Joanne Hernon — June 6, 2018 Guest posting is a great way to build credibility within your niche and get some exposure for your site. There are many benefits to guest posting. The trick is learning how to capture said benefits and truly capitalize on them. Unfortunately, there is no magic button, but if you put in the work, you can grow your business by leaps and bounds by guest posting. Some methods are tried and true while others are outdated, so the glory comes in knowing the difference. Here are a few ways that work to help you grow your audience.
Guest Post On Relevant Sites
The goal of guest posting is to grow your audience whether it be a following on a social media platform or opt-ins for your newsletter. Your guest posts must appear on sites relevant to your niche, or you won’t reach your target audience. Yes, it can be difficult to come by the opportunity to guest post, and it is also a lot of work. If you aim your site or product at baseball fans, then it makes no sense for you to guest post on an automotive website.
Find Blogs That Draw Attention
It can be difficult to determine the reach of someone else’s site when you can’t get in and see the metrics behind it. People often put all of their efforts into the pitch but forget to think about the amount of traffic a proposed site may get. There is no surefire way to see how much traffic they get or what percentage is targeted. However, there are some signs you can look for to see if guest posting on the site is going to be worth your time.
Comments
Check the comments on the site you are considering. Are there a lot of comments and are they getting responses? When a site has a lot of engagement and communication from the audience, it is a good indication that there is a more significant following from targeted traffic. It is not the only metric you should use, but it is the first thing you should check.
Alexa Ranking
Check the Alexa ranking after you look at the comments. With Alexa, the lower the rank, the better the score. It is similar to winning a first or second place in a competition. Alexa rates things the same way, so look for a lower-ranked site.
Social Media
Another good indicator to consider is whether the site in question has an associated social media account, and there may be more than one. You will have to look at a couple of different platforms to ensure an accurate measure. More and more activity is happening on social media, which is why the comments on the site can’t be the only indicator. There may be a vast and active following on social media that is not visible in the comments section of the website.
Promote Gently
Every site that allows guest posting will have a different set of guidelines, and it is imperative that you follow them. However, it is also essential that the site lets you do some gentle promotion within the post, such as one or two links either in your bio or the body of the copy. They will not want the content overly populated with promotional material, and you must write a substantial article that they will be proud to publish on their site. If you do, they will likely allow you a backlink or two somewhere within the work.
Keep in mind the importance of measuring the results after a site publishes your guest post; the reactions won’t be immediate, so this will take a little time. You may be surprised to find that more prominent sites won’t always yield the results you want. But sometimes they will, and if you write a solid article, you may be invited to post again. You need to know that your effort will be worth your time, and the only way to find out is to measure the results you got the first time. There are many tools available on the internet to help you do this. Follow these tips, and you will be well on your way toward growing your audience with guest posting.
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