The REAL Reason Guest Blogging Seems To Work So Well

This is a guest post by Tia Peterson who writes at BizChickBlogs.com.

A few of my closest blogger “buddies” know this little secret about me: I’m a little hesitant to run with the guest blogging baton. You could say I had cold feet when it came to writing for someone else blog.

I started blogging (blogs long gone now) several years ago, long before guest blogging became the massive blogger magnet that it is now. Back then, we were kind of just blogging in the dark. That’s how everyone was doing it. Even businesses. We were still figuring out the magic trick to getting total strangers to pick up on your blog and read it (e.g., people other than your mom… and your Gmail contact list).

Then everyone started picking up on how social media could drive business, and then the light turned on that it could be used as better way than article marketing to drive targeted traffic to your blog. And all of this was really great.

guest blogging


But then, Guest Blogging Came Along and…

…totally changed the blogosphere. From a macro level, you can see two things: (1) people are guest blogging and (2) people are constantly talking about guest blogging. But at a micro level, you find something a little more quirky; something very unique to people really dedicated to their blogs. You find community.

An underground. A subculture within a subculture.

The Guest Blogging Appeal…

…is in the connection between bloggers. Again, we can look at it from a macro level and see: backlinks! Exposure! Someone to share the load! New, fresh, unique material for my blog! Woot!! And all of that may be true and is totally rad and a great reason to participate. Except that… well, there are actually a lot of ways to accomplish these things. Paid, free, sponsored, etc. People have been getting links, exposure or new content for a long time.

It is not as if guest blogging came and saved blogs. It didn’t. It came and saved bloggers.

When It’s Good, It is the Ultimate Sign of…

…respect. The day I received a short message in my inbox from the author of a respected blog, inviting me to share my story with his readers if I wanted to, was a very good day. 🙂 I like his blog. And when I publish a guest post there, it won’t be the idea of all of the exposure and the link luv and the expanded readership that matters.

It’s that someone that I’d picked up on in the past, had now picked up on me.

And that, Bloggers, is the Real Reason

One awesome thing about being an “observer” to this guest posting thing is that I have gotten a chance to listen and learn. I’ve read the stories, made internal notes on the tips and tutorials and advice, joined the forums and tuned out all of the noise. The one common thread – the common link that sort of defines guest blogging – is community.

What was once a relatively solitary activity is now almost a team effort. It’s more than “let’s scratch each other backs” kinda thing. It’s as if one day, someone woke up and said, “This is so much more successful with more than one mind.” The very fact that bloggers are willing to share the link love with other bloggers in the same niche is astounding.

If you’re thinking and hemming and hawing and hesitating and wondering, like I was, that’s okay. But hopefully this has made you think a little bit more about it. I was unconvinced by stories of huge spikes in subscriptions and site visits and accolades. But what did finally sell me was connection. Take the opportunity to get connected.

For those of you who are guest blogging pros, what’s your take on this? What’s the real reason you do it? And for those of you thinking about jumping in, what more do you need to hear to be convinced?

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39 thoughts on “The REAL Reason Guest Blogging Seems To Work So Well”

  1. The main reason I do guest posts is that I like blogging, but sometimes the subjects I have an urge to write about don’t fit on my company blog, or on my personal blog. When that happens, I’d rather someone in the niche I’m writing about benefit (fingers crossed), than risk alienating my own resders.

    Plus the links and new audience are always great too.

  2. Wow Tia,

    You are a wonderful writer. I was totally engrossed by your post.

    I believe that guest blogging, like blog commenting, isn’t solely about building backlinks and traffic. It is also a great way to build relationships with other players in your field. These relationships can be more powerful than any link could.

  3. Hi Tia! I’m so glad to see you’ve taken the guest post plunge! I’m no expert, but I will tell you – so many wonderful things have happened to me, all as the result of guest posting. I’ve probably been saying this all over the blogosphere – but guest posting gave me my breakthrough (if you don’t know my story, I’ve told it many times already, so if you’d like to hear about it, just ask me).
    But you’re right, it is the ultimate community builder and is social networking at its best.
    .-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Write better for a better blog =-.

    1. Kiesha – You played a part in my guest posting plunge. It’s amazing that blogging, which was once considered rather solitary has become one of the best ways to connect with like minds, eh? Thanks for the comment!

  4. Tia, what a wonderful blogging adventure I just went on while reading this post. Your words float above the page and deep into the imagination. I’m adding you to my “B list bloggers” Twitter list and though that might not mean much to someone else, but for me it’s the classiest group of bloggers I know. I’m thrilled that you joined Blog Engage so that I have the opportunity to read your work.
    Cheers!
    .-= Ileane @ The Podcast Blog´s last blog ..Share From YouTube To Google Buzz =-.

    1. Thanks, Ileane!!! That’s an awesome compliment and I was just wondering the other day about your “B list bloggers” list. lol So happy that you’re adding me to it. 🙂

  5. The main reason I guest post is because I enjoy writing so much that I feel a inherent need to share as much information as I possibly can.

    Even if I do not receive any backlinks or author bio, I still feel like I’ve contributed something.

    It really is a reflection of the past, back from BBS days where people were collective and wrote amazing content just to share with each other within the community. It wasn’t one person trying to stand out, they were trying to add so everyone benefited.

    Guest posting, for me, is a way to reach people I may not be able to on my own blog. I love being able to interact with new and unique people, they always have insightful comments that continue to inspire me.

    It’s easy to get into a certain comfort level while writing on your own blog. By guest posting, you open yourself up to a new community, put it on the line for people you don’t know to take a look at your post and give it a thumbs up or down. It puts you out of your comfort zone – which I enjoy doing from time to time.

    Additionally, I love that a guest post can inspire the blog owner to get back into things. We all run out of ideas from time to time, it’s the dreaded writer’s block. When your inbox pops up with a guest post, it shows someone cares and in turn puts you back into the game.

    Just my humble opinion.
    .-= Murlu´s last blog ..Make Money Online By Uploading Files =-.

    1. Thanks, Murlu! I love what you say about writing and how it’s the feeling you get that you’ve contributed something. That is so on point. And yes, I was pushed way out of my comfort zone writing this and the others I have written that are soon to be posted on other sites. Was very odd to feel stretched like that, but I needed it.

      Thanks for your comment.

    1. Dennis – I love that! Again, I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t seen the great relationships my fellow bloggers were developing (like Kiesha Easley). It is definitely community first; for me, that’s a huge benefit.

  8. Hi Tia feel glad to read your gust post on this blog. Well for me I have bot much time for write article even for my blog, so I can not think for guest blogging right now. But I know that guest blogging is one of the best strategy to make brand our name and blog.
    .-= chandan@work at home blog´s last blog ..Search freelancing work at home jobs =-.

  9. Great article. I’m with you, or at least the way you once were, in that I’m hesitant to do guest blogging for sites in our niche. I think because we have so little time, and finding time to blog on our own blog is hard enough. However, you’ve made some points that have me considering asking some of our peers to do some guest blogging.
    .-= Colleen@Kennewick Real Estate´s last blog ..Tri Cities Has Lowest Cost of Living in the State =-.

    1. Hey Colleen!

      Since you’re in real estate, you have such a different challenge. What I would do: instead of asking other agents to guest post, consider reaching out to stagers, brokers or landscapers and asking them to contribute. That might work better.

      Thanks for your comment!

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