Becoming friends with popular bloggers is an important goal for all those just starting or wanting to get their blogs into the spotlight. After starting to comment on the blogs you love, you’ve realized guest posting on those very same blogs would help tighten the relationship and also bring you increased exposure and new waves of visitors. So you’ve added a new task on your blogging calendar.
Now that you’ve made up your mind about guest-posting, you’ve come up with a list of popular blogs in your niche and in related fields where it would be great for you to be featured as contributor. And an important question arises: how to convince the blog owner you’d add value to his or her blog through your guest entry?
First, get acquainted with the topics and general style of the blog. Yes, you read the blog almost daily. But have you really asked yourself why exactly you like what you read, how the topics are chosen and how they are related with past entries? Have you thoroughly analyzed the views and style, or have you just enjoyed the reading without realizing what exactly was causing your state of mind? Being thorough will do wonders and lead you to pitching a great post idea.
Second, get to know more about the blog owner’s views and requirements on guest posting. Are there other guest posts on the blog in question? Has he or she ever guest posted on other blogs? Is there a page with guest posting guidelines, an open invitation to submit fresh content or an editorial calendar or a monthly theme of sorts? Once you find the answers to these questions, you should start thinking of topics to cover.
Don’t start writing at once! Instead, think of a short list of possible entries, draft a headline and a paragraph explaining the main idea and the chosen form and then contact the blogger. I know some advise you to just submit your work and let them choose. But what seems like acting against their wishes is actually a time saver: if they don’t like the ideas, you don’t waste time writing it and they don’t waste time reading too much. Plus, if the story sounds interesting but it’s not exactly what they need, they might in turn suggest something better.
When contacting them, remember the old story: make it about them and the potential benefits for their blog, not about you! I know you’ve read this everywhere, but as there are still so many forgetting this important detail, it’s better to point it out.
Bonus Tips
These guidelines should help you close quite a few guest posting deals on top notch blogs out there, but if it’s not enough, here are some bonus one liner tips:
- Blend your personal style with the style of the blog you’re guest posting on;
- When you thing you’re done, proofread and edit again;
- Consider carefully all positive and negative feedback from the blog owner;
- Stick to your deadline unless something really big happens;
- Post-publishing: remember to thank the blogger for welcoming you on the blog;
- Post-publishing: help with post promotion and reply to all comments;
- Post-publishing: get a “portfolio” of guest posts together for your next pitch.