Interested in guest posting? You’ve come to the right place! Bloggers look for strategies to build traffic to their websites and eventually stumble across the idea of becoming a guest on other blogs. It’s a solid link-building strategy every blogger needs to know about, and you’ll want to know how it can help you grow your online following if you’re serious about getting to the next level.
In this article, we’re going to explain the basics of guest blogging, the benefits, and how you can prepare yourself to become a guest blogger. By the end, you’ll feel more confident, adept, and understand the ins and outs of how offering to submit a guest blog post to your favorite blogs can benefit you. Let’s begin!
Guest Posting 101
Before we begin
If you haven’t started your own blog yet, it’s advised you do so first. This will give you the basic skills necessary to be successful as a guest blogger on others’ blogs. A great way to start is by creating a Google Site if you already have a Gmail account. It’s a great minimalist platform that will help you grow accustomed to basic tools you’ll find on most blogging platforms.
Alternatively, you can acquire your own domain name and online hosting through a provider such as Bluehost.
We use Bluehost.
Bluehost makes it easy for you to keep your website files, media, and records all in one place. It’s a professional solution for anyone interested in web ownership.
While you’re at it, read our guide on 5 Easy Steps to Get Started Blogging for a step-by-step look at how you can set up your own blog and publish your very first blog post using Bluehost and WordPress.
What is guest posting?
Guest posting, or guest blogging, is publishing content as a guest author on a blog you do not own and/or are unaffiliated with. Website owners may choose to exchange content with other website owners they have close relationships with. Bloggers may submit a guest blog post to another blog as a strategy to network and market themselves.
What are the benefits of guest blogging?
Here are some of the main reasons to consider submitting a guest blog post:
- Gain experience – Guest posting is a great way to gain experience, because it often requires you to conform your writing style to the needs of other websites. This can push you creatively as a writer and help you develop skills you wouldn’t otherwise think to work on.
- Build backlinks – Backlinks, links to your webpage from other websites across the internet, help direct people to your site, and guest blogging is arguably the best way to build them. By placing your social media or website information at the very end of a guest blog post, anyone who stumbles across it will be able to find their way to you.
- Build search engine credibility – Google uses a formula to determine the most credible websites and list them first in their search engines. Backlinks tell Google other sites trust you, making them especially powerful when you’re able to land them on extremely high value websites. For example, a link leading to your blog placed on Disney.com could earn you a massive rank boost in search engines (all depending on Google’s complicated algorithms). By building credibility with Google through backlinks, your chances of being ranked higher in searches are improved.
- Network with bloggers – You need to branch out and connect with other bloggers if you want to continue growing your blog. The internet has doorways hiding here and there you won’t find unless you’re searching, so network proactively to find the best opportunities.
- Social media exposure – Developing relationships with other companies and bloggers you aspire to blog for can help boost your social media exposure. The occasional mention and shoutout will almost always send more likes and followers your way.
Who should submit a guest blog post?
Guest posting is most useful for intermediate to expert level bloggers with specific goals in mind. They’ve usually hit a certain point where posting on their own site does little to increase the amount of web visitors. Guest blogging somewhere else allows them to place a URL leading back (backlink) to their own blog, creating another traffic source and increasing site visits.
Beginner bloggers are better off spending time developing content on their own website before producing for others. Your blog is your portfolio, and you’ll increase the likelihood others will want to work with you if you have a solid foundation before trying to reach out.
How to Submit a Guest Post
#1 – Start following and commenting on other blogs
In most cases, you need to build trusting relationship with bloggers before they’ll let you submit your own articles to their site. For this reason, it’s crucial you start by following, reading, and commenting on other blogs as soon as possible. Building quality relationships isn’t something that’s easily done over night, making it good practice to set daily goals and numerical targets for online interactions with other bloggers, even if it doesn’t feel natural at first.
#2 – Learn from other bloggers
As you read and follow other bloggers, you’ll begin to take note of different blogging styles and techniques. Try to emulate some of their styles in your own writing to help you develop more range. In the end, you’re looking to publish a guest blog post on someone else’s website, so you should feel comfortable adjusting and writing to the needs of different audiences. Look at the type of content they embed in their posts. Look at the headings and subheadings they use. Each style of writing you can take on is another tool at your disposal.
#3 – Take relationships to social media
When the time is right, take your blogging relationships to social media. Don’t stop at the blog! Make sure to support bloggers’ social media accounts to try and stay on their radar. Bloggers are more likely to be hanging out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter than anywhere else, so find where they are and stay close!
#4 – Create a pitch
Bloggers receive messages from other content creators that read something like “Love your stuff! Let’s collaborate. DM me. #letsdothis” all the time. These messages are so common that most creators pay them no attention.
Collaboration means works, so make it easy on bloggers by coming up with a simple idea to pitch to them. Don’t ask for anything; just offer to help out with a post in some meaningful way. You’ll be more likely to capture their attention and receive a response.
#5 – Write your guest blog post
Once you’ve negotiated the guest posting details, it’s time to write your first guest blog post and submit it to their website. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or guidance if you get stuck while writing. Remember, you’re writing for someone else’s site, so it’s important you respect their guidelines and try to create something they’ll be proud to display.
Summary
Guest posting is a great way to collaborate with other bloggers and build value for your own blog. You can give yourself the best chances of success by first creating your own website and slowly reaching out to bloggers who post similar content as you. By fostering relationships and giving others a reason to work with you, you can earn enough trust to begin guest posting in no time.