Wednesday 22 October 2014

finding & accepting guest posts

I was asked a couple of months ago how to find guest posting opportunities, and did the research without writing the post, so it was easy to slip this topic into the series. I'm not good at guest posts - I offer to write them, do the research, and forget to actually write and send them off (although this post at Modern Mummy Mayhem wrote itself, and this post at Simplify.Create.Inspire is a topic close to my heart)

So why guest post?
  • guest posting is a great opportunity to network with other bloggers
  • guest posting allows your writing to be seen by a new, and hopefully similar, audience
  • guest posting can bring traffic to your blog
How to find guest posts
for your blog
  • advertise on your blog 
  • tell people in your network groups you're looking for guest posts
  • advertise on your facebook page
to write for
  • email a blogger you'd like to work with and pitch your idea
  • keep an eye on questions asked in your network groups
Accepting posts
  • be wary of people sending you posts in full the first time they contact you - it isn't always bad, but it can mean that they're just looking for a link from you, not a relationship
  • it isn't general practise to pay for guest posts, so  if that's been worrying you, forget about it
  • have some guidelines in mind when talking to potential guest posters - if you have a word length preference or image style, convey that to the blogger (and ask about it if you're writing for someone else
  • some bloggers like you to send them the HTML code for your post - this is to 1) save them time, they can just copy and paste and schedule and 2) they don't use storage space on their computer or blog for images. To do this, write your post in your blog editor, then change over to the HTML screen and copy the code and email.
  • you don't have to accept or write guest posts if you're not interested, it's just another experience in the world of blogging.
Do you accept guest posts?

 
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5 comments

  1. I sort of do! I actually keep meaning to revitalise my interview series but people are interested then never reply to the questions :( It's a bit disheartening. But I love reading about other people and need to advertise for people to interview again.

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  2. I do accept guest posts but after sent a lot of requests I actually had to come up with some guidelines. Now people who I can tell have taken the time to follow and read the guidelines I know are interested in genuinely contributing something to my blog

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  3. Thank you, this is one of those areas that I know almost nothing about. The point about sending the HTML code directly is excellent. Another great post!

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  4. I have recently received two unsolicited offers to write Guest Posts for my blog. I researched the first author on google+ and found that her english was quite poor - not the standard I would want. I haven't replied to the other person yet. I can't understand why people want to write Guest Posts on a blog like mine which pretty much flies under the radar. I should add that I once before accepted a Guest Post from an American TV travel celebrity and it was just awful - very poorly written. I was glad when it stopped showing on my first page. I'm pretty sure she picked me up through twitter. She tweeted the post under her twitter handle along with a post I wrote but to be honest I don't think it led to a single extra reader and was certainly not worth having her hastily written article on my blog.

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  5. This was helpful for me, thank you! I will be writing my first guest post shortly although it's not typically something I've considered doing in the past. I have a hard enough time posting regularly on my own blog. I do agree, if partnering with the right blogger, you definitely have the opportunity to build your audience.

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