Your blog is a tremendous content marketing tool.
Guest blogging puts your blog on steroids.
The two ways to benefit from guest blogging are:
- Get your blogs (articles) published on other sites
- Publish the work of guest authors on your site
You as a guest blogger
The major benefits for getting your articles published on other websites are:
- Increased name recognition for you and your company
- Enhanced reputation as an authority and thought leader
- Increased traffic to your website
- Quality backlinks to your website
- Improved search engine results
Here’s how to get started:
Identify the right kind of guest blog opportunities. You want your articles to appear on quality sites that your audience is reading. Start by considering the blogs you read. Look at who the authors are to see if any are guest bloggers. You may have to scroll down to the end of the post and read the author bio.
Another way to find potential sites is to search on your industry keywords plus phrases like “submit a guest post” or “guest post by” or “guest post guidelines”. Also, if you know of any prolific bloggers who target your market, search on their names to see where their articles are being published. Go here to see our guidelines for guest blogs.
Build a list of 15-20 sites that you’re going to target as a guest blogger. Once you’ve identified these top prospects, study them further. What type of content do they publish? Are the articles brief overviews or lengthy, in-depth pieces? Is the tone light and sassy or serious and academic?
Familiarize yourself with the guest bloggers they publish and how well those posts do. Read the guest blogger bios – are those authors other bloggers, subject matter experts, consultants? Check out their posts; the number of comments can be a good indication of the posts’ popularity. This evaluation will tell you which sites to approach.
Put together a professional, personal pitch. If the site has guest posting guidelines, read them before you pitch – and then follow them! Make your pitch personal; take the time to identify the site’s owner and use his or her name. Be sure your pitch includes other details that demonstrate you have done your homework.
Submit professional, original work. A key part of being professional is making sure your submission conforms to the site’s guidelines and general format. For example, if they use a lot of short paragraphs, headers and lists, don’t submit a piece with long, unbroken text. Be sure to include appropriate images. Your piece also must be original. Search engines don’t like duplicate content; it can reduce a site’s overall ranking and get you banned as a guest blogger.
Include a well-crafted bio. This is the place where you get to promote yourself and drive readers to where you want them to go, such as to your own website or your social media accounts.
Publish guest bloggers on your site.
If you have a blog, consider inviting people to submit guest blogs. This is a great way to get fresh content and new readers for your own site.
Want to submit a guest blog to CreateTeachInspire.com? Check out our guest blog guidelines and let us hear from you.
Have you used guest blogging as part of your online marketing strategy? Please share your experiences – advantages, drawbacks and tips.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac: The Ultimate Daily Guide for Kingdom-Driven Entrepreneurs and Leaders.
She is the author of the nonfiction books Simple Facts About Self-Publishing (Second Edition), Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night as well as the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story). With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults and the novelty My Book About series.
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