How to Prepare Your First Guest Post
We’re halfway into 2020 and guest posting is still a thing. In fact, it’s a great way to promote yourself and your expertise, especially if you don’t know where else to begin or if you need specific referral traffic.
Having your name and content around the web can greatly benefit your own blog, but only if you do it properly. Fear not, we’ve got some of the best advice you could possibly get on where to start and how you should form your writing strategy.
Getting started
When it comes to finding and choosing blogs you want to write for, it’s probably in your best interest that their content is somehow relevant to your own blog. If a reader ends up on your blog via the one you write for, they’ll most likely instantly back away if there’s nothing linking the two of them, content-wise.
Besides, landing a writing gig entirely out of your usual line of writing is a little difficult with the competition these days. Most blog hosts will want to see that you know what you’re writing about and that you’re good at it before they consider having you write for their blog.
However, be wary if you decide to accept your very first offer. Read up on the blog, check reviews, and comments if there are any.
You don’t want your article on a site with a terrible reputation, especially if you’re climbing up as a writer. In this case, no traffic is better than some traffic, even though it may not seem like it.
Approaching a blogger
It’s often a good strategy to build some sort of a relationship with the blogger you’d like to write for before actually pitching yourself to them. People like when their work is being appreciated so do exactly that. Follow their social media accounts, interact through comments on their posts, subscribe to their newsletters if they have them, and so on.
Of course, you don’t want to be an annoying spammer. Instead, find a middle ground where you’re taking a genuine interest in their writing without blowing their notifications up. Slide in a couple of questions here and there about something they’ve written – this could help you get noticed.
When you decide it’s time to pitch yourself, regardless if you are taking a methodical approach or not, really think about what they want to hear from you. Make sure you do your research, take interest in their expertise, and put a light on how your guest post could be a great addition to their blog.
You don’t need to mention how much this gig could help your own blog, they’ve most likely been there and are very aware of this – just focus on presenting your work and your skills.
Writing a guest post the right way
It’s extremely important that no matter what, you respect the blogger’s rules and restrictions. Going behind their back and experimenting out of your lane really won’t do you any good because they’re going to see what you’ve written anyway.
Guest posting isn’t the time to write half-hearted, mundane articles. On the contrary, it’s the perfect time to express yourself in a professional manner with some high-quality and unique writing.
Do some brainstorming, ask your friends and family what they’d like to see and read, play word association games with yourself and others. You’ll be surprised by what you come up with and pride yourself on finding such distinctive ideas – no writer’s block will be able to harm you.
Try to write a strong, memorable introduction. You want to get readers hooked and have them end up looking for your bio, especially since about 50% of the population just skim-reads through articles. So it’s in your best interest to get that other half intrigued.
Think of catchy headlines or maybe a light-hearted opening line. Again, consult your friends, ask them if they’d like to see this or that or how to make it better. There is a good chance your host changes your headlines, but still, do your best so they maybe don’t have to.
Follow deadlines, don’t be irresponsible. Nobody really likes being pressured but we deal with it. Double, triple check for plagiarism and grammar, but remember, not every spell-checking site is trustworthy.
If you’re using photos, videos, or any other type of media in your article, send those files too along with the article itself.
Finally, you should keep in mind that you are, after all, a guest on the blog. That means it’s not about your own blog or your business, so be careful not to get off track!
Author Biography
This is the part where you’ll be able to introduce yourself and your work. Keep in mind that you need to respect the guidelines given to you by the host. For example, you’re most likely going to be limited to around 100 words, so make each one of them count.
You’ll also get to put in a link to your own blog. There is a vast history of why you get to do this in your biography only, at least in most cases nowadays.
Why? Well, you’re meant to keep the content relevant and unique, and for years people have been guest blogging for backlinks solely, with entirely irrelevant and/or spam links, consequently jeopardizing the credibility of an entire blog.
That is why bloggers are encouraged to use plugins such as Simple Author Box to keep guest bloggers and their posts on track and to create the whole author box section easily. This builds up user confidence, looks very cool and professional, and as a result, so do you.
It’s important to note that most author biographies will include a high-resolution photo, so pick one where you’re smiling and looking friendly.
To Sum It Up
There’s really nothing left to say! Start putting yourself and your work out there while following our advice and nothing should be able to get in your way.
Don’t accept ridiculous offers that undermine your skills and experience but do remember that every single post helps you get more gigs that allow you and your blog to grow.
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