I don’t know about you, but the thought of guest posting for another blog fills me with dread. Unless you have an ego the size of a small country, surely the notion of stepping outside the comfort zone of your own blog must seem equally as terrifying to you too? If so, read on to find some compelling reasons on why you should write guest posts on other blogs.
While you might think you’d need the self-confidence of a Hollywood actor and the nerves of an Olympic boxer to open yourself up to guest posting, in reality that’s not quite true.
There’s no escaping the fact that when you venture into the world of guest posting you are, for all intents and purposes, laying your name, your reputation and your personal brand bare to a relatively unknown audience.
But approach your guest posting opportunity with careful thought and consideration – and invest sufficient time and energy into securing a feature on a well-established blog that’ both reputable and trustworthy – and you might just find that the experience is far less daunting than you first anticipated.
Approached correctly, a guest post offers an organic opportunity to build genuine connections through well-crafted content that’s credible, relevant, authentic and most importantly, meaningful to your audience.
There’s a long list of benefits to be gained from effective guest posting, that much I do know. But to get us started, here are five of the most compelling reasons why you might just consider putting yourself out there into the world of guest posting…
Think Savvy and Witness the Growth of a Truly Unique Audience Base
If you’re looking to stand out amongst the crowd as the voice of authority in your chosen field, then aiming high seems like a no brainer. Dedicating your blood, sweat and tears into securing that rare guest gig on the crème de la crème of blogs within your specialist field is to be commended – and I wish you every success in your endeavours.
But I’ll let you in to a little secret. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
When it comes to succeeding as a guest blogger, sometimes it’s not about how hard you fight – it’s about how smart you fight.
Of course, you could join in the fight with the hundreds of other fierce competitors for that rare feature spot on the most well-known of blogs – or, you could apply a dose of thinking outside the box and take a more savvy approach to brand success. The online world is vast, you see. So instead of joining the bun fight, why not broaden your horizons to other blogs that might just benefit from your alternative voice and viewpoint while positioning you as an expert on the matters at hand amongst your audience?
If you do your homework and seek out reputable blogs that offer a wide and rich variety of content themes to an audience that’s looking to engage with a more diverse range of interests, you might just land yourself the perfect gig.
There’s no rule book that says guest bloggers must stick to their immediate area of expertise within their chosen industry. So why not think savvy and focus your sights on gaining exposure amongst a more eclectic crowd?
I’m sure you’ll thank me as you start to witness the growth of a truly unique audience all of your very own.
Settle in for the Long Haul and Reap the Brand Benefits
“I needed to get rich quick, so I started guest blogging”. Said no one. Ever.
You see, when it comes to the world of online content creation, if it’s a one hit wonder you’re chancing your arm at, then you might want to re-think your master plan.
But if your vision for success looks and feels something like a brand that’s made it as a household name, a brand that oozes authority and credibility, a brand that boasts a loyal, committed and engaged customer base, then guest blogging might just be for you.
If you’re willing to invest your time and commit yourself to the long-term endeavour of guest posting, then you might just reach that promised land of making a real name for yourself while being rewarded with a constant steady trickle of high quality, highly convertible traffic that truly speaks to your bottom line.
Rome wasn’t built in a day – neither was genuine brand success. But settle in for the long haul and you’ll reap the benefits that you sew.
Gain Long Term Exposure with Evergreen Content
While you’re on the hunt for your next influential guest blogging opportunity, be sure to take note of those blogs that make best use of old blog posts.
Why?’, you might ask. Put simply, blogs that regularly re-post and backlink to older content as a means of adding value to newer posts do so because they are confident that the content isn’t just credible, but it can stand up to the test of time. And that’s priceless.
If you can master the art of crafting content that’s evergreen in nature, you’ll benefit from maximum exposure over a much greater period of time – not to mention across a wider range of social and digital platforms.
Think about it for a second. On the one hand, you could write a feature that’s hot and newsworthy right now, but by next week there’s every chance it’ll be just another piece of old news. But craft your content cleverly with longevity in mind and you’ll gain repeated exposure from that same piece of content time and time again.
Improve Your Personal and Corporate Brand by Putting Yourself Out There
Nothing builds genuine brand loyalty better than openness and visibility. On the back of your next guest post, why not be proactive and openly engage with your community of readers? Why not join in the debate with your followers as they openly discuss the very themes posed in your recent guest post? You are the face of your brand, remember. And that means any trust that’s invested in you is also trust invested in your brand. Become an active member within your specialised community and both your brand exposure and trustworthiness will benefit from a well-earned boost.
Speak Directly to Your Audience and Google Will Reward You
Guest posting provides you with a timely opportunity to do something a little different. Creating blogs and other content for your own website brings with it a natural urge to soft sell the benefits of your products and services to your consumer base.
But when it comes to guest posting, you’ll gain far more exposure and vastly improve your bottom line if you purposely do not sell. That might sound like a contradiction in terms but bear with me on this.
As a guest poster you bring with you an air of authority. You are the chosen voice to speak on key issues but perhaps more importantly, you have a rare and exciting opportunity to delight your audience with content that’s authentic, practical, helpful and relevant.
To make the most of your opportunity, do your homework and get the low down from your host blogger so that you know exactly what your audience is interested in right now. Research those burning issues, understand the audiences’ frustrations, find the gaps in their knowledge – and be sure to fill them clearly, concisely and with irrefutable evidence.
As a guest poster, you are the subject matter expert that’s been brought in to educate and inform your audience for their own benefit.
Engage your audience with high quality, genuine content that promotes shares and maximises impressions and the end result will be a well-earned climb upwards through Google’s search and keyword rankings.
Are you interested in contributing a guest post to our website? If so, have a look through our guidelines, and send through a proposal!
