Guest blogging can be a powerful business building tool. Unfortunately, it is grossly underutilized and highly misunderstood by many aspiring bloggers.
Building a credibile blog that encourages active participation is one of the biggest hurdles all bloggers face . That is where guest blogging can help!
Why Guest Blog
When I first entertained writing guest posts, my questions were – why would I submit a guest post,how do I know where I want to guest post and most importantly – what’s in it for me?
I needed to know why I would write anywhere other than my own blog and why I would pass along content that I had worked so hard to prepare?
I had two main concerns:
- That I would be pushing people towards a blog I didn’t own
- Therefore I would have no control over that blog or my content
Both were valid concerns, but missed the mark. Guest blogging is not about control, it is about the community, engagement and relationships that you build.
Building Awareness through Quality Content
Guest blogging gives you the chance to seek out well established authority blogs that can increase the awareness and visibility of your online presence.
Chances are an authority blog that has been around for a good amount of time has an established and loyal readership. Your job as a guest blogger is to offer inspiring and enlightening content that connects with their subscribers.
With quality content, guest blogging can enhance your credibility and drive readers to your own blog where they can find content similar to their interests. The goal is to acquire readership and traffic that might not have found you otherwise.
Other benefits an authority blog can offer:
- An increase in notoriety and an established or improved reputation within your given area of expertise
- Buzz that goes viral when your post is tweeted and shared
- Readers that are already interested in your niche
- Improved search engine ranking
Before You Start Guest Blogging
The biggest mistake bloggers can make is requesting a guest blog spot before building a solid base of quality content. It is essential that you have at least a few articles on your own blog first before you try pushing people towards it.
If you have a passion for your niche and are able to connect with your current reader base, more than likely that will translate to posts written on a blog with similiar interests.
How to Get Started
Your first step is determining what value you will bring as a guest blogger. Then do your homework. Who are the leading or authority blogs within your niche? Is their content in line with yours and do you enjoy reading the blog? It goes a long way with a blog owner if you have personal experience with the authors content and feel that it’s beneficial enough to share with your own community.
Your next step is to reach out to the blog owner. A simple email requesting a guest post is where you will begin. This is where you want to keep it short,sweet and to the point. There is no need to drag out your request with pages of links. Include a few relevant links to your previous articles along with an explanation as to why you feel their blog and your content are a perfect match. Make sure you express why you are interested and what you currently write about.
Guest blogging can be your ticket to hightened online awareness, improved readership and increased blog traffic. Will you take advantage of this business booster?
Joshua Cowell says
November 28, 2013 at 9:51 amHmm it looks like your website ate my first
comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thorougghly enjoyinng
your blog. I tooo am an aspiring blogg writer but I’m
still new to the whole thing. Do you have any suggestions for beginner blog writers?
I’d definitely appreciate it.
Jupiter Jim says
September 6, 2013 at 10:55 pmRebekah,
I love this article because all the experts say that Guest Blogging on someone else’s site is a Great Way to build up the following on your own site. It’s kind of counterintuitive, BUT your article explained very well how posting your article on someone else’s High Ranking, Popular Blog can introduce a whole bunch of people to yourself, your blog and your brand that would otherwise, never have found you. The owner of that blog will probably allow you to put a link back to your blog somewhere in the article or in “the author” description just below the article you write. This will give you some link juice and help your own blog’s SEO, as well.
If possible, comment on the site you want to guest blog on once or twice before you ask to be allowed to ‘guest post’ there.
Thanks!
~ Jupiter Jim
zay says
August 20, 2013 at 11:45 pmAwesome article, Guest post has a lot of benefits, and i can say we have 3 or more benefit as you mentioned above, which is Back-link, traffic and exposure which we require most to keep our blog healthy but it is required to submit a post to related blogs if you want maximum benefit of guest posting.
keep it up please 🙂
Kumar Gauraw says
April 10, 2013 at 6:22 amHi Rebekah,
I agree with you about guest blogging. I see a lot of buzz about this concept. A lot of SEO agencies are taking this route as well to have a more credible way to get backlinks from authority websites etc.
Enjoyed your post and perhaps I am going to send you an email with my guest blogging proposal as well.
Regards,
Kumar
Rebekah Radice says
April 10, 2013 at 10:37 amGuest blogging really is an amazing tool too many bloggers aren’t utilizing. Finding the right blogs that cater to your target market can be very powerful!
April Chapman says
December 27, 2012 at 6:12 pmRebekah you have provided excellent and concise advice regarding guest blogging. I just recently tried guest blogging for the first time and I have already seen the power of a post going viral. Now I am addicted to finding blogs where I know the audience will benefit from the content i provide. Thank you for your insight.
Rebekah Radice says
December 27, 2012 at 9:10 pmThat is so exciting April! I love to hear how others are using guest blogging to propel their business. It truly is an unbelievable tool when used correctly. Best of luck to you and thank you so much for stopping by!
Tehmina Zaman says
December 12, 2012 at 7:34 amThanks for a great post about guest blogging Rebekah, just getting started with it and thoroughly enjoying it. I am already seeing many of the benefits that you mention, notably traffic and exposure 🙂 Tehmina
Rebekah Radice says
December 14, 2012 at 11:34 amIt does take time, but in my opinion, the extra effort is well worth the benefits received Tehmina!
Sudha says
November 7, 2012 at 8:26 amHelpful article but I would have liked some more info on how to approach blogs with an offer of guest blogs. I find that part hard.
Rebekah Radice says
November 7, 2012 at 11:46 amHi Sudha – My suggestion is to send an email directly to the admin of the blog. Say hello, explain what you like about their blog, why a blog post from you would be relevant to their readers and a topic idea along with a short description. It really does not need to be long and drawn out. Is that the area you are struggling with?
Melissa Marro says
November 6, 2012 at 3:07 pmWow. I haven’t seen the feature where your posts add your last post to them. That is really very cool.
Melissa Marro says
November 6, 2012 at 3:06 pmThis is a great blog for those who are more than just starting out (they know something about their industry) but don’t have a huge following yet. Even if you do have a large following, it can be helpful to find other sources of followers that you may not otherwise have had.
Rebekah Radice says
November 6, 2012 at 5:28 pmExactly right Melissa! It’s always a good idea to get yourself out in front of as many people as possible. So great to connect with you!
Christine Brady says
November 5, 2012 at 10:29 amHi Rebekah,
Some great tips on guest posting!
Guest blogging was one of the ways I build up my readership early in my blogging career.
So I would say that for building your own sphere, being a guest blogger is essential.
Blogs are social platforms, so anytime you write a post on your own blog, it gets shared with your own readers’ circles. But every time you post on another blog, it gets shared with all of THOSE readers, and the cycle continues…
Thanks and have a great day!
~Christine
Rebekah Radice says
November 5, 2012 at 1:12 pmI would completely agree about it being essential. It was a huge game changer for my business and helped to establish relationships with influencers within my niche. It definitely increases your reach and like you said, your blog subscribers which hopefully turn into sales at the end of the day!