If you’re looking to increase the exposure of your blog and gain new readers, consider submitting articles to be posted on other blogs. This article will cover the reasons for writing for other blogs as well as the steps required for a beneficial experience.
Why Write Guest Posts for Other Blogs?
1 - It’s one of the fastest ways to reach a new audience.
When you write a post for another blog you are getting the opportunity to showcase your knowledge and ability in front of targeted readers. If your blog is on a similar topic as the blog in which your post is published, you stand to gain a lot of new visitors.
Obviously, the amount of exposure you get will depend on which blog publishes your article. The number of subscribers isn’t the only significant factor. Some blogs have smaller audiences, but their readers are very targeted and very loyal.
2 - Potential new subscribers.
If the readers like your post they may be inclined to subscribe to your RSS feed. In this way guest posting can be a very productive source of free advertising. Who doesn’t want more subscribers?
3 - You’ll get a link to your blog.
Almost all guest posting arrangements involve a link back to the author’s blog. This not only provides you with potential click-through traffic, but it can help our search engine rankings as well as your Technorati rank, especially if the other blog is a quality, established blog itself. In fact, the link is sometimes the primary interest in guest posts.
4 - It helps other bloggers.
Ok, so your primary motivation is not to help other blogs, but this can have big benefits down the road. If you help another blogger, they are likely to remember you and they’ll be more likely to repay the favor or to link to you in the future. Even if they don’t, it’s still nice to know that you can make an impact for others.
How Can You Make the Most of Guest Posting?
Being successful with guest posts is more than just sending an article to a random blogger and hoping it results in something good. I’ve broken down the steps into 4 categories below:
1 - Finding the Right Blogs
Finding the right blogs to submit your posts to is probably the most important part of the process. After all, a great article on a blog that has no readers will not accomplish very much. The ideal situation is to find a blog that shares your target audience and has a large, responsive group of readers. Here are some tips to help you find the right blogs:
- Start with bloggers that you already know or that you’ve already had some contact with. Your chances of getting your article posted are greater than if you are contacting bloggers who are not familiar with you.
- Look through your RSS reader at the feeds you subscribe to. Try to find ones that you enjoy reading and that may be a good fit with your writing.
- Visit blog community sites like MyBlogLog and Bumpzee. If you’re already a member of some communities, take a look at the other members of the communities.
- Check www.guest-blogger.com. There are a number of blogs listed that have indicated an interest in receiving guest posts from other writers.
- Visit Technorati and take a look at the authority and rank of blogs that you have found. This will give you an idea of the impact that this blog has, and an idea of what type of exposure it would give you.
- Look to see if the blog has posted their number of subscribers via FeedBurner or a similar service.
- When you’ve located a blogger that you would like to contact, try getting involved on the blog first. Subscribe to their feed and get familiar with the type of posts they publish. Leave comments whenever you have something to add to the conversation. When you contact them they may be familiar with you because of your comments.
2 - Writing the Post
Once you’ve found a few blogs that are possibilities, your focus will shift to writing an article that will catch another blogger’s attention and lead to getting it posted. Writing a guest post is a little bit different than writing for your own blog, and you should be very careful with the quality of work that you submit.
- Always check your spelling and grammar. The other blogger will not want to have to do much editing to your post. These types of mistakes can make a bad first impression and can have a negative influence on their perception of the quality of your writing.
- Choose a topic that is a good fit for their blog. Be certain that their readers will be interested in the topic and will benefit from the information provided.
- Check to verify that the subject of your article is not too similar to anything that they have posted recently. You don’t want to submit an article that duplicates the thoughts of an article they just posted last week.
- Don’t blatantly advertise your blog, services, or products in the article. Let the quality of the writing and your knowledge do the advertising.
- Don’t repeatedly link back to your own site.
- Don’t submit the same post to more than one blogger. If you submit it once and the blogger tells you that it won’t be posted then you can re-submit the post to someone else.
3 - Contacting the Blogger(s)
The approach you take to contact the blogger is also very important. Remember that they are very busy and respect their time. Here are a few keys for making the most of your contact.
- Send a brief email asking if they are interested in receiving submissions. If you are a regular reader of their blog mention something that you enjoy/appreciate about their blog. Quickly introduce yourself and your blog (leave a link so they can check out your work). I recommend not sending an article right away, which I think might be a little pushy, but that is just personal preference.
- If they respond that they do accept submissions, follow up by sending your article in the body of an email. Due to viruses it’s best to avoid attachments unless they specifically request an attachment.
- Don’t bombard them with articles that they don’t have time to read. Send 1 or 2 and move on.
- When you send the article thank them for their consideration.
- Throughout the process of contacting them and sending the article, make everything as easy as possible for them. Respect their time and you will be one step closer to getting your article posted.
4 - After the Article Has Been Posted
Your work is not done as soon as the article is posted. In order to get the most out of the experience and to prepare for future guest posting opportunities, follow these steps.
- Send a follow up thank you to the blogger for posting your article.
- Keep track of which articles you have sent and to whom they have been sent. If you start sending out more than a couple you may forget which ones have already been submitted. Keeping a simple spreadsheet will help you to see which ones are being posted and which ones are not. Those that do not get posted can be sent to someone else or used on your own blog.
- Go back to the posts and respond to comments and questions left by visitors.
By following these steps you’ll be able to quickly reach a lot of new potential readers, grow you name recognition, and get some quality inbound links.
August 6th, 2007
Great post! Extremely informative, thanks for the great tips1 ~Chrissie/Bloggeries
August 6th, 2007
Awesome post. I wish I would have read this before my beach trip. I was looking for a guest blogger and didn’t know there was a site I could have listed it on. Someone did show interest, but waited until I had already left to contact me.
BeachBum
August 6th, 2007
Chrissie,
Thanks for your positive feedback. I’m sure I’ll see you around Bloggeries.
August 6th, 2007
BeachBum,
Yeah, Guest-Blogger can be a pretty good resource. I found PureBlogging on that site, and I think you found my site through PureBlogging, so I think that’s a good example of how guest posting can work.
August 7th, 2007
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I have got this link for you.. And i thing the decision off this man have wrote is same for what we want actually..
Cheers
August 7th, 2007
[...] A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts by Steven Snell [...]
August 8th, 2007
Wow great post. You’re right about all the points above - guest posting can be a major boost to both parties, as the owner is getting free content and the deliverer is getting free linkbacks and promotion.
August 8th, 2007
Some great tips here. What do you think about writing the actual article though? Would you ask permission first, and then write a custom article for that blog? Or would you already have the article written, and just send it out to see who will take it?
Michael
August 8th, 2007
Michael,
I think writing a custom article would probably be the most effective way. You at least want to be familiar with the content of the particular blog and be sure that your submission fits well. Personally, I’ve got an ongoing list of articles that I’m working on, so when I come across a guest posting opportunity I’ll find the article that’s the best fit and submit it. If I don’t have one already that fits well, then I’ll create a new one.
August 13th, 2007
These are some really good tips. I especially like the items to think about after the items are posted. Thanks!
August 13th, 2007
Dave,
Thanks for visiting. Yes, I think the steps after writing the post are very important too, but they’re easy to forget about if you’re moving on to something else.
August 14th, 2007
[...] A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts by Steven Snell [...]
August 14th, 2007
I’m planning to write guest posts for other blogs. Thank you for your great post. I find some useful tips which I can try right now.
August 14th, 2007
This is a good way to promote your blog while helping others, but it can really drain you! This is good info, and people are just now starting to jump on board.
August 15th, 2007
Cooliojones,
You’re right, it can drain you. I don’t think it should replace creating content for your own site, but when you have some extra time it really helps. I think it is worth the time and effort especially for newer bloggers. Once you have a large following your time may be more wisely spent working on your own blog.
August 16th, 2007
[...] Are you looking for a little help with your blog? You may want to check out Vandelay Website Design Blog. This blog is the blog component of a web design business called Vandelay Website Design. The company itself services both small and medium sized businesses by developing user-focused websites that are both attractive and functional. They use valid XHTML and CSS coding with their designs making them accessible to a wider range of users. You will find a link to their homepage on the blog if you are interested, but if you just want to learn how to use and market your blog more effectively, you will find any of the recent bloggeries very informative: 10 Tips for Making Your Blog Posts More del.icio.us, 101 Ways to Monetize your Website or Blog, User’s Guide to Google Webmaster Tools, Weekly Links, Getting the Most out of your FAQ Page, 10 Ways to Design for Impatient Visitors, A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts, Weekly Links, 30 Keyword Tools to Use for Your Website, and July in Review. If you take a look through the business aspect of Vandelay’s Design portfolio and the services they offer, you will see that they know not only how to create effective websites, but how to market them as well. This alone gives credibility to the blog as far as the usefulness of the information provided. [...]
August 17th, 2007
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August 20th, 2007
[...] Many of your readers have blogs of their own. Providing links to their posts will help them out and help you by building more loyal readers. A good example of this is David Culpepper from PureBlogging. David regularly links to posts from his readers who are most active with comments on PureBlogging, and as a result he has a very active community and lots of interaction on his posts. 5 – Allow Guest Posts. [...]
August 21st, 2007
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August 23rd, 2007
[...] This is a guest post from Steven Snell, a website designer and blogger for Vandelay Website Design. His blog is regularly updated with new content on web design, marketing, SEO, and blogging. His blog includes A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts. [...]
August 25th, 2007
The involvement level might be a little more than the average internet blogger might be willing to endure.
But, forsure the items listed here will help…
Phil
August 25th, 2007
Phil, I guess you’re right that it is a lot for the average blogger. But for someone who’s willing to put in some effort to get results it can be a big help. Thanks for your thoughts.
August 25th, 2007
Blog Carnival - Best of Web 2.0 - 8-25-07 Edition…
Welcome to the August 25, 2007 edition of the Best of Web 2.0 Edition Blog Carnival. This is our BIGGEST issue ever. I think I said that last time also! Keep up the good work and don’t forget to visit everybody’s link. Thanks!
Welcome to the A…
August 28th, 2007
Hey, the post is great! I’m gonna apply some of the tips above to increase traffic and keep readers coming back to visit my blog.
Cheers!
August 28th, 2007
Marrisa,
Good luck with your guest posting!
August 29th, 2007
[...] Vandelay Website Design presents A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts posted at Vandelay Website Design, saying, “Find new readers and get some promotion by writing for other blogs.” [...]
September 6th, 2007
[...] If you’ve been sitting back waiting for other bloggers to ask you to write for them, you could be waiting for a while. There are plenty of others out there are willing to take action. Find a few blogs that you read on a regular basis that you think would be a good fit for your writing and contact the blogger about the possibility of a guest post (for more detailed information about the guest posting process, see A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts). [...]
September 8th, 2007
[...] My favorite post is A Guide To Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts. Most people will tell you there are many advantages to guest writing. I recently jumped into the action myself at Pronet with a post on social media alternatives to digg. [...]
September 10th, 2007
[...] 9 – Don’t cover your blog with ads – While making money is a priority to most of us, going overboard can turn readers off. Not only does it create a distraction that pulls attention away from your content, but it also can make visitors feel like the ads are more important to you than your readers. 10 – Accept guest post submissions – Some of your readers may like to have their writing published on your blog. Of course this is not always a good idea, but if the article is high quality and provides useful information that your readers will appreciate, you may want to consider it. You’re doing a favor for the reader that may make a big difference for them. That’s always good for building loyalty. [...]
September 14th, 2007
[...] Some Guest Posts that I Wrote This Week on Other Blogs: [...]
September 15th, 2007
[...] A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts - By Steven Snell [...]
September 15th, 2007
[...] 8 – Try new things. As you’re working to build your blog, don’t be afraid to use some new methods. You never know what can work until you give it a try. Try commenting on new blogs, or submit a guest post. Be proactive and discover new ways to grow. [...]
September 27th, 2007
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September 27th, 2007
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October 21st, 2007
[...] of the best ways for new bloggers to get some valuable exposure is to write guest posts for other blogs . A few months ago I was writing 3 to 5 posts each week for other blogs. While I think it is one of [...]
October 22nd, 2007
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October 22nd, 2007
WARNING: Check your own schedule before agreeing to guest-blog for another blogger! LOL.
October 25th, 2007
[...] guest posts with someone and each of you will benefit from added [...]
November 7th, 2007
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November 10th, 2007
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November 24th, 2007
nice post.liked it and will implement it.
November 25th, 2007
[...] Write a guest post for another blog [...]
November 26th, 2007
[...] either own multiple blogs or they write for others as well as their own. Those who aren’t writing for other blogs are missing out on a great opportunity to gain exposure and network with influential bloggers. For [...]
December 3rd, 2007
[...] either own multiple blogs or they write for others as well as their own. Those who aren’t writing for other blogs are missing out on a great opportunity to gain exposure and network with influential bloggers. For [...]
December 10th, 2007
[...] is probably one of the greatest and easiest ways to get exposure if you know how to write! Read A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts for more [...]
December 11th, 2007
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December 13th, 2007
[...] if you have questions or comments. Another great way to network with other bloggers is offering to write guest posts for them. One of the reasons this works so well for networking is that it benefits both you and the [...]
December 16th, 2007
[...] Write a guest post for another blog [...]
December 17th, 2007
[...] Martine has as well. If you are interested in learning more about the subject, I’ve written a guide to promoting your blog through guest posts. For a list of some places to market your articles, see 9 Ways to Reach New Audiences With Your [...]
December 19th, 2007
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December 21st, 2007
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January 2nd, 2008
[...] who might like to guest post? How will you promote the blog to start gaining readers? Can you guest post at other blogs in the niche? Answer questions like these ahead of time for a smooth [...]
January 3rd, 2008
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January 22nd, 2008
Great article. Unfortunately the link to guest-blogger.com seems not to be working.
January 26th, 2008
Great guide for newbies and very well written and detailed.
February 4th, 2008
[...] of the best ways to build your network and gain some exposure for your blog is to write guest posts. By writing for other blogs you’ll be able to get to know other bloggers, provide something [...]
February 12th, 2008
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February 12th, 2008
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February 21st, 2008
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February 25th, 2008
[...] What other way can you display your name and your knowledge to lots of targeted readers for free? Still, very few people really take advantage of the opportunity to write guest posts. If you are interested in more information, I wrote an article based on my experience that should help you to get started as a guest blogger. [...]
March 9th, 2008
great post. thanks
March 10th, 2008
Surely its pretty difficult to find someone willing to let you Blog for them. I can’t imagine guest posting on anyones blog. I’d be up for it for sure! Well thats an open invitation everyone. Anyone need a guest poster!
March 30th, 2008
Thank you very much. Very good post. I like it.
March 31st, 2008
[...] either own multiple blogs or they write for others as well as their own. Those who aren’t writing for other blogs are missing out on a great opportunity to gain exposure and network with influential bloggers. For [...]
April 1st, 2008
[...] the first few months of my primary blog I was very active commenting on other blogs and writing guest posts, sometimes as many as 4 or 5 a week. I still write for other blogs, but now it is on a freelance [...]
April 3rd, 2008
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April 5th, 2008
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April 6th, 2008
thanks, for information. I visited the guest-blogger.com and find some really good partners for exchanging posts on each others blogs.
April 10th, 2008
The website builder I use has a way to build a blog in it and they offer something similar to web 2.o that is getting success for many site owners. For someone to comment on an article on my site they do not have to sign up so it is all very easy.
April 13th, 2008
April 13th, 2008
April 13th, 2008
Hi all !
Thanks for this usefull site
April 19th, 2008
[...] [rant] So I’m reading Steven Snell’s archives tonight (because that’s what the cool kids do on Saturday nights) and I come across a post discussing the benefits of guest blogging. [...]
May 1st, 2008
Hi webmaster!
May 3rd, 2008
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May 4th, 2008
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May 4th, 2008
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May 8th, 2008
May 9th, 2008
Thanks for this articles
May 14th, 2008
Great post!
May 15th, 2008
Thank you! I have launched my new blog. By following these blogging tips, I see the traffic coming. Content is king. I will always write articles helpful for my readers.
May 24th, 2008
[...] A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts by Steven Snell [...]
May 28th, 2008
Hello
June 6th, 2008
great information…..I always keep to give comment…. and now I know the reason more…thanks
June 6th, 2008
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June 12th, 2008
Any advice on how to manage guest bloggers? I run a site that is quite major in a very small niche, and would really like to encourage people to guest blog, but am definitely failing in this department. Any suggestions? And any ideas on how to ensure contributions come in without compromising on quality (don’t want to hurt the feelings of these guest bloggers)
Thanks!
June 30th, 2008
can i be guest blogger on your blog??
July 23rd, 2008
Good Articles, thank you. this article is very useful
July 27th, 2008
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August 5th, 2008
[...] A Guide to Promoting Your Blog Through Guest Posts by Steven Snell [...]
August 18th, 2008
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August 20th, 2008
This was cool article…!
August 23rd, 2008
I’ve used many of your tips for my blog (luxury lifestyle magazine in spanish about premium brands like Prada/Gucci/LV/Fendi/Bugatti etc). Thank you!
September 2nd, 2008
It’s great I am using these for my blog site
http://blog.decentmart.com
September 8th, 2008
im gonna use these its cool
September 10th, 2008
It seems your article is very useful for new blog publisher to get their new blog have decent visitors and well page rank in google , msn and yahoo search engine. Good effort. I shall practice your idea and once again thanks for this really useful post.
October 19th, 2008
At last someone explains how to do it!
October 21st, 2008
Thanks, I got an idea to do Guest Post…
November 10th, 2008
[...] Write a guest post for another blog [...]
February 12th, 2009
If any body use all these techniques he will get good traffice i think .
Thank
April 20th, 2009
[...] A Guide to Promoting your Blog through Guest Posts. Writing a guest post is a little bit different than writing for your own blog, and you should be very careful with the quality of work that you submit. … [...]
April 20th, 2009
Hi, I just wrote myself an article on the steps to follow to maximize the benefits of guest posting, and found that the views and ideas you express in your post would complement mine very well so I decided to recommend your post to my readers! You should get a trackback from me too!
June 10th, 2009
Interesting post, but the guest-post provided is no longer valid.
June 24th, 2009
Guest posting on blogs is an ok method of getting exposure, but the process of finding blogs and getting them to accept your article can be a headache. I myself prefer article directories and video marketing on Adwido and YouTube.