Your guide to guest posting on blogs is here! Many professional bloggers will tell you that blog guest posts are the way to go. What better way to tap directly into an audience that doesn’t know your blog even exists? All you need to do is write something awesome and approach the right site and BAM…you’ve got yourself a guest post! So easy!
Only it’s not.
Here are some important points to keep in mind when it comes to how to guest post
1. Be Relevant
Be sure the site you’re asking to write for is relevant to your niche. Don’t waste your time submitting guest posts to sites simply because they have a large audience you’d like to tap into.
In Problogger’s guide to guest posting, he emphasizes the importance of only posting on blogs that are “well loved.” A large following in social media doesn’t always mean that the readers will be highly relevant to your niche.
2. Write Original Content
Any guest post you submit to a site should be original and not previously published on your own blog…or anywhere. Not only is offering up a previously published post bad for SEO, but it is also like offering someone a half eaten sandwich. No one wants a bite!
3. Link Back From Your Own Social Media Channels
When your guest post is published on the site you submitted to, drive your traffic to that site. Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest…whatever means you need to get your community to click over. This is not only a bonus for the person hosting your guest post, but the more reactions you can stir from the post you write, the better you look and the more likely you are to be invited back again.
4. Engage Your New Audience
When your guest post has been published, I highly recommend spending time responding to the comments. Thank readers for their feedback and show them you’re invested in what you wrote and that you are interested in a connection beyond this particular post.
This is especially true for your feature day here on The SITS Girls. We make it a point to ask questions that not only showcase your blog, but also allow our readers to get to know you…all in an effort for you to form lasting connections. Consider responding to the comments you receive on your feature day on your own blog AND those that you receive here on The SITS Girls. You’ll be happy that you did!
5. Be Fearless
Don’t be afraid to put your name out there. The worst thing that can happen is whoever you are submitting a post idea to will either ignore you or decline to accept your offer. Big deal. Take that as an opportunity to improve and consider re-submitting down the road.
6. Keep Your Guest Post Simple
Don’t overwhelm your new audience with too much information in your guest post. As much as you may want to showcase everything you know, keep your post simple and to the point. A good rule of thumb is to keep your post between 800 and 1,000 words.
7. Don’t Beg
Your guest post is not the place to ask people to vote for you on Babble or Ask.com or ParentsConnect or TheBump. You instantly lose credibility when you choose to use a new platform to promote your side projects. Save your promotions for your own site.
8. Fine Tune Your Pitch
In all likelihood, you will probably approach a number of blogs that you’d like to guest post for all at once. This is completely fine, as long as the recipient of your request doesn’t realize that they are a part of an e-mail blast.
How to Create a Winning Guest Post Pitch
You’ll want to follow a few simple rules when crafting your e-mail:
- Make it personal
- Avoid suggesting that someone search your blog for examples of your writing
- Explain why having you guest post will benefit them
Guest Post Pitch Examples
An example to illustrate our point:
Option A:
Dear SITS Girls,Wow! I LOVE your blog. It would be great if I could guest post sometime. Go ahead and check out my blog and see if anything I’ve written would be a good fit. Thanks!
Option B:
Dear Tiffany and Fran,I really like the changes you’ve made to The SITS Girls. As a longtime reader, it is wonderful to see the content evolve. A few weeks back when I read your “How Not to Design” post, it struck me that I might be able to contribute a post that would be a great fit for your readers. I’m a computer programmer with 10 years of experience in the field. I’m especially interested in creating an original series about how bloggers can convert their platform from Blogger to WordPress. Is this something you might be interested in?
To get a better idea of my writing, please check out the following three posts. Not only will they give you an idea of my writing style, but they also demonstrate that my readers are a good fit for your community.
Thanks for your consideration, and no worries if this doesn’t work out!
Kinda clear which person is most likely to land the guest blog opportunity, right?
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I’ve had a couple guest posts on one of my blogs but I’ve never considered doing one. This article has given me something to think about.
Madison recently posted..Large Hadron Collider Explained
Twitter: bestoffates
says:
I seriously LOVE the whole blog tips series. Each one actually teaches me something, which is useful, as I don’t know anything and absolutely can’t stand those sites devoted to “teaching ppl how to make a gazillion dollars by teaching other ppl how to make a gazillion dollars and by the way you should probably buy our ebook about earning a gazillion dollars – that’s how we made our first gazillion dollars.”
Anyway – I quite like these posts. Even ones like this one, which, while informative, won’t be useful to me, as I could never quite master step #5. So thank you.
Megan (Best of Fates) recently posted..And Me Without A Fattened Calf
This comment is awesome. I love your analysis of those “Watch me make money while I teach you to make money and buy me ebook” sites. So true. Though we’d gladly except payment to run a site like that.
Be fearless Megan!!!
Twitter: elizabeth_agd
says:
I have never had guest posters on my site. I have been considering it recently but wonder how to approach or let others know I would consider this?
More Than A Mom @ morethana-mom.blogspot.com
More Than A Mom recently posted..SITS Cocktail Comment Party The Hangover
Thanks, definitely some good information. We have guest bloggers but never though of doing it ourselves. Sometimes it’s just overwhelming enough trying to keep our blog up to date and relevant.
Thank you for the good advice.
Susan
I’ve been blogging less than a year, so all of this is new to me. Thank you for posting the tip! I’m looking forward to checking out the rest of your website. I’m so glad that I found it.
Amy @mommetime recently posted..This Moment! a Friday ritual
Twitter: teacher_viviene
says:
Thanks! These are all very very helpful! I guest posted once and I do think I want to do it again!
http://www.theblogforbrides.com
http://www.journeyofawoman.wordpress.com
Thank you for the tips. You have given me some things to think about!
Lanita recently posted..Poo-Poo Gumballs
Twitter: kidsyogateacher
says:
The sample letters were very useful. Thanks.
Young Yoga Masters recently posted..What’s Boy Culture And a Contest to Win Yoga for Boys
Thanks for this post. I pointed out some important things that I can do next time I do a guest post that I didn’t do before!
Once I get more blogging experience and posts I think I might try branching out this way. Thanks for providing these tips. It will help with my confidence when I finally decided to guest post!
TRR recently posted..what I’m drinking wednesdays – Smithwick’s Ale
All great tips!
Glamamom recently posted..“ONENESS” ANNE BOWEN COLLECTION WINTER 2011
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This is such a great post!! Thank you!!!
Kathryn recently posted..Leftovers
I have never thought of this before…thanks for sharing!
Amy von Oven recently posted..We ALL fall Short
Twitter: WeKnowStuff_US
says:
Interesting post – I’ve never even thought of guest blogging before. Duh!
I think this post is very helpful. My blog is a niche blog, with a very narrow audience who prefer to remain anonymous. My readers are parents applying to private schools in Los Angeles which is a very competitive market. My readers are anxious and want to remain anonymous so they don’t do anything to hurt their child’s chances of getting into the top schools.
I started guest blogging a few months ago and I’ve been very happy with the results. I always carefully read the blog before I contact the editor. And, I send them a completed piece and let them know if it’s been published previously. In just a few months, I’ve been published on Mamapedia, BlogHer Syndicated, Sane Moms, The Well Mom, the front page of Divine Caroline and other sites. It is time consuming, but it seems to be working for my blog–and I like doing it.
Christina Simon recently posted..Guest Blogger Jenny- Loitering On The Wait-List
Thanks so much for these tips and they are right on time! I am doing a guest post next Friday for the first time. After reading this post I found at least one big boo boo I would have made if not for your information. Good stuff.
Thank you very much for all these precious advices & infos !!
a frog in the cottage recently posted..Pear and pistachio tartlet
Twitter: FFPMaMMa
says:
Thanks for this great info. Just this week I will be doing my first Guest Post so this was incredibly helpful. Some of it common sense, but not all of it. New to blogging and thus new to being a guest. Appreciate the Blogging tips. Thanks a bunch!
FFPMaMMa recently posted..Namesake a FFPMoMent near-miss
Twitter: natalialsimmons
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I just can’t believe how much I love this site and how much information is here. I am hooked for sure. Thanks for sharing, I am off to discover another gem on your site!
Natalia recently posted..My Life in France – The Tough Stuff
I think the difficulty is finding people to guest blog or guest design or even to have a swap arrangement with. I am not sure how you go about finding people to develop a link with.
Twitter: SortaSuperMom
says:
Thanks for the great information! I had thought about guest posting in the past- I’ve even been approached recently- and now I have tips on how to do it right!
Amber recently posted..The Butterfly Award
These are great tips. I’ve been thinking more and more about branching out and doing guest posts.
Teresa (Embracing the Spectrum) recently posted..Why I Hate Cookie Monster
Twitter: NaturalFreeBlog
says:
Great tips! I do always say what my blog is about and what I think I have to offer that might work for them, but I have always encouraged them to look over my blog, too, just so they see if they indeed want to work with me. Maybe that’s not the best idea, but I figure, I want to see what the person is all about and check them out before I recommend them all over my social sites and feature them. Does that make sense?
I agree that you need to let them know you know what they are about, too, not just ask for them to feature you. I always like to know they aren’t just using me for personal gain, but actually respect my site. You know what I mean?
Julie Moore recently posted..Busy, Busy, Busy!
Twitter: VMTwriter
says:
Very helpful post. I’m considering putting myself out there to guest blog. These tips helped.
Vicki M. Taylor recently posted..The Next Big Thing Bloggity Hop
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Yay! I am so glad I found you. I am fairly new at blogging and am learning a ton everyday. Unfortunately, some of that learning is from my own mistakes… so I am out doing some research to make me better!
I have a long way to go to be where I’d like but I am loving what I do!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Jillene @ inkhappi.com ~ putting the {i} in happi! {graphic design, decor, & MORE}
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