The benefits of guest blogging are plentiful. From establishing a writer’s credibility, to sharing helpful content with a business’s core audience, to attracting more organic website traffic—guest blogging works for many professionals who want to give their brands a boost. Here are some of the best tips on how to write a guest blog and impress readers with a writer’s knowledge-base.
#1 Content Should be Original
It is important that writers of guest blogs create and share thoughtful, original content. Such content should provide fresh ideas with new points of views on existing topics. Such material will be abreast of current trends and it will not be outdated. In fact, this is often a requirement of many websites that post guest blogs—they want the best of the best when it comes to quality content. It would be bad for their reputation if a writer submitted an article that was boring, unoriginal, or even plagiarized from another source.
#2 High-Quality Content
Similarly, a guest blog should be of the highest caliber with regards to the quality of the article. This means that it should be grammatically correct, error free, and understandable to the reader. It is very likely that a guest blog that has been submitted with glaring errors may be rejected by the website before it is published, but remember submitting these posts is about building one’s reputation. It can be very damaging to submit low-grade articles to reputable websites who also have their own brand on the line. Make sure submitted articles are publish-worthy before submission.
#3 Build a Relationship with the Website’s Owner
When it comes to guest blog posts, the objective should be to establish long-term relationships with the website’s owner. While submitting one guest post can drive traffic back to the website for the short-term, what about all of the business referrals and networking opportunities that may arise from having an established relationship with the business that runs the website? These connections could prove to be highly valuable for the future success of the writer.
#4 Follow Instructions
The website will provide a set of guidelines for how they would like their blog posts to be submitted and formatted. These instructions have been provided for a reason, so follow them to the letter for the best outcomes. It could certainly tarnish the company’s view of the writer if they did not follow the company’s express wishes. Refusal to follow instructions could result in the blog being rejected and it could even turn the company off from working with the writer in the future.
#5 A Guest Post is Not a Sales Pitch
Also keep in mind that a guest blog post is not a sales pitch for the writer’s products or services. This is quite the contrary. A guest blog post is for the benefit of the core audience who is searching for specific information that meets their needs. This is why sales speak should be avoided altogether. Language that is overly sales-oriented will come off as pushy and may position the writer as being self-absorbed. Instead, provide content that is valuable, engaging and relevant to what readers are searching for to assist them with their most pressing issues.
#6 Track Metrics
The good news about online content is that it is measurable. Therefore, stay on top of how well the guest blog is fairing for the writer. For instance, track the number of website visits that are a direct result of the blog post. Also stay abreast of new customers who mention they learned about the writer from the blog post. It may also be useful for the writer to set metrics for themselves. For instance, a writer could set the goal of obtaining a certain number of leads as a result of the guest post. Setting goals and tracking results is a great way to determine whether or not writing for the website is worth the efforts.
When it comes to publishing a guest blog, top websites will want the best of the best when it comes to articles. Remember, the guest posts they publish on their sites are a reflection of their brands as well. So, keep some of these key tips in mind when it comes to writing and submitting a guest post article. To learn even more about how to write a guest blog contact an esteemed team of marketing professionals today who can help a writer come up with a guest blogging strategy that provides results.
