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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Some guest bloggers do get attention if the article is related to the host blogger’s topic. But the guest blogger should remember to read first the blog owner’s article before asking to be approved. Most guest blogger only read the title of the blog they want to be part of. My additional tip for guest blogger: You should be interested 1st on the blog owner’s articles before requesting to post your own related blog.
Yes i agree one must study first blog and its published articles. This will give him better idea of the level of content he needs to generate for the guest blog.
Wonderful! I had always had the impression that it was enough to be a bit thoughtful and know the language … an add-on could be a good expression, but, always wondered why some of the more sophisticated blogs wouldn’t approve my entries? I am sure with your advice blogging will become easier and more enjoyable. Thanks.
Guest blogging, in my view, is all about courtesy and relationship … I particularly like your views about those guests who leave their comment to get a link and run away. I appreciate those guest bloggers who add value to a blog in one way or the other and remain available for the necessary follow-ups.
great tips dude. these tips really helps us in approving my blogs in top quality websites. i saw mostly guest bloggers write and cannot respond to their readers and commentators whcih low down their quality work.
@Azam, glad you liked the extra tips, I hope you have even more success now!
I was always looking for a guest blogger on some of technical blogs, however I think you need to make relations with the bloggers first so that they consider you as guest blogger. Anyway I have made my first blog as guest and I hope to make a few more in the coming days.
Almost all bloggers guest blogs and its true more than just trying to increase traffic the guest blogger should try to react with the commenting tribe. Some guest bloggers posts perfect articles but feels sad for them when they are not willing to communicate through commenting. It looks cold and takes away all the plus points from the article itself.
You make a valid set of points here with being a guest blogger. I have tried in the past with no luck, but it never occurred to me send in my resume along with a list of sites. Thanks for the idea.
I really found this post to be very helpful, Janne. I’m glad somebody came up with this list to help those like me to promote ourselves and our work online. Guesting on a more popular and prominent blog site is a quick way to get attention and be recognized. These key points are essential to not only improving the chances of being approved as a guest blogger, but in establishing beneficial relationships with other bloggers. It’s true that the guest blogger has more to gain in this scenario, so it’s only fair that the respect should be given to the host by providing quality material and following up on your work by responding to comments.
Guest blogging is the best way to get traffic, quality traffic and most importantly build relations with bloggers on your niche, so if you guest post regularly on quality blogs on your niche you will establish your self as an expert on your field.
Of course it’s not easy to get your articles accepted from top blogs so it is very important to visit your target blog regularly and leave comments in order to build relations with the blog owner and make it easier for your posts to get accepted