Devin Pallone — March 1, 2019 — March 1, 2019
If you’re looking for the perfect way to organically spread your brand and gain more exposure in your niche, consider guest blogging. Guest blogging puts your content on well-respected websites in your community. It helps to position you as a thought leader and can gain new leads without coming off like sales-speak or spam. A guest blog can provide content of real value to readers, along with the benefit a website that already has significant readership. If you aren’t guest blogging, you could be missing out on an incredible opportunity.
Why Become a Guest Blogger?
Think about the top five brands in your industry (that aren’t competitors). If you’re a digital marketer, for example, they could be HubSpot, Neil Patel, Smart Insights, Digital Marketing Institute, and Forbes. Then, imagine your content on these sites, free of charge. Your content would get in front of thousands of readers who look up to these brands, trust them, and turn to them for advice and information. It could put your company on the map, without the expense of advertisements.
Today’s consumers are not impressed with traditional advertisements. Their buying decisions do not center on which brand’s content they’ve seen most often or who has the loudest commercials. In fact, the modern consumer has had enough of intrusive, interruptive, and irritating ads. The discord is so strong that major companies like Google and Facebook have started penalizing businesses that engage in annoying ad practices. How do you advertise your brand without advertisements? Strategies like guest posting.
Becoming a guest blogger can increase brand awareness organically. Rather than shouting for attention with loud, flashy ads, show your target audience you are a brand that knows what it’s talking about and has something of actual value to offer. Guest blogging on reputable websites establishes you as a name that matters in your industry, and a contender with the best of them. You can get your message across without turning customers off.
10 Undeniable Benefits of the Guest Blog
Don’t underestimate the good guest blogging can do for your brand. It should not be an optional addition to your content marketing strategy, but a centerpiece. Crafting original guest posts specifically for other websites shows your dedication to your product, service, or industry. It can be just what your company needs to break through the noise and stand out from the crowd. Guest blogging can lead to a variety of business benefits, such as:
- Get more qualified leads
- Earn low bounce rates on content
- Increase search engine authority
- Generate better online influence
- Build brand credibility
- Get better search engine optimization (SEO)
- Build a subscriber base
- Get comments and engagement
- Expand your personal network
- Stimulate social media shares
Guest blogging can spread brand awareness, increase exposure, place a company on a high-authority website, and result in greater social media shares. It’s an excellent tool for building a larger following and boosting business. To become a successful guest blogger, however, you need a few tips and tricks.
How to Guest Blog Like a Pro
The first step in becoming a coveted guest blogger is finding the perfect host site. Start by thinking of brands you admire in your industry. Make sure they are not your competitors, but brands that complement what you do or offer insights into your industry. Then, visit their websites and search for an application to become a guest blogger. Not all websites welcome guest bloggers, so you will need to do some research to find matches. Some of the most popular host sites for digital marketers include:
- HubSpot
- Mashable
- Social Media Examiner
- Creative Marketing Institute
- Benchmark
- B2BMarketing
- Shout Me Loud
These sites welcome guest bloggers, as long as the content complies with the rules and requirements. Make sure the site you choose is one that makes sense for your company and your goals. Most host sites will have mandatory topics, word counts, formatting, and other rules, such as not including any promotional-type language in your piece. Follow the rules exactly if you want the host to consider publishing your content. It should not matter if your company is still relatively unknown. If you write good, gripping content, the host will most likely consider posting your work.
Don’t Self-Promote
The trick to a great guest blog is not to self-promote, but instead to let the information do the talking for you. Guest blogging is not a platform for shameless advertisements. For it to work in your company’s favor, it has to be the opposite. It has to be a place where your brand can shine as a resource for readers, not a place to showcase your latest products or services. Save the advertisements for your PPC campaign.
Remember, the goals of guest blogging are to build domain authority and establish yourself as a provider of high-quality, useful content. If you can achieve these goals, then by extension you can grow your brand and positively impact your bottom line. If you are hoping to see returns on investment from a guest blog that reads like an ad, however, you will be sorely disappointed. Readers are expecting a certain type of content from a guest blogger. Don’t disappoint.
Follow Up
You’ve found your ideal host, gotten your pitch approved, and submitted a masterpiece that checks all the boxes. You’ve done well, but your job isn’t over. It’s time to engage with your audience by fielding comments and posting helpful, friendly answers. Keep an eye on your guest blog, and try to respond to comments within 48 hours.
The comment section gives you more leeway to self-promote, but it should still read as helpful rather than salesy. Aim for meaningful, value-driven engagements with your readers. If someone comments on your post, and that person has a website that would be a great host for a future post, reach out and establish your interest.
Finally, type a thank-you letter to your host site. This is a polite and unexpected way to let the host know you appreciated the opportunity, and that you would be open to guest blogging against in the future. Most guest bloggers don’t bother sending thank yous, so you’ll stand out from the crowd. It will show that you are appreciative and open to becoming a regular guest blogger. Then, sit back and enjoy the returns!
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