Getting your writing published on popular blogs and websites can be an incredibly effective way to build links, drive traffic, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. However, with so many blogs rejecting guest posts or ignoring pitches altogether, it can feel almost impossible to get your guest post live.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of guest posting, from finding great sites to pitch all the way through to getting your post accepted and published. Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to guest posting success!
Finding Relevant Sites to Pitch
The very first step is identifying which blogs and websites you want to write for. Without knowing your target sites beforehand, you’ll end up wasting hours combing through irrelevant sites or pitching blogs that will never accept you.
To find great guest posting opportunities, you need to follow these key steps:
Identify Your Niche
First, determine what niche or industry you want to establish yourself in. For example, some broad niches could include:
- Business/Entrepreneurship
- Marketing
- Technology
- Software/SaaS
- Health/Wellness
- Travel
- Finance
Once you settle on a niche, you can start finding more targeted sites and blogs within that niche to focus your outreach on.
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Use Google Searches and Tools
Google is your best friend when determining what sites to pitch. Here are some searches and tools that will reveal amazing guest posting opportunities:
- [“your keyword” AND “write for us”] – Finds posts from sites actively soliciting guest writers to contribute around your niche and topics. This should be your #1 go-to search.
- [“your keyword” AND “contributor guidelines”] – Similar to the first search but looks specifically for formal contributor guidelines pages these sites have.
- [“your keyword/topic”] + filter by past month – See what topics are trending currently. Pitching evergreen posts on current trends has higher odds of getting accepted.
- Google Blog Search – Filter Google web search results to only show blogs and their recent posts. Great for uncovering niche blogs to pitch.
- Similar Sites on SEMrush – SEMrush’s Similar Sites report reveals closely related sites to any domain you input. This surfaces sites covering very comparable content.
- Ahrefs Site Explorer – See what sites a competitor site links out to under their Best by links metrics. Those receiving links have some authority.
Verify Site Quality
As you compile your list of target guest posting sites, you need to evaluate each site to ensure it passes these quality checks:
- DA/PA scores – Look on Moz and Ahrefs to see the domain and page authority scores. Typically you want DA 30+ and PA 30+.
- Organic traffic – Check the estimated monthly organic search traffic on SEMrush and SimilarWeb. Look for 5k+ monthly visits.
- Referring domains – More referring domains on Ahrefs/SEMrush points to greater authority. Shoot for 30+ at minimum.
- Page load speed – Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom Tools to verify site has decent load speeds under 3 seconds. Faster is better.
- Content quality – Do a quick assessment reviewing their existing blog content and contributor guidelines to ensure proper grammar, formatting consistency, and thoughtful commentary.
Taking time to thoroughly vet sites will ensure you only pitch quality blogs more likely to publish you.
Personalizing Your Initial Outreach
Crafting a compelling pitch email is absolutely essential for guest post success. With site editors receiving anywhere from 10-30 pitching emails per day, you MUST differentiate yourself from the start to capture their attention.
Follow these key tips when writing your initial pitch:
Find the Right Editor
Every blog or website has an editorial staff that handles submissions and pitches. Before doing anything, you need to figure out WHO the proper editor or submissions email is.
The best ways to identify the right contact are:
- Look for their Contact or About page – Oftentimes they’ll list out staff names and emails to use there.
- Check their Editorial Guidelines or Contributor Guidelines page for specific instructions on who/how to contact them. Follow any guidelines listed here exactly.
- See if they have published guest posts already – Look under the author name for an email address included in the bio.
- If all else fails, use their generic Contact Us email as a starting point.
Taking a few minutes to find the appropriate editor will get your email into the right hands from the start.
Personalize the Subject Line
Never use a generic subject line like “Guest Post Submission”. This will torpedo your chances instantly. Study their site and recent articles so you can include a personalized subject that shows you understand what they cover and publish.
For example, if pitching a marketing blog that recently published about SEO trends, you could do:
- “Guest Post Pitch – SEO Trends 2023”
- “Potential Guest Article on Latest SEO News”
Be specific while relating to their niche and topics. This subtly shows you did research on their site in particular vs blasting generic emails, making them more likely to open your pitch.
Demonstrate Site Familiarity
The opening paragraph needs to establish why you chose to pitch THEIR site over anyone else. Show off your knowledge of what they post about and who their audience is. Some good examples are:
- “As an avid reader of MarketingSite.com, especially your in-depth posts on optimizing Google search rankings, I wanted to…”
- “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed MarketingSite.com’s content on ecommerce analytics and BuyerPersona.com’s ebooks on understanding customers. I’d be interested in…”
- “Knowing that Site.com attracts an audience of current marketing managers aiming to take their careers to the next level, I pitched some posts around…”
This level of familiarity right up front is immensely powerful for convincing the editor you took time to understand their blog and who they try to serve. It’s also exceptionally better than launching straight into talking about yourself, which far too many guest pitching emails do. Give them reasons why you want to write specifically FOR THEIR SITE before anything else.
Briefly Introduce Yourself
You still need a 1-2 sentence bio highlighting your relevant background in the space. If you have existing writing samples, be sure to link them as well.
As way of introduction, my name is [Jim] and I’m a [content strategist] that helps [B2B companies optimize organic search and site traffic]. I’ve been published on [relevant big site(s)], as well as run the site [YourSite.com] focusing on [search marketing] where I’ve been featured in [known publications].
This level of introduction hits the key points they would care about – relevant experience/expertise, existing writing samples proving quality, and any social proof highlights that add to your authority on the niche. Resist the urge to talk about yourself more though – the pitch needs to primarily be about THEM.
Propose Article Ideas and Angles
The most important part of any guest pitch is spelling out what you’d want to cover in a guest post for them. Without a concrete article idea tied to their niche and audience interests, you give them little reason to give your pitch much consideration.
When proposing guest post topics:
- Specify 2-3 article headline ideas with a line on the angle you’d take
- Make sure ideas are highly relevant to what the blog regularly covers
- Tie ideas to interests of the site’s target audience
- Link to related posts on their site that your idea would make a good addition to
- Talk through roughly how long the post would be (word count)
Here’s a made-up example hitting on these:
I wanted to propose an article focusing on the latest updates from Google’s May 2023 core update and best SEO practices moving forward. Potential working titles could be:
- “Core Update 2023 Rollout: Should SEOs Change Course?” – Comparing changes made in 2023 vs 2022 to determine impacts on rankings
- “Google Algorithm 2023: Core Update Adjustments and SEO Implications” – An analysis of confirmed Google updates and recommendations for SEOs based on early data
- Posts would likely run around 1,500 – 1,800 words, continuing the excellent coverage started in your recent articles ”
” and “ ” around Google algorithm news. I think your audience would find tremendous value…
A good guest post pitch makes the blog editor’s job easy – you hand them near fully-formulated article ideas tailored to exactly what their audience wants. The clearer the headline and angle proposed, the simpler it is for them to review and visualize publishing it.
Set Post Length Expectations
As the last part of your pitch, be transparent what overall length you will deliver so there are no surprises or back-and-forth delays after writing finishes.
For example:
To ensure I produce something valuable, I aim to deliver posts in the 2,000 – 3,000 word range, allowing enough space to fully explore proposed topics at the depth and quality your readers expect. If you have specific length requirements or preferences, please let me know.
Giving word count guidelines (while being flexible if they require something else) sets clear expectations upfront so you deliver what they need on the first draft.
Following this precise process – personalized subject line, site familiarity, brief bio, multiple post ideas spelled out, word count clarity – sets you up for guest posting victory.
Optimizing Your Pitch for Approval Rates
Beyond the core components above for all guest posts, you can integrate some additional best practices to further boost your approval odds:
Show Existing Domain Authority
If you already have an established site, spotlight any metrics conveying authority and audience size. For example:
My site FocusOnPPC.com has become a trusted resource for paid advertising and PPC issues, generating over 75,000 visitors per month. I also have….
Quantify your expertise when possible throughfollower counts, pageview metrics, search rankings, links to high authority resources, testimonials, or press mentions. Anything proving existing visibility and authority helps position you as a credible writer creating quality guest posts driving more traffic to their site.
Link to Past Guest Posts
If you’ve already been published on authoritative industry sites related to the blog you’re pitching, include links to one or two of these past posts. Showing tangible guest posting experience verifies you understand expectations across ideation, drafts, edits, final approval, etc.
Many bloggers receive pitches from new writers with zero concept how the process works. Demonstrating past published posts alleviates any concerns around your ability to deliver guest content seamlessly.
Mention Any Relationships
Do you already know certain editors or contributors to the site? Call out any existing relationships in your opening pitch!
For example:
As a connection of [Editor X] over at MarketingLand.com, I explored submitting a post to continue providing expertise to your audience as well.
Name recognition goes very far, even if you only met an editor once at a conference. People are much more likely to help others within their networks. Don’t be afraid to respectfully mention anyone you know.
Follow Up Your Pitch
Sometimes your email will slip through the cracks, no matter how amazing your pitch is. Following up shows persistence and gives you another chance cutting through any clutter crowding their inbox.
Here is an effective follow up template:
Hi [Name], I wanted to check back on the guest post inquiry I sent over on [Date] proposing some ideas around [Niche Topic]. Completely understand you likely have your hands full sorting through submissions, but please let me know if you had a chance to review my pitch and have any feedback or interest in my ideas! Would love any thoughts when you get a free moment. Best, [Your Name]
Short, polite, and direct in calling back your previous pitch. Try this follow up 4-7 days post your original outreach if you still haven’t heard anything.
Offer to Write First Before Confirming
While less common now, some highly-trafficked blogs still avoid committing to posts upfront in case they aren’t usable or reject for whatever reason after you already wrote it.
You can preempt this in your pitch by offering to write your draft first before they provide a solid “yes”:
I’m happy to first write this proposed piece in full before getting final confirmation just so you can review, confirm it aligns to what you need for [Site Name], and officially accept from there. Please just let me know if you have any directional feedback beforehand!
Delivering a draft on good faith first shows extreme confidence in your work quality and topicality for their blog/audience. It also guarantees they at least take a look at what you create even if they ultimately pass. The finished piece can still be used as a future writing sample too!
Handling Requests for Previously Published Content
Some blogs specifically like taking existing posts that performed well elsewhere and having them re-published and optimized for their own site. However, since duplicate content issues can arise from this, you need to properly position your previously-used content:
Be Transparent About Origins
First, you MUST disclose upfront if a piece has lived somewhere else before if they request content. Surprising them by sending over something easily found to be published already elsewhere will permanently sink your trustworthiness and any guest post chances.
When they ask for samples or possible ideas, let them know:
Just as an FYI – some of these proposed posts have previous versions I’d revamp and optimize with new data, trends, recommendations, etc specifically for your audience. I wanted to be fully transparent about that beforehand! Please let me know if you prefer or require 100% exclusive new topics only at this time.
Giving them visibility ensures you aren’t hiding anything shady. Some editors won’t mind reused concepts as long as the post is significantly altered for their unique readers. But you HAVE to give them that choice upfront before they request a full submission.
Guarantee You’ll Make Major Overhauls
In your pitch, be clear you intend to overhaul previous posts with:
- All new intros/hooks relevant to their niche
- Updated data points and industry statistics
- New conclusions and recommendations
- Different images/graphics throughout
- Sections removed or added to adjust topics covered
- Appropriate links to THEIR relevant site content
Clearly convey how extensively you plan to customize the existing piece exclusively around the new site’s audience interests, topics covered on their blog, imagery style, etc.
The more details about planned revamping the better so they immediately know you won’t be handing over some barely tweaked recycled post. Display exactly how you’ll transform it to feel targeted specifically to regular readers of their blog.
Credit Your Previous Sources
Even after extensive overhauling of past content, some sites STILL prefer having credits somewhere on the post back to initial publishers, especially if on well-known authoritative blogs.
For example, you’d add:
This article includes research and excerpts from a previous version published at MultichannelMerchant.com.
Or potentially more direct links like:
The following concepts were initially covered in depth in my previous post at KnownSiteName.com [custom link inserted here].
Giving respectful attribution ensures above board conduct without claiming their blog as the VERY first origin place if peers in the space recognize overlap in concepts covered elsewhere previously.
Being completely transparent about content reuse plans while guaranteeing heavy customization for their unique site mitigates all duplicate content risks editors fear. This ultimately opens the doors to re-leveraging your best existing posts driving tons of traffic rather than always reinventing wheels writing completely brand new topics each and every time.
Writing Your Guest Post
Wowing editors with the perfect pitch resulting in an enthusiastic green light is fantastic! But now the real work begins – writing a publishable guest blog post.
With editors scrutinizing every word knowing their own reputations depend on solid contributions, this is where most prospective guest posters fall devastatingly short.
Follow these key guidelines during the writing process:
Know the Content Guidelines
Before drafting anything, carefully analyze the target site’s formal contributor guidelines detailing exactly what they expect submitted posts to include and avoid.
Common requirements to adhere to cover things like:
- Post length and word counts
- Writing style and formatting
- Themes and topics welcomed or prohibited
- Use of images, graphics and meta data
- External linking policies
- Editorial standards
Study these page requirements meticulously, taking notes on specifications to nail as you write. This prevents discovering way downstream they require certain elements entirely missing from your draft.
Structure Content Appropriately
With clarity on stylistic guidelines, ensure your post structure aligns with conventions established across the rest of their blog.
Ways to mimic their content flow:
- Analyze their category pages organizing all posts by topics and themes covered
- Identify common tag names they assign to articles indicating content themes
- Review their annual archives summarizing popular subjects written year over year
- Compare multiple related guest posts assessing post length, headings used, imagery, etc noticing patterns
Drafting a post mirroring existing patterns on article structure, headings, integrations of data charts, length, etc. makes your piece feel like a natural fit versus straying in tone or content flow compared to their norms.
Integrate Visuals
Including compelling images and graphics tied logically to sections covered is now virtually a must for guest blog content.
Ways to effectively incorporate visuals:
- Featured image – Select a main image representing the post with eye catching color, minimal text overlay
- Breaks up sections – Insert an imagebetween logical break points in article flow to ease readability
- Illustrates key data – Graphics like charts depicting referenced statistics gives readers clarity
- Reinforces conclusions – Images reinforcing main summary points helps retention and sharing
All visuals need including clear descriptors in post text explicitly calling out why they were selected and what key takeaways readers should notice that relate to written analysis points covered.
Write Compelling Intros
- Establish authority – Right away indicate experience that makes you qualified to cover the topic providing unique solutions.
- Trigger curiosity – Pose an intriguing question readers want the answer to.
- Shock with surprises – Are there fresh statistics defying commonly held niche perceptions you can feature upfront?
- Share an allegory – For more evergreen conceptual topics, an illustrative anecdote tying multiple elements together can work well.
- Describe implications – For news-based posts, convey clearly why certain events/announcements matter specifically to the blog’s audience.
Spend time perfecting opening hooks before drafting body sections. Even amazing practical advice in the post itself won’t convert readers if beginnings fail to resonate by ignoring reader perspective.
Outline Body Flow
With a working intro setting the stage, sketch out the key parts that will comprise the post body where you’ll deliver actual tips, how to’s, action items, etc.
Possible sections to utilize:
- Overview defining terms
- Step-by-step process guidelines
- Pro/con evaluations
- Expert interviews around niche topics
- Cautionary tales or worst practices to avoid
- Product/tool/resource recommendations
- Predictions on industry directions
Think about what inclusion strategy or post format would best educate readers. List these major elements out before drafting each fully so you preserve refined content flow.
Include Actionable Takeaways
Audiences read blogs to gather specific advice to then implement themselves. That means ensuring readers clearly understand what tangible steps to take related to your covered material.
Ways to emphasize key takeaways:
- Numbered/bulleted lists of recommendations
- Bold imperatives like “Focus first on X”
- Lead paras summarizing tips from each section
- Post section headings framed as observers: “How SEOs Can Adapt to Core Update Changes”
- Step-by-step instructions on executing where relevant
- A specified checklist to work through by priority
Constantly reinforce what readers should think/do differently having read your piece. Check ego desire to sound smart for the sake of it – stay laser focused on serving reader needs over your own.
Finalizing Your Post for Submittal
Before sending off your piece, you MUST fine tune and polish the near-complete draft:
Double Check Content Guidelines
Circle back to contributor guidelines and your earlier notes confirm you hit on every formatting convention, length expectations, etc defined upfront. Scrutinize against requirements since establishing post drafts can lead to straying from initial directives.
Refine Headlines
Go through 2-3 revisions of headline options to find the very clearest encapsulating your content that also intrigues. Test different formulas:
- Descriptive “X Ways to Y”
- Imperative “How to X By Y”
- Question “Should You Be X in 2023?”
- Play on words “The XYZ Strategy”
Reflect themes people search on using tools like UberSuggest while staying true to article focus.
Read Aloud For Flow
Verbalizing the actual written words often picks up awkward phrasings or unclear connections simply reviewing silently on screens misses catching. Read start to finish without stopping, making real-time edits whenever passages just don’t sound right coming out loud.
Check Stats And Facts
Double verify any data points and statistical claims by refinding sources. With niche landscapes evolving so rapidly, you need 100% accuracy reflecting latest metrics tied to central advice shared.
Cut Unnecessary Sentences
Read purely for utility testing if every single sentence carries essential weight vs. fluff that dilutes core ideas. Remove filler that buries lead focus readers truly need to grasp. Be ruthless chopping any fat so action points come across cleanly.
Have Fresh Eyes Review
Trust outside readers noticing gaps as creators. Ask 1-2 target audience members in your niche to review specifically for:
- Does content flow logically building on ideas?
- Any confusing sections losing you?
- What key takeaways did you get clearly?
- Any critical elements you expected I missed?
- If you only remembered one concept a week from now what would you want it to be?
Incorporate this external feedback tightening anything they flag as confusing before submitting final piece. You can’t fully judge your own work objectively so outside views are invaluable catching holes.
Carefully incorporating all best practices ultimately leads to guest posts readership raves about as much as the site’s regular articles. Spending time improving quality ahead of submission prevents extensive (sometimes soul crushing) rounds of revisions later.
With a polished draft complete, it’s finally time to get your guest post submitted, reviewed, and live!
Submitting Your Post and Managing Approvals
The day has come – your polished guest post draft is ready for editor review and (hopefully) publication. Here is how to professionally submit and work through approvals:
Use Proper Filenames
Always format saved draft documents sent over to editors using intuitive naming conventions. Such as:
GuestPost_YourName_PaidAdsUpdates2023.docx
Keeping their desktops organized reviewing many submissions means clarity upfront on post topics without opening yet.
Send As Reader Friendly File Types
Unless guidelines specify requirements, save drafts as .DOCX files allowing easier reading and tracked changes revisions. Avoid submitting text heavy guest posts trapped inside .PDF formats hampering ease of editing.
Additionally, pull out all images included embedding inline then supply separately as individual .JPG files clearly named just like word doc conventions mentioned above. Eliminate any reviewer workload needing to extract visuals on their own afterward if wanting to swap out selects.
Welcome Feedback During Review Cycles
Expect multiple back and forths perfecting pieces together with editors before going truly live on sites. View their suggestions after first read throughs as collaborative opportunities strengthening posts rather than combative critiques requiring debate.
Even experienced guest bloggers regularly go through more extensive developmental edits than they anticipate at initial revisions stage. End goal should focus on a published piece readers love – not protecting every single word of the original drafted version. Park ego at the door!
Know When To Walk Away
Rarely but occasionally during post review phases, editor suggestions take articles off course from core intentions as guest authors approached topics, completely changing end messages to the detriment of driving reader value by being helpful and honest.
If you feel strongly against implementing certain revision requirements twisting initial post goals into pretzels, politely stand ground on pieces in ways staying consistent with your blog author voice and personal brand integrity around advice shared in given niche spaces.
And know when letting go fully reigns as the best path forward vs. frustrating battles…remember, whether published or not YOU still own content!
Promote Upon Release
Ideally once live on site partners’ blogs, guest posts often quickly get shared internally on home page sidebars, social promotions, email newsletter highlights to dedicated site following.
But much expanded viral reach potential and referral visitors get generated from original guest authors also participating actively in content amplification.
So upon confirmed publishing dates, directly tap existing audience networks across owned website, email lists, social media profiles, LinkedIn publishing, relevant niche forums and groups to showcase cameo appearances helping spread both your personal brand influence and assist partners extending thought leadership clout at the same time.
Ultimately guest blogging aims forming collaborative win-win partnerships between brands, industry experts and online publications serving shared communities through topically relevant education touching the same groups of passionate enthusiasts and deeply engaged “tribes”.
Keep end goals front and center guarding positive relationships as shining examples of people focused content working together for collective benefit over individual egos!
Tracking Performance and Results
There are key metrics every guest poster should monitor in order to quantify their success and determine optimal partnerships to continue nurturing.
Post Pageviews
This reveals whether the piece of content got attention and ultimately got read once live. Pageviews are the foundation driving other engagement metrics.
Consider emailing editors 1-2 weeks after publishing thanking them for the opportunity while also politely asking if they’re willing to share any view count or early feedback received regarding your specific post. Some may provide color behind the scenes allowing you to gauge general reader reactions.
Higher view tallies soon after publishing signal strong interest in the post itself. Lower initial numbers may indicate the piece wasn’t effectively promoted after going live, or that core concepts failed resonating with their audiences for some reason. You need this visibility to inform content creation and partnership decisions moving forward around nurturing productive relationships.
Backlinks Earned
Publishing on authoritative sites offers the coveted SEO opportunity to earn coveted backlinks as that site links organically into the write-up itself as well as from other sites that eventually find and reference the piece.
Consistently monitor top content across a publisher’s site using tools like Ahrefs and Buzzsumo to assess common linking practices from within articles:
- Anchor text varieties used
- Links per X number of words
- Whether guest posts links earned comparatively
Compare guest post linking stats against other content not authored by you to gauge equitable treatment.
Strong guest articles organically woven earning site links with partial branded anchor text boost SEO wins for personal domains long after initial exposure wears off.
Referral Traffic
Publishing on brand name sites transfers an air of expertise by implied endorsement. But you still need readers actually clicking from post through to your money site or offers to capitalize fully on newfound authority and audience eyeballs.
Use UTMs applied onto strategic links or Bitly click tracking assessing:
- Click through rates off specific site partner guest posts
- Referral visitor quality – bounce rates, time on site, pages visited
- Any eventual conversion values from leads generated
Consistently generated referral streams indicate positive reader responses beyond vanity metrics on guest post views or backlinks recorded. Always track this traffic to quantify real business value from non-paid placements.
Analyzing these key measures then comparing performance across the sites you contribute to makes plainly clear where to keep investing energies vs. diminishing returns from lower authority venues.
Review annually and prune underperforming partners as website algorithms shift affecting referral equity over time.
Common Guest Posting Mistakes to Avoid
While guest posting comes with tremendous upside when done correctly, there are also some common mistakes made derailing success:
Ignoring Editorial Guidelines
Failing to carefully read a site’s editorial guidelines and follow directions to a T is the fastest way to piss off editors and get immediately rejected. These rules exist for a reason – respect them!
Pitching Irrelevant Bloggers
Taking a spray and pray approach without personalizing pitches ensures even valid ideas go ignored in crowded inboxes. Vet sites carefully aligning with your niche before outreach.
Not Pitching Article Ideas
Editors hate speculative inquiries fishing for possible guest post opportunities but are too general and vague to evaluate upfront without concrete angles. They expect fully conceptualized posts they can say yes/no to immediately.
Poor Writing Quality
Not properly proofreading posts or failing to fact check sloppy statistical claims means no editor will put their site’s brand reputation on the line vouching for your writing. Rush jobs won’t cut it.
Blatant Self-Promotion
Readers see through thin attempts to push products without bring unique value on topics themselves. Avoid overly salesy posts that feel like ads and don’t resonate. Find natural ways to gently weave in relevant offers once authority established vs. leading hard into self-serving pitches.
Over-Optimization
Stuffing in multiple exact-match keyword repeats trying to rank guest post pages themselves for Google traffic looks desperate and unnatural. Focus on delighting audiences over search engines.
Link Schemes
Attempting to sneak in multiple links aiming to build domain authority for SEO backfire when guidelines permit only 1-2 attributed links…if any. Such tactics can blacklist from ever publishing there again.
Guest Posting Best Practices – The Recap
Let’s do a quick summary review of core guest posting tactics covered to apply for your next success story:
Choose Target Sites Wisely
Vet blogs ensuring topic relevance, traffic authority, and audience quality before pitching
Personalize Your Pitch
Research sites beforehand so emails resonate familiarity. Include brief bio conveying your expertise too.
Spell Out Your Angle
Editors need clearly defined ideas resonating with existing content direction and reader interests judges against.
Bring Fresh Perspectives
Approach common topics from entirely original angles so inherent value shines beyond Same Ol’ posts long forgotten
Monitor Previous Guest Posts
Analyze engagement on other contributor’s articles determining if site drives conversions at all before investing efforts.
Follow Submission Guidelines
Adhere to all editorial guidelines around content style, links allowed, imagery, etc defined.
Promote Posts Extensively
Pre-plan sharing on all your branded channels, email lists, LinkedIn for referral traffic assists after getting approval indicators
Write Tight Drafts
Refine and distill outlines hitting only most essential advice readers want without wasted words
Accept Feedback Gracefully
Welcome constructive criticism from editors as collaborative opportunities improving helpfulness for readers together
Analyze Post Performance
Dig into view counts, links earned, conversions driven articles specifically assessing productive partnerships
Rinse and repeat…then watch as you build an audience through the credibility and traffic from the most authoritative sites online.
The world of quality guest posting still shines brightly, you just need to pinpoint the right site partners aligned to your niche and approach them ever so thoughtfully.
Conclusion
Getting a guest post published on a popular site demonstrates authority in your niche and exposes you to new audiences of potential future customers. But freelance writers in-the-know understand that success in guest posting comes down to three things:
- Targeting a niche site with AN ACTIVE AND ENGAGED AUDIENCE THAT CLOSELY FITS YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER AVATAR. Get to that point of publishing high-quality content that appeals to your ideal buyer persona and converts them into leads
- Snagging an editor’s attention through a compelling pitch—AND THEN DELIVERING with a well-crafted, RESEARCH-BACKED POST that offers INDISPENSABLE INSIGHT to their readers. Bloggers want content from experts that will intrigue their audience…so position yourself as one!
- Promoting your content through YOUR OWN CHANNELS and relationships for max visibility. Don’t expect publishers to do much sharing beyond including your bio link. Getting the word out is still up to you, dear guest author!
While the work is on you to perfect the process, the rewards for consistent, high-value guest blogging make the effort well worthwhile.
Guest posts remain a cornerstone of smart digital marketing strategies when done right. Just focus on nurturing partnerships with reputable sites reaching coveted niche audiences and results will come over time through expanded brand awareness and lead gen alone…not to mention the SEO benefits inherent from earning quality backlinks as part of the exposure package deals.
So sharpen that virtual pen and brainstorm your way onto some of the top sites in your industry today.