How To Successfully Guest Post in 3 Simple Steps

October 22, 2012

The fact that you’re reading this proves that you already know the importance of guest posting and after implementing the following three steps, you’ll be well on your way to thought-leadership status.

Step 1: Decide on Target Blogs

With the millions of blogs out there, how will you choose the right ones for you to focus on? Aim for blogs that not only complement your product, service or subject of interest, but also ones that you read and find interesting – at least at first. Picking a blog you already know well will make pitching guest post ideas much easier since you know the tone and style of the blog, especially if you’ve already made a connection with the editor as an avid reader.

Also, double-check that the blog accepts guest posts. You can do this by simply poking around the site to see if some were published recently.

You’ll also want to choose blogs that are large or at least have much higher traffic than your own so that you will not only introduce your expertise to new people, but more importantly, exponentially more people. To check for size, looking at a blog’s subscriber stat, number of Facebook and Twitter followers in addition to blog-comment frequency are all good indicators on blog popularity.

Step 2: Draft the Perfect Pitch

In your email pitch, be sure you’ve gotten the editor or blogger’s name spelled correctly and double-check the spelling and grammar in the body of the email (share it with a friend to proof-read with a fresh pair of eyes), as well as the post if you’ve already drafted it and attached it.

Also, make sure you’re reaching out to the right point-person. With some of the larger blogs, editors aren’t necessarily the handlers of submissions. Check the “contact us” section for clarification.

Keep your email concise with only a brief introduction about yourself. A simple nod to your title/position and links to your site and sample writing, especially other guest posts, will suffice. You want to catch their attention quickly with your brilliant guest-blog-post idea.

If you’ve already written the post, thanking them for their time is perfect, along with drawing attention to the attached post and its catchy title. If you’re attempting to write for a blog that wants you to pitch before being guaranteed a publishing spot, simply provide a short outline of the points you plan to cover.

Step 3: Post Something Impressionable

This is your chance to impress a well-established and connected blogger and his or her large audience. Do it right. You know the usual pressure you put on yourself to produce quality work on your own blog? Multiply that times two when preparing a guest post. Drafting it may take you longer than usual because of this pressure, so carve out enough time to take the needed extra time to produce it.

Here are some tips to make your post shine:

Lead with an intriguing intro and attention-grabbing headline.
Share your draft with colleagues or fellow writers you trust and admire for truthful feedback, giving them a sense of the structure of the blog and voice so that you complement it as much as possible.
Review your piece for spelling and grammar mistakes, as you don’t want to come off as careless or inexperienced.
Show some love for the blog host and show off your content management skills by researching relevant host-blog posts in the archives that you can link to in your own article.

Becoming a thought leader through guest posting is as easy as these three steps. I think others will agree that the hardest part comes before those steps, working up the nerve to get started.

Have you written a guest post for another blog? What has worked best for you?

Image credit: Michael G. Chan

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