If you’re aiming to become a brand regular contributor to a blog, or simply want the blog owner to brand about what a great guest blogger you are, then be sure to do your best to promote your post to popularity through your own audience. The blog owner will love it if you send new readers their way. Also, be sure to reply to your comments. That will go a long way if you are working to build authority in your industry.
Here are Few Tips for guest bloggers:
If you believe guest blogging could give your brand a boost, here are some of the top tips to propel you in the right direction.
#1. Don’t do it for the links
Achieving links from guest blogging should not be the only reason to blog.
In fact, if you are just doing it for links, this will be obvious to anyone reading it. If it even gets published that is.
#2. Think about the formatting
Articles should be readable, especially if they’re relatively long. For example, the use of short sentences and paragraphs, using bullet points and subheadings, as well as charts and images, all makes an article easier on the eye.
If an article is well formatted, people are more likely to read it.
#3. Exclusivity
Everyone ask for exclusivity on all guest posts, for various reasons. In particular No one wants Google’s duplicate content filter to give a black mark, but the main reason is that guests should write posts specifically for the audience. Nobody want second-hand blog posts, nor posts that will appear on other sites after they’ve been published at this end.
#4. Think about your headline
Headlines are important. They are the first thing people see, and therefore form a big part of the decision on whether or not to read, re-tweet or share an article.
They should be concise, descriptive, but should also contain keywords the site is looking to rank for.
#5. Keep Track of Your Efforts
Accordingly, a leader in social monitoring and tracking, it’s critical that you keep track of all your guest blogging efforts so you can accurately understand whether you’re getting a valuable return. Using a proven software or online tool can make this process exponentially easier.
#6. Implement a Closing
While many bloggers have very specific rules, some may give you more flexibility. If possible, find a way to implement a strong closing with a call-to-action. This CTA allows you to engage with your audience and may even encourage readers to click on your link or share your post.
#7. Invest in Shelf Life
A well-written blog can really hang around for years and still produce results. While there is certainly a time for writing time-sensitive content regarding current issues, it’s a much more valuable long-term strategy to write content that can remain effective for a long period of time.
#8. Find Syndicators
One thing successful brands are good at is finding syndication partners to redistribute existing content to new audiences. The huge benefit here is that you don’t have to write anything fresh. You simply have to contact these sites and make a simple request. In addition to guest blogging, consider syndication for content you own.
#9. Invest in Research
Prior to implementing a guest blogging strategy, you should make sure you’ve done your research. Whenever considering a new blog or channel, check to make sure its audience would resonate with you, that the bloggers are invested in quality content, and that Google and the other search engines don’t see the site as spammy.
Moreover, when a publisher is considering whether you’re a good fit for their site, the first place they’ll look is your blog. There are a number of factors they’ll be looking at on your site, including:
- The quality of your writing: Subject matter aside, is your writing free from typos and grammatical errors?
- Whether you’re a subject matter expert: Do you offer unique insights into industry-related topics, or do you simply rehash common topics?
- Social proof: How many comments, likes, and shares have your posts received? Publishers want to see that you have an established audience and that your content is getting traction within your niche. Make sure your social sharing counters are displayed prominently, not only on your homepage but also on individual blog posts as well.
- Appropriate use of external linking: One of the tenets of high-quality content is the inclusion of links to authoritative sources. Publishers will be looking to see if you’re aware of — and citing high caliber, knowledgeable sources in your content.
- Prominent placement of your name on your content: Ensure that your name and bio are included on all your posts. This is particularly important for multi-author blogs.
Guest blogging is still a great brand building strategy and can be used to garner positive traction on the internet. Use these tips to make the most out of your efforts and always remember to track and monitor your influence to ensure you’re getting the maximum return on investment.
Conclusion: Guest blogging can be an extremely powerful strategy for extending your reach, driving traffic and getting links back to your site. It’s a strategy I’ve come to rely on for my own business, and one I recommend wholeheartedly to clients and colleagues. While this is a very intensive and time-consuming process, trust me when I say the potential benefits far outweigh the amount of time and effort you’ll need to put into it.
Through the guest blogging experience, the bloggers can get their name known in the blogosphere.
Now it’s your turn to speak!
Have you been a guest blogger? What are the benefits you attained with it?
Share your valuable thoughts with me as I always love to hear your voice 🙂
