section can be helpful, at least for finding like-minded people. It doesn’t always translate to me finding most of their posts engaging, lol! I suppose I need to dedicate more time to wordpress, like I used to, and eventually, I’d stumble across more writers I want to read frequently again. I just really enjoy narrative style, whether fiction or true to life/memories and finding people that write exceptionally well and can hit you ‘in the feels’ sometimes or write a series story you want to come back for is hard to come by
I follow many blogs where I don’t read all of their posts, for one of the reasons you mention – not engaging. However, if it’s engaging enough to inspire me to join a discussion with the writer, I’ll probably follow, provided they do not publish more than once a day. I can’t cope with blogs that publish lots of posts within a short timeframe, as it becomes too overwhelming.
Yeah, currently I’m following plenty I barely read because of that. I’ve definitely unfollowed for the very fact they drown out my reader so I miss blogs I want to read! Lol Personally I’m just so inconsistent I don’t know how my followers have put up with me over the years – especially those that have followed me from when I had a little bit bigger blog to my current sites. 😅 I tend to do little spurts of posting daily, then silent for months until I’m inspired to/have time to write again
It’s all about finding the perfect blogging balance that suits you. It took me years to find mine. I kept telling myself it was out there. And it was.
You have me anxious in case I’m a category 3 risk, Hugh! I am occasionally advised that someone struggled to leave a comment and I’m unable to ascertain why. Likewise there are sometimes blogs that I have difficulty in commenting on. It’s a frustrating process and fortunately doesn’t happen often, but I would like to resolve it.
There are many reasons why you’re not able to comment on some blogs and why some people can’t comment on your posts. The most common issue is that users are using an outdated theme no longer supported by WordPress. That means that bugs and issues no longer get fixed. Another reason is that the software on the device is not up to date. However, there are fixes – I’d recommend trying to comment via another browser: Firefox or Chrome usually work best for WordPress. Devices can get overloaded with too much junk, so clear your cache and cookies on the device you are using and see if that helps. Of course, ensure you are logged into your WordPress.com account before commenting. Try to comment from an Incognito/Private window and see if this works.
I’ve always found that clearing the cache and cookies on my computer resolves issues with websites.
Thanks, Hugh! I’ll do my best xx
Don’t be afraid to ask any questions. I’m always happy to help.
I started following your advice a while back and have been slowly but surely reducing the number of blogs I follow.
Your statement that “you are under no obligation to read everything they publish. Read only what interests you.” is wonderful advice. Even with blogs I continue to follow, I only read what captures my interest – I find Feedly an excellent tool to help with that. I can see at a glance what has been published and can delete immediately if not of interest. The WordPress Reader doesn’t enable me to do that
The other thing I’ve found helpful with Feedly is that I can set up groups – so when I start to follow a blog I put it into a dedicated group. It makes it easier to monitor, then after about 3 months I judge if I want to continue to follow.
I’m delighted to hear that you have reduced the number of blogs you follow. That’s great news.
I don’t believe that the majority of those you claim to have read a blog post that does not interest them, by leaving a short, non-engaging comment on that post. All they are doing is proving they visited. I wonder how many of those readers would read a book that did not interest them? It’s such a shame that some bloggers believe they are obligated to read everything simply because they follow a blog and that blogger leaves comments on all their posts, most of which are short and non-engaging. What a waste of time. I even witnessed a blogger apologise yesterday for being late in leaving a comment on a post. The post had only been published the day before. What a sad way to read blogs, in believing there is a time limit by which you must read and comment.
I’m glad Feedly works for you. It sounds like a great tool for sorting out what to read.
Oh boy, apologising for being “late” to comment is taking things too far
This is a great topic, Hugh. I remember being so excited about getting followers and making friends when I first started blogging. I reciprocated by following people who followed me. Some people I followed, didn’t respond back – probably for reasons you suggest, LOL. It wasn’t long until I wasn’t able to read everyone’s blogs. It was frustrating! But as you have said many times, blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s one of the biggest mistakes and sources of misinformation bloggers get, Marsha. I dread to think what would happened to me if I’d followed back everyone who followed me. It’s the people that show up I want, not people who are after the numbers and who will unfollow you as soon as you follow them back. However, fortunately, not many of them last long in the blogging world.
Hi Hugh, this is an interesting topic and I’ve read your previous posts on this matter. Your advice is sound. I have gotten over the feelings of guilt you mention and certainly don’t read every post by any blogger. I read the ones that interest me.
Good to hear, Robbie. That’s how it should be which, in turn, keeps blogging a fun and enjoyable experience.
Yes, I agree
These are wonderful thoughts to consider when following blogs. As you mentioned time is precious. We probably don’t want to spend all day in front of the computer. In my earlier blogging days I followed a lot of blogs. Many of them did interest me but it all became too much to keep up. I found I had to be selective of what blogs really interested me and were meaningful to me. I don’t just like to simply read a blog – when I read a blog I like to engage and leave a comment 1) to show my support for the blogger knowing it took time for them to put something out in the world and 2) add something to the conversation. So blogs with interesting content really stand out to me.
The point about the individual behind the blog is important. So often I get a blog that Likes a ton of my posts (and I mean a lot of Likes), and then leave no comment or a short comment like ‘Great post.’ I pay their blog a visit only to see a non-existent About page or posts that are clearly written by AI or for the algorithm – which puts me off from engaging any further. Personal safety online is also paramount to me – sometimes you really don’t know who is behind the blog unless they share something about themselves and participate in the blogging community. So if I can’t get a feel of the person behind the blog, I don’t engage.
I used to blog weekly and visited blogs weekly. That all became too much. I found that by cutting back to posting a few times a year, that allows me to write quality content that I genuinely am happy to share, and also gives me time to visit blogs at my leisure and spend quality time here. Great post as usual with thoughtful tips, Hugh.
What wonderful comments that sum the subject of this post up so well, Mabel. I’m so pleased you’ve settled into a blogging routine that suits you and not what you think other bloggers want.
‘Serial-likers’ are something I also have. Some even like all of my comments, including those I leave on other blogs. I find it rather creepy, but it’s probably nothing but them trying to grab my attention rather than by doing it by the correct method in leaving me a thoughtful and engaging comment every now and again.
I agree with what you say in that the best way to support a fellow blogger is to leave them a thoughtful and engaging comment every now again instead of commenting ‘Great post’ on all the posts they publish. Those short, non-engaging comments only say ‘I don’t have the time for you but feel I need to prove I visited your blog.’
Thank you for your input and great comments about the subject of this post, Mabel.
‘Serial-likers’ is an apt way to put it. Now that you mention it, I also get some who likes all the comments on my posts – my comments and readers’ comments. Probably wanting to get the attention of as many bloggers as possible when in reality, a ‘like’ doesn’t carry the same meaning as a thought-out comment.
Thanks for keeping it real as always, Hugh :)
I completely agree, Mabel. One well thought-out comment is worth thousands of likes.
When I first started blogging, I felt obligated to subscribe to everyone who subscribed to me. Not anymore! These days, though, I suspect that most of my new subscribers are bots.
Bots can be a problem, but at least we can unsubscribe them from following our blogs.
You have great suggestions. I used to feel bogged down reading blogs I follow every day and commenting. I now take days off from reading and go back to read and comment when I have time — without guilt.
Good to hear. Too many bloggers fail to take action and end up abandoning their blogs.