What do you think? I’ve decided to make this blog the #1 resource for guest bloggers starting on 25th November 2011. I hope you enjoy the tips coming your way.
I wouldn’t pride myself at being a guest posting guru, but I’ve written well over 200 quality guest posts within 6 months of launching my blog. It’s like a journey that never ends. There is so much to learn and I’m glad I dedicated time to making it work. I’ve built strong relationships with blog owners making it easier to get my guest articles published within 7 days.
To get started, pick up some amazing gems below as I list the 10 guest posting tips that have worked for me.
1. You’re a guest
The blogs you would be published on aren’t yours. So, you’ve got to please the blogger with everything in you. The first place you should go to is their guest post guidelines. Make sure you read it thoroughly and obey every rule. Don’t be angry when your expectations are sabotaged. You’re a guest – not the principal.
2. Set a realistic goal
A vital aspect of guest posting is goal setting. Before you even step out to write your first article, ensure you have clear written goals in paper. Determine how many articles you’ll write every day and the word count. For me, I like detailed articles: 600 – 2000 and that has been my favorable criteria in guest posting.
Don’t write it unless you have it all worked out.
3. Know your niche well
One thing I discovered in my first 50 guest posts is that you can’t excel if your niche is strange to you. You should know what’s happening around the web, pertaining to your niche, so you can incorporate this into your writing.
If a 10-year old should ask what your primary focus is, what should your response be? Think about this before stepping out to approach a blogger for possible guest posting opportunity.
4. Write Catchy Headline/Title
The headline is the first section that gets you a “NO” or “YES” response. You should master this aspect of content writing. The media and offline advertising first take headlines very seriously because it would make or mar their response rate.
Every guest post I’ve written has benefit-driven headlines. If you’re targeting a keyword, naturally embed it on the headline to add SEO juice to your content.
5. Write What You Know
What does this mean? A lot of us started our internet business promoting affiliate offers in the “make money online” niche. If that’s the case, it means you should stick to this area and improve on other areas.
As a skilled copywriter, my top guest posts that made it on A-list blogs were focused on this niche; copywriting and selling. If you’re a marketing coach, you should write guest posts that pertain to this.
But don’t stay there too long, read books and attend webinars and workshops to master other subjects. By writing what you know, it flows naturally from your ‘inside’ and this would get you published – bloggers are looking for natural content writers. Be the one!
6. Familiarize With Bloggers
Do you know the blogger so well?
I mean the blogger whose portal you want to get featured? For guest posting to work for you, you need to step out of your comfort zone and get to know others. Since guest posting is all about giving and receiving, when you refuse to connect with bloggers, they won’t be obliged to assist you.
To familiarize with other bloggers, start by commenting on their posts and be consistent. Follow them on Twitter and be their fan on Facebook. All these are strategies that would help you escape the terrible feedback that strangers get.
7. Research Your Topic Before Writing
“Proper preparations prevent poor performance…Matthew Ashimolowo”
In order to write people-optimized guest posts, you need to carry out a deep topic research. Even when you’re an expert in this niche, you still need to know what’s currently happening. What questions your targeted readers are asking and how desperate they need answers. Your ability to stay at the top of your niche determines your level of success.
Stay active in niche-forums and follow successful bloggers in social networking sites. You could subscribe to Google Alert to get hot updates on the web.
8. Speed. Speed. Speed
Unless you get published on A popular high trafficked blog, few guest posts won’t get you the much desired traffic. When this content marketing system was still new, those who started guest posted got the juicy benefit. I could remember one guest article that generated 761 real visitors to my blog within 24 hours.
But today, the competition is fierce. You need quantity as well as quality to succeed. That’s where speed comes in. Learn to type like a maniac and pour those words unto your computer. 3 – 5 guest posts per day would help you realize your goals. Don’t be lazy, speed it up!
9. Write To Engage Readers
Your ultimate goal should be engagement. If your article does not engage the reader, they won’t take actions like subscribing to your RSS FEED or clicking through to your blog. A lot of bloggers are desperate to get published and they ignore/neglect the most vital criteria.
What’s the essence of spending time to write articles that doesn’t engage? You can’t buy your affiliate products or hire you. To get readers engaged, ask intelligent questions at the beginning of your article emotional triggers on the body as well as slight humors.
If you aren’t interesting, readers would switch over to another blog. Who knows if that particular prospect would hire your writing services, SEO services or design services? Write to engage and you’ll enjoy your blogging business.
10. Avoid Suicidal Blogging
Guest posting is time-consuming.
How do you realize the returns on investment of your time? If you do your work well, your articles published across the web, would be sending in trickles of web traffic to your blog daily. Do you have a great landing page setup to convert them?
I’m talking about list building. If you are not building an email list of targeted subscribers, then you’re a “suicidal blogger.” It means your future’s success is blink. Google and other search engines are unpredictable.
You need a push-button marketing strategy that allows you to reach thousands of prospects instantly. Search engine traffic cannot deliver 1000 visitors per day, but a huge responsive email list can deliver much more than that.
Time To Say Something
There you’ve it, the 10 guest posting tips to help you drive more quality traffic to your blog. But I’m no professor in this niche, I’m sure you’ve a tip that’s worked for you. Please add it below and let me add to my knowledge-base.
I wish you would take action today and implement the tips above. It’s all for your good. See you at the top!
Image Credit: flickr.com