Guest blogging opportunities are everywhere – literally! A few Google searches will show you that there are lots of websites in your niche accepting guest bloggers with open arms and you might not even know it. If you think about it, it is not really that difficult to find websites that accept guest posts. Even if some websites don’t openly advertise it, you can still approach their respective owners and land a guest posting gig if you really want to!
While it seems like an easy feat to find and get the opportunity to write as a guest blogger, your goal should not simply end there. Finding a website to write for and get accepted is the primary goal but your ultimate goal should always be something that you can benefit in. Apart from getting “acquainted” to that website’s followers/readers, your final goal should be to drive some (if not all) network traffic towards your own website and grow your email list as a result.
If you are not sure how to make it happen, read further to pick up a few tips!
Carefully think about the topic to write about
No matter if you share the same “niche”, blogs will always be different in a way. Because of this, it is crucial to “get-to-know” the blog that you wish to write for and do not rush in writing the article for your guest post! Take the time to read a few published articles to get a “taste” of what the style and tone of the website is and glance around the comments section to see what type of articles or topics “click” the most. Spending a few hours or days simply browsing around will not hurt. After all, doing a little bit of research is often necessary to come up with a fantastic article!
Once you have read the website’s content, carefully plan your guest post article. Of course, it is important to write about something that suits the website you are writing for but should also be very much “relevant” if you were to post it to your own blog. You should aim to come up with an article that suits that blog’s audience but will not look “too different” if people who read it would find their way to your blog.
Keep in mind that by taking the time to come up with a “great” (not good enough or so-so) guest post article will allow you to make a good impression to that blog’s readers/followers and to the blog owner as well!
Don’t waste the opportunity to promote using the author bio section!
Most websites who welcome guest bloggers to write for them would allow you to write a few things about yourself. Some (if not all) website owners would even ask you to include a recent photo of yourself so people can actually see what you look like!
Making use of the author’s bio section is important since it is only made up of a few sentences. Because you can’t write a lot of information, you have to think of a clever way to promote yourself and to make people “curious” and interested to find out more about you. Think of the qualities you would personally want to read about a certain author that will make you want to read his/her blog. Introduce yourself in such a way that will convince people that you know what you are talking about and have the qualities to back it up.
Apart from whipping a few cool words about yourself never, ever forget to include a link back to your own blog and social media accounts! It is the only way for people to read about your other work apart from the guest posted article. Don’t assume that people who read your article will “try to find you”. Think of blog readers as similar to birds looking for crumbs. They will keep on following towards your direction as they see the crumbs but will stop and go away the moment there are no trails left!
Go back to your guest blog post and interact with the people who leave comments
Once the blog owner published your guest post, your opportunity to promote and re-direct readers toward your blog do not end there. While your blog’s URL is displayed in full view in your author bio (usually displayed at the bottom of your guest post), there are some readers who might not notice it or might need more “convincing” to see whether your blog is truly something they want to read, too.
It is always nice to receive a reply and nobody in his/her right mind loves to get snubbed. And it is no different to people who leave out blog comments. Nothing beats the feeling of receiving a reply from the article author, especially if the comment includes a question about a relevant topic or requesting a few more information about the article. As you interact with the people who left out comments for you, additional information is shared with that blog’s readers and they will see that you are somebody who knows the subject matter well.
Not only that, but your blog’s URL can be included in all your blog comment replies, too! Readers who read your reply will most likely click on your profile (especially if the reply was something they got interested with) and that gives you an additional opportunity to grow your email list.
In a nutshell
Guest blogging is still very useful these days to promote your content online. It is not only useful for you to increase your blog’s readership but is a proven way to “meet” fellow bloggers from your niche. Keep in mind that some of the highly successful people did not do things on their own. They found somebody who is more influential than they are and “connected” with the person to become successful in their own right. Especially if you are a “newbie” in the field, finding an experienced mentor is often the “key” to success.
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