10 Tips to Being a Good Guest Blogger

An important way to market your brand, name and business is to provide a guest blog post for someone else. In part 1 of this 2-part post, I’ll share tips on how to connect with key people and work through the details of a top-notch post. In part 2, I’ll offer you tips on how and why you should allow others’ to provide a post on your blog.

Here are 10 points to consider about guest blogging.  

1. Identify a leader in your industry or niche that you want to break into. Learn about their online activities, groups, chats, Tweets and followers.  Target someone with a large and loyal base who is respected. Someone whose opinions you generally respect as well. Retweet their material/content and develop an offline conversation and relationship. Comment on their blogs. After a few exchanges, days or weeks, ask them politely if they are willing to have you provide a guest post. 

2. Have something specific you want to address—but be open to their ideas. Do your homework by reading their old posts and articles. You want to know what their area of expertise (passion) is, and how your expertise and insights would be a nice complement. They may have a specific issue or angle in mind for you. A dialogue to agree on the topic is always helpful. One essential is to provide something new (not repurposed or recycled). New material helps with SEO. 

3. Ask for details. Logistical information is important, like a preferred word count, title, links, your headshot/byline/bio box, deadline, and when they will actually publish the post. Another essential is to agree on who will actually “post the post.”  Will you have access to the back-end for the upload, or will they handle the tech part?  

4. Cross-promote from both ends. Ask for –and get agreement– that both of you will market and promote the post in your own Social Media networks and channels. In addition, agree that it won’t be a one-shot plug. Intermittent cross-promotion can work for several days or weeks.  

5. Manage the comments. Understand how you will be notified when comments are posted, and be prepared to respond in a timely manner. Also find out if the host will be commenting or responding.   What about potential for negative feedback; who handle that?

6. Determine the writing style. Will you do a straight post, a list, or Q&A format? Consider a video post too. 

7.  Know who has the final say. In other words, will your post be edited, or changed in some way before it’s published? Proofreading for a basic typo is one thing but who has final editorial control?   

8. Do the analysis. Does this site reach the audience you want to connect with? In the due diligence process, look at page rankings, click thru’s and search engine data to determine if this site is a good audience for you.  If it is, study the stats after your guest post to see the traffic and interest that was generated. 

9. Consider asking the other person to guest post on your blog. Bringing someone with name recognition and credibility onto your site is important as well. 

10. Keep the conversation alive. Continue with Item #1 and take time to build the relationship with your new friend. There may be opportunities to partner on additional activities, or to repurpose your post for their newsletter, a BlogTalk Radio interview, etc.

Guest posts will help expand your circle. These small–and large details–will keep things clear so there’s little chance for misunderstanding. Consider this your punch list, and get going!  Send along your success stories :)

(Photo Credit: tomas_fitnesscoach)

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