Since Alex has been kind enough to allow me to contribute a guest post on his blog, I thought it would be appropriate to write about, well, guest blogging. I believe guest blogging should be a top priority for anyone who is serious about building their online presence. After all, what better opportunity is there to expose your name to a new audience that to post on someone else’s blog?
Finding the Right Blog
I know people like to say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but you want to make sure your guest blog contributes to your overall goal of brand building. For this reason, you should conduct careful research to find a blog suited for your needs. If you’re an offshore welder, you probably wouldn’t get much benefit from posting on a blog about flowers. But that’s common sense, right? So, the first step is to find a blog you can contribute your expertise to.
After discovering a few blogs in your niche, you want to find one that has a following. If you’re going to take the time to create a well crafted guest post, you want to make sure at least a few people are reading it. And with so many fly by night blogs out there, it’s hard to find one with a loyal audience. The best way to determine if a blog has a good following is by checking out the comments. If all of the posts consistently generate a few comments, you’ve probably found a good blog to post on.
Getting to Know the Blogger
Before you jump right in and ask the blogger if you can contribute a guest post, you should settle down and get to know the blog. Study the old posts, and subscribe to the RSS feed. This will help you get a feel for the general theme and tone of the blog.
Furthermore, you should become a regular in the comments section. And, no, saying “good post” after every entry doesn’t count as being a regular. As readers of Blogsessive discovered in a recent post, you need to make your comments stand out. Doing this will get the attention of the author, and you can create a relationship this way. It also helps you get a more intimate feel for the blog’s audience, which will help you craft your post should you become a guest blogger.
Ask the Author
If you wait around long enough and you write enough comments, the blogger might eventually ask you to contribute a guest post. Then again, he might not.
That’s why the best way to land a role as a guest blogger is to come right out and ask for it. As an example, I’ve been a loyal reader here on Blogsessive for a few months now, and I shot an e-mail to Alex asking if he needed someone to contribute a guest post. As luck would have it, he was going to be out of town for a few days, and he needed someone to step in. Now, here I am.
All you have to do is ask. The worst they can say is “no”.
Making the Most of Your Opportunity
Now that you’ve landed a spot as a guest blogger, the real work comes in. You have one chance to impress this new audience with your knowledge, ability, and personality. It really is a lot to tackle. This is why many guest bloggers fall flat on their faces.
Don’t over think your guest post. If you try too hard to be smart and witty, the audience will spot you for the phony you are. Instead, just be yourself. Write a post that shows your knowledge and that fits in with the general theme of the blog.
Another mistake guest authors often make is to give a sales pitch. In their mind, this is their big chance to get on stage in front of a new audience, and they have to make the most of it. Unfortunately, there is no quicker way to lose a reader than to try to pawn your product off on them.
Instead of viewing your guest post as a chance to sell something, think of it as a chance to build your name and reputation. In my opinion, the biggest benefit of guest blogging is you get to extend your network and gain some authority in the process. Authority and respect are things money can’t buy. And, yes, that inbound link you earn from guest blogging is nice too. 😉
About the author
Eric Brantner is a business copywriter that has served clients from virtually every major industry with freelance copywriting services. Make sure to check out his website at EricBrantner.com and his contributions on the SeoNoobs.com blog.