In the early days of hosting my blog, when I would occasionally yet blindly accept guest blog posts, both the writer and I deserved what we got: dismal results. How to write and submit guest blog posts that get results points to some mistakes we want to avoid.
When I started thinking about some top points, it came to me that being a welcome guest blogger follows some of the same rules we likely put to our own writing for the blog that we host!
Choose host blogs wisely.
All blogs are not equal and those that have a poor reputation or no reputation at all are not going to help you with your goals of increasing your traffic, building links and list building. I covered some of the rules of the road in previous guest blogging posts.
Research the host blog thoroughly.
This means understanding what the blog can offer you as well as what they are asking of you. Know the host guidelines for submitting a pitch, formatting your post, creating links and adding a signature or bio box.
Remember as stated in an earlier post, to use a tool like Alexa.com to discover the blogs traffic.
Focus your blog post content on the reader.
When you guest blog, the purpose is to add value to the host site, not to shamelessly promote your products or your website. Personally, even writing on my own blog my preference is to keep self-promotion to a few times a year. A few years back there was a speaker I heard say, “If it was a friend, how often would you promote?” The truth for me was likely not at all. Yet thinking about it, I realized that at least once or twice a year I talk with friends about what I’m doing in my business – because most of them really do ask.
Hopefully a self-promotion idea was not the idea you pitched to the host blog. If you did, you will likely neither get to guest blog and if for some reason you are accepted, you won’t be invited back.
Determine what you can add to the host site to build them up.
By focusing on others, you can actually build your reputation and people will want to learn more about you. Concentrate on providing relevant and rich content for the host’s audience. That’s what we do for our own blogs isn’t it? It needs to be a similar or even better kind of writing.
When you are viewed as an expert you will be welcome back in the future.
Solve the blog owner’s problem.
As host bloggers we know the problems pretty well! Create unique content and you might be asked back again to guest blog. As you research the host blogs you’ve selected, look for information that you can provide that solves a problem that readers might have. It may likely pertain to a niche market. If your information is unconventional, it might just peak the reader’s interest. At the very least, put a new spin on an old way of doing a certain task. This does not mean recycle your old content. It means while the topic might be recycled the ideas in it are new and different.
Be a welcome guest.
Just like a guest in someone’s home you want to act like a guest on a blog for which you write. All bloggers want people to comment and share their posts. In order to gain the trust and curiosity of the readership to do this, it is likely they want to know more about you. Responding to their comments is a way to build that trust. Avoid standard answers like, “Thank you for your comment,” which are purely courteous remarks. Provide enough of a response to questions to further their comment with value or encourage more talk.
Inspect what you expect from your blog posting.
What are your reasons for guest blogging? Do you want to gain traffic to the host bloggers website? Do you want to get more traffic over to yours? Have you found your list growing? Are you building links? Decide to find some measurable results. Then tweak your process and commit to finding guest spots elsewhere.
Keep the process going to a consistency that you can and are willing to work with.
What other actions or attitudes are necessary to help your guest blogging results?
What do you think? Wouldn’t some of these actions apply equally to your own writing?
Great advice Patricia. Although I have had guest bloggers and have been a guest blogger, when I arrive at a favorite blog and there is a guest post I am always a little disappointed. I immediately wonder if the quality of the post will be as good as normal. Will the topic make sense? Will I struggle to understand the style? When I read it and it’s on topic and I actually enjoy it, I’m always a little surprised, but thrilled.
Having accepted some unrelated posts in some situations, I’ve been sorry for it. My go-giver attitude got in the way of good business blogging sense. Now I am more cautious about whose posts show up here. And it is easier to say, no thank you. Thanks Debra.
Guest posting is an art in and of itself. I agree with you. You get what you put in to it. That includes knowing the website and the blogger and vice versa. For me I hesitate accepting an offer to guest post due to the fact that it takes me so long to write one of my own much less to do one for someone else. That means that it must benefit both of us to make it worth both our whiles. 🙂
So right Susan. I’d go even further saying, it has to benefit the host, the guest and the readers. If it doesn’t pass that 3 way test then pass on the post. This month I’ve done that at least half a dozen times. Thanks!
Pat — you and I have discussed the poorly written guest post inquiries we both get. If you are suggesting a guest post, review the previous posts on that site and understand their target audience. Send links to articles you’ve written so they can check you out, too. Most important, supply them with your contact information: your name, company and link to your website. It’s discouraging to receive a pitch that is simply signed, “John.” Who is this person?
Oh yes we have Jeannette! We’re on the same page. Speaking of which, the guidelines for being a guest blogger, can also apply to ourselves when WE are the guest. Same, same. Thanks.
Great tips on guest posting! I have never guest posted but I hear it is a great way to get your blog out there.
Thanks Krystle. Whether you guest blog or accept guest posts, there is a certain etiquette and style to the success of it. And you are spot on, it is one of the best ways to get your blog noticed when you are the guest blogger.
Great article, it seems that blog post is one of the best ways nowaday, to drive traffic and build list to website without compromising SEO. I’ll focus on it.
Thanks for sharing
Blog posts in general are central to SEO. It’s both what people are looking for online – information, and what the search engines are searching for. Thanks.
Patricia- Your points are well taken. It is hard for me to find a guess blogger because of my niche. I know it is important and will help SEO. At this point I would prefer to do nothing then have guest blogs that do not relate to what I do. I am not sure how Google would interrupt that if it doesn’t relate.
Your decision is well taken Arleen. If a guest post cannot write to your niche in some way, they it’s not going help your relationship with the reader. You know, I am not sure how Google would interpret that either! Hmmm. I will need to check with my webmaster to see if she can help. Thanks.
There is a certain etiquetter for guest blogging, for example, I hate when my readers have comments and questions and the guest is no where to be found.
TheGirl I believe some guest bloggers just don’t know the etiquette. When someone contacts me to guest blog, I email them with my guidelines. That quite often cuts out – for lack of a better word at the moment – the less professional of the guest bloggers. They usually just go away quietly. Thanks.
Hi Patricia,
I have been thinking of asking a few of my fellow colleagues to guest blog and this is helpful information. I especially like the go-giver part – where I would build them up. This is a natural occurrence for me anyway. I love to acknowledge others’ gifts and talents. It is what a coach authentically does.
I appreciate the great tips and will definitely consider them as I am a guest blogger and have guest bloggers as well.
Warm Regards,
Dawn Howard Weaver