The world of guest blogging is an endless opportunity to increase your site’s exposure, sharpen your writing skills, and build relationships with fellow bloggers. However, like with any venture it has it’s potential pitfalls. You can read an endless array of helpful articles online about guest blogging and there in fact are more on this site that you might find helpful. For this particular article however, I’m going to give you 3 simple Do’s and Don’ts that can help guide you if you’re new to the guest blogging world.
- Do Guest Blog – That’s it. That is your first task. Yes, you should write guest blogs for other sites. You might be wondering whether or not you have enough content to keep up your own blog and write for other blogs as well. However, consider that the reason your blogging in the first place is because you feel like you have a voice to offer the world. Other blogs give you the opportunity to expand that world to a new potential audience. To say nothing of the SEO benefits of building links, guest blogging is a must for emerging bloggers. Don’t hesitate. Jump right in and start the guest blogging.
- Do ask for a link to your blog – Don’t be timid. Bloggers understand that building links and drawing viewers to your own site is a benefit of guest blogging. Any site allowing you to guest blog should be willing to do this and in fact most will assume you are looking for that. However, you should never assume and let a guest post go live without a link back to your site. Don’t be pushy, just clarify that you are seeking to have a link back to your own site. It’s a win-win for all.
- Do Understand the Audience – Keep in mind that the audience on a guest blog might be slightly different than the audience for your own blog. That doesn’t mean you should change your style of writing or your key message. However, it might be necessary to adjust your tone and emphasis on certain messages. Read other blog posts from the site before you write your own and get a feel for what the typical audience responds to on this site. Take your time. Guest posts are valuable, so you want to be sure to get the most from each opportunity.
Now that you know 3 simple basic guest blogging musts, let’s talk about some of the pitfalls to avoid. If guest blogging posts are excellent opportunities, then there is much to lose by doing them poorly.
- Don’t Spam the article with links – Look, I know this might sound contradictory given I just told you to ask for a link to your blog. However, there is a way that this is done poorly. I have seen guest bloggers attempt to fill the article with less content and more links back to their own articles and sites. Doing so comes across as spammy and can frustrate the larger blog that allowed you to guest post. A simple backlink to your site expected and normal. If you’re pursuing more than that, you should discuss it with the blog owner before you send over the final copy of the guest blog.
- Don’t dump your junk – What I mean by this, is don’t offer your worst content for a guest blog just to gain the backlink. You may be tempted to save your best content for your own blog and avoid giving such material to others. Remember, you are developing a relationship here with other blogs. Consequently, you want to put your best foot forward and give the impression that there is much more where this came from. Besides, if you’re one article way from being out of content then you have larger problems.
- Don’t blog and run – I keep saying it, but guest blogging is about building relationships. If you get the opportunity to guest blog, then maintain that relationship. Continue to stay engaged in their blog. It’s often good to even offer another guest post down the road. You can learn a lot from bloggers who are a little further down the road than you and they are almost always willing to offer help and wisdom. So if you’re going to take the time to guest post, then take the time to foster that relationship. You won’t regret it down the road.
So there you have it. 3 Simple Do’s and Don’ts for guest blogging. Again, there is a great amount of material out there on guest blogging and it can seem overwhelming at times. However, that is no reason to not get started. Follow the basics and learn from each experience. Guest blogging is worth it.