Guest blogging is an important way for you to share your message and expand your reach. I do it because there is tremendous benefit to me and my business. Guest blogging allows you to reach new audiences and establish your expertise further. Plus, it allows you to forge new personal relationships with fellow bloggers and that is always a good thing.
Guest posting example
There are a few things to keep in mind when participating in guest blogger opportunities. While they don’t all apply to every opportunity, they will be helpful as you consider guest blogging.
– High traffic is good, but not always necessary. Obviously, guest blogging on a high traffic blog is likely to give you the most exposure, but there is often competition to get posted. In addition, there are plenty of highly targeted smaller traffic blogs that can provide good exposure.
– Learn about the blog’s audience and write specifically for them. While you may write about the same topics, no two blogs are exactly the same. Learn what makes the blog you’re writing for unique and keep in mind what their audience wants to hear.
– Always read the submission guidelines carefully. Look forward what types of topics they want, what formatting you should use or any other specifics they are looking for. Don’t get rejected just because you make a silly little mistake.
– Promote an opt-in, not a link to your home page or a product. You’ll get the best results for with your guest post if you make a free offer to their readers. Linking to your home page may bring in plenty of traffic, but what happens when they click away, never to return? You want them to opt-in to your list, so that you can bring them back to your blog later, make product recommendations and keep in touch with them for months and years to come.
– Engage the audience and respond. Just like with your own blog, readily ask your readers questions and respond to their comments. Consider this your opportunity to forge new relationships with those interested in your topic area.
– Write for the same blog again. Let the audience really get to know you and look forward to your posts. While you can see benefit from just one guest blog post, the benefits multiple as you come back and become a more familiar face to the readers.
Make guest blogging a regular part of your promotion plan and you’ll start to see which opportunities are worthwhile and which are not. You can also use your contributions to certain blogs as leverage to get the opportunity to write for even bigger audiences.
Thanks for a very informative article Dr. Jeanette. How does one go about getting a guest spot, is it something the writer solicits, or does the blog advertise they are seeking guest writers?
There are multiple ways to find guest blogging opportunities, Don. Look for a menu item on “Guest Posts”. If you notice that a blog owner has other guest blog posts, it probably means they are open to the opportunity.
You can also contact the owner of any blog you are interested in being featured on to see if they accept guest blog posts. In some cases they will want exclusive content; in others they are okay with reposting something you’ve published elsewhere. It’s a case-by-case basis.
There are also guest blogging “networks” of blog owners and writers, so do a Google search for those as well.
Remember to stick to YOUR topic. No point in posting on a blog that your target market doesn’t see. The reason you want to do a guest post is to get in front of a different market.