What is guest blogging?
Guest blogging - put simply - is when you write content for another blog that is owned and run by somebody else. Although the concept has been around for a many years it has become more and more popular in the last few years due to the fact that everyone is a winner. If you are:
The Guest Blogger: You get yourself or business exposure to a new audience, potentially more traffic and a link back to your site.
The Blog: The blog wins because it gets fresh and unique content that may give a different slant or opinion. It gives the blog more variety and a different voice and can also take away some of the pressure that is felt by blog owners to consistently write tons of great material.
The Reader: The reader(s) get exciting new content, written in different styles with different points and arguments.
So read on for some tips in getting started in guest blogging.
Why should I guest blog?
- Brand Recognition
- Traffic
- Links
How do I find guest blogging opportunities?
- Use Google! Everyone has there own little tips for finding those elusive guest posting opportunities in difficult niches - but you can't beat some good old fashioned Google commands. Here are some of the ones that I would typically use at the start of a project to unearth some opportunities - you can get more advanced later!
There are of course hundreds of permutations that you could use, these are the tip of the iceberg. It is also worth narrowing your search down to posts that have been written in the last month to ensure that you are looking at blogs that are still accepting guest posts.
- Use My Blog Guest. The ultimate tool for finding guest blogging opportunities no matter what niche you work in. My Blog Guest helps bring together the bloggers who want to guest post with the specialist blogs that are looking for fresh, unique content for their blogs. Everyone walks away happy! Not only does My Blog Guest cut down the amount of time that you spend looking for opportunities it helps nurture long lasting relationships across niches that are more important than anything else (in my opinion).
- Build real relationships. Too many people think that guest blogging is all about the links. Don't get me wrong the links are valuable for your SEO, but I believe that building strong relationships with the blogs that you write for is more important. By building relationships with the blog owners you will grab the attention of other important people in your niche - which ultimately can lead to more guest posting opportunities.
Some quick tips for writing great blog posts:
- Write a great headline - it doesn't have to be beautiful. Ensure that it is not cryptic, let people know what to expect fro the post.
- Make the content scannable (don't kid yourself that people are going to give their full attention to your post). This is where bullet points or list come in helpful. It is crucial to have sub headings so that readers can quickly see whether they want to read the piece or not.
- Write in a simple succinct style - don't be afraid to cut out beautifully crafted sentences if they do not push the post along.
- Include some great images or videos or stats - as long as there is something there that will set you apart from all of the other bloggers that are saturating the Internet at the moment.
- Go back and read it again and chop out a little more.
Guest blogging resources:
- My Blog Guest - run by Ann Smarty this great site brings together both the bloggers and the sites that are looking for guest bloggers.
- BloggingPro
- BlogHerald
- Guest Blogging - The Ultimate Guide