How To Be The Best Guest Blogger You Can Be

This is a guest post by Janne from Air-N-Water.com

Blogging on your own blog is one thing.  Writing a guest blog for someone else is another thing altogether.

There’s a very intriguing give-and-take phenomenon that happens with almost all relationships formed from guest blogging.

Your host has to be willing to back your thoughts by simply being willing to allow them to appear on his blog, which, in itself, brings up some vulnerability. He also has to be willing to proofread and edit to insure that his standards are met.  There’s always time spent on his part.

And then, there are you, the guest.

You have to be willing to send off your precious words and thoughts to another who has freewill to edit and do as he will with whatever you give him.  That takes major vulnerability and trust.

Really, when you consider the odds that two people would see eye to eye on something so personal as writing, it’s amazing guest posting happens at all, let alone as often as it does.

But it does, and it can be extremely beneficial for both sides.  Hosting guest content gives the owner a break.  It also gives the blog readers fresh content with a new voice, and almost all readers, no matter how dedicated they are, can and do appreciate new life and voice from time to time.  And, no matter how much of an expert you are on your topic, you just can’t know it all.  Filling in the gaps with guests is a terrific solution.

We all know that having someone willing to take on our work, promote it on their site, send traffic our way with a link and give us invaluable SEO link juice adds up to a win-win deal.  You can’t go wrong with guest blogging. That said, more often not, the guest benefits a bit more than the host. And, because of that, it’s crucial that you strive to be the best, most helpful and most gracious guest blogger your host has ever had the pleasure to come in contact with.

Need help?

Here are some of the things I think about every time I contact and work with a new blogger.

1. Approach Graciously

Regardless of the fact that you are offering up free content, you do have much more to gain from the relationship than the blog host.  Keep that in mind when you approach anyone new.  Never come across cocky or proud of your work.  Stand behind it solidly, yes, but leave it at that.

2. Take the Lead

No blogger wants to have to expand any more work on you and your post than is necessary.  This means that it will be beneficial to both of you if you take the initiative and offer all that you can in the beginning.  Save your blogger time e-mailing you at all costs!

This means: do not send one e-mail simply introducing yourself and wait for a response.  Send an email that has everything, or close to everything, that he might need.  Send him your résumé, list of recently published links, a list of pitch ideas you could offer to write for him, etc.,  ALL in that first e-mail.  That way he doesn’t have to send you an e-mail back saying “Hi, please send……..”

One e-mail and he’ll know right away, yes or no, if this will work. And, the fact that he knows you’re not going to cause him a whole ton of extra work and are proactive enough on your own to get things done, he’ll be much more likely to say yes.

3. Provide Everything

Once you get permission, your next, and immediate job, is to find out how to make the rest of the process easy and smooth for that blog owner.  What does he want for formatting?  Would he like you to give a photo, if so, check through his posts and find out how he likes to attribute it.

Provide your byline and link clearly.  Send the document in the form he prefers (Word, Notepad, doc.x, WordPress, etc.).  Nothing is more irritating than getting a document in a form that you cannot open and having to re-email and ask a different version. Save your blog host the hassle and do it right the first time.

4. Follow Up

Never be the guest blogger who gets his link and runs.  Follow up.  Respond to comments if you get any.  Thank your host for his willingness to work with you.  Try and send traffic his way.  Promote his blog (not just your page on his blog) via your social media outlets.  Stay in touch afterwards and continue to be an active participant in the blog.

You’ll both get something out of a lasting relationship that makes any added extra effort well worth it.

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Article Written By Janne

Janne is a freelance writer who loves being creative, loves long walks on a beach and is dedicated to living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. She currently writes about eco-friendly ways to cool homes and offices with a portable air conditioner.

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