As a somewhat internet-savvy entrepreneur or self-styled marketer, you might have seen the term “guest posting” on a few marketing blogs. Not sure what they’re talking about? Never fear! We’re here to bring you up to speed on this helpful marketing practice. In today’s blog post, we’ll tell you all about guest posting including:
- • How to guest post effectively
- • Potential benefits
- • Possible pitfalls and how to avoid them
Guest Posting: What Is It?
Guest posting refers to publishing content online, usually to promote the goods or services of another company. When you—or one of your team members—publishes this content, they’re referred to as guest contributors or guest authors. You might also see this more formally referred to as blogger outreach, but don’t feel overwhelmed. All these terms refer to the same thing.
Why Do We Guest Post?
A lot of people will simply use these guest posting opportunities to boost their own company’s credibility in the eyes of Google. The more websites that link back to your company’s website, the higher you’ll rank in Google search results.
Do Blogs Benefit from Guest Posts?
It isn’t just guest posters that benefit from the business of guest posting. The blogs themselves benefit too. When you write a guest post, you’re giving the blog exciting and educational content free of charge.
Guest posters and bloggers see this as a win-win—free published content for the blog and free promotion for the poster.
More than Just Links and Rankings
Be warned: Guest posting should never just be about building up links. If you’re publishing content for the sole purpose of building up links, you’ll only wind up churning out unengaging and spammy content.
When your published content isn’t written to educate and engage clients, you only do a disservice to your audience—and your reputation. Sure, you might boost your ranking with hastily written content, but will you actually grab the attention of individual readers? Probably not.
When you set out to write a guest post, you should strive to achieve these goals:
- • Build brand awareness
- • Boost your backlink profile
- • Strengthen relationships with influencers and blog editors you trust
- • Increase traffic
Take a look at guest posts on other blogs relevant to your industry. Do those posts meet the criteria for a high-quality and engaging post? If you’re not sure, don’t worry. There is more to learn!
Who Should You Guest Post for?
When you’re looking to guest post on a particular blog, you want to make sure you’re pointing your energies in the right direction. If you run a cleaning company, would you really want to post about the benefits of routine cleaning on a landscaping blog? Probably not. You’d be better off sticking with a blog that caters to your audience.
Produce the Most Publishable Content
Remember: A good blog is run by a smart and decisive editor. They won’t accept generic, spammy content. They’re looking for stuff that really engages an audience in fun and informative ways.
If you’re new to blogging, you might be wondering what sort of content you should publish. Here are some helpful suggestions.
How-to Guides
Bloggers love to publish how-to guides for specific problems and scenarios. Why? Because people love to read them. Just think of how often you search Google for answers to a specific problem. Writing a concise and informative how-to guide that pertains to your industry—or the services you offer—is a great way to establish authority and engage your audience.
Listicles
Listicles are an incredibly popular format for the short-form blog post. With a listicle, you structure your blog post in the form of a readable and helpful list. Your goal should be to educate your readers, entertain them, or both.
If you are an electrician, you might publish a listicle with the title “10 Signs You Might Need to Call an Electrician.” Even in a straightforward list like that, you could still figure out clever ways to let people know they should contact your electrical company when they’re in need.
Case Studies
Most professionals have a particularly emblematic story about their line of work. Maybe there was a time you and your colleagues really rose to the occasion? Maybe there is a particular problem that people always come to your team with? Take some time to write about it.
When it comes to these unique case studies, don’t worry about including more detail than you would in a how-to post. You want to show the reader just how great you are, after all.
Stay Away from Spam
When you’re writing your post, you want to remind your audience of your authority on the matter in clever ways. You want to attract business, after all. That said, no one wants to read spam-filled blog posts.
When we talk about “spam”, we are talking about dry, unengaging promotional posts that read like they were written by a computer. You want readers to hear the voice of an enthusiastic professional when they read your posts—not a robot!
As a refresher, here are some tips for writing every type of guest post:
- • Avoid using too much technical jargon, but keep it professional.
- • Be brief if possible
- • Avoid spammy tactics
Always Research Before You Write
Are you unsure what topics are being talked about in your industry? Are you drawing a blank? Take some time to research relevant blogs within your industry. Also, check out internet forums and look at what other industry professionals are saying on their own websites.
When you know what topics are trending, you know what topics to avoid writing about. It’s just not about what you want to write—it is about what other people want to read!
Stay Engaged
Did you find this blog post helpful? Do you have any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments below!
If you would like to learn more about the guest posting options available to you through LinkNow, we encourage you to reach out to us at +1 888-667-7186.