Let’s be honest: in the world of blogging, getting your own blog noticed can be tough. Even if you’re a skilled writer, with an interesting topic and plenty to say, unless you have a large following, it can be almost impossible for anyone but your closest friends and relatives to see what you have written.
But if another blogger is willing to give you a little space on their blog — perhaps because they too like your writing, or simply because they value the traffic that comes from guest posts on their own site — then it opens up a new world of opportunities for your content.
In this post I’ll walk you through 7 different methods for getting featured on other blogs as a guest blogger.
Topics Covered
Make sure you know what a guest blog post is
A guest blog post is an article that you write for another blog. The owner of that blog may then choose to publish your post on their site, linking back to your blog. When people click on that link, your blog will show up in their feed, and you’ll get traffic from it. In return, you should always make sure to link back to the blog that hosted your article, and provide a brief bio about yourself.
Guest posting is a great way to increase your blog traffic, get your name out there, and build relationships with other bloggers in your niche. If you’re new to blogging, you may be surprised to learn that guest blogging is actually one of the most effective ways to build an audience.
Build relationships with bloggers you like and trust
Guest posting is a reciprocal relationship; you will always benefit more from it if you are also willing to give back to the people you approach to write for them. When you are first starting out, you will have to write for free, but it is in your best interests to proactively build those relationships with the people you guest post for.
If you can build a relationship with a blogger, you’ll be able to get more guest posts published on their site, and you may also be able to establish a long-term relationship that could eventually lead to a full-time blogging gig. If a blogger likes your work and trusts you to write for their blog, they’re more likely to accept your application if you decide to apply for a paid position with the same company.
Offer to write for free to get your foot in the door
If you’re just starting out as a blogger, or you’re new to guest posting, you may not want to approach people for a paid gig at first. Instead, you could offer to write for free. This will allow you to build relationships and get your name out there, without putting pressure on yourself to create quality work.
It’s important to remember though, that blogging is a very labor-intensive job. It can be a full-time job in itself. You’re going to want to make sure you aren’t overworking yourself. You’ll need to make sure you’re not over-promising when you offer to write for free. It’s important that you’re able to deliver on what you say you’ll do; if you’ve tried your best but you just can’t get the post done in time, don’t feel bad about letting the other blogger know.
You’re under no obligation to write a post if you don’t have the time to do it properly, but you should still be as professional and apologetic as possible.
Write great content that blows bloggers away
Guest posting is a numbers game: with enough patience, you’ll be able to find bloggers who will be willing to publish your work. But how do you stand out from the crowd and make sure you get noticed? The number one thing you can do is write great content.
This doesn’t just mean that you need to write something that’s well-researched and accurate; it means that you need to write something that blows the blogger away.
You don’t have to write the most creative, controversial article on the planet, but you do need to write something that makes the blogger say “wow.” Make them laugh, make them cry, make them angry, but above all, make them think.
The best way to do this is to always write as though you’re speaking to one person: the blogger who will be publishing your article.
Ask for “paid inclusion” by hosting ads on your blog
If you’ve built a good relationship with a blogger, and you’ve already published a couple of articles on their blog, you could try asking if they have any ad spots available on their site. You could offer to host ads on your own blog, or you could offer to take on a guest posting “position” with the condition that you get paid for it.
If the blogger is able to make money from the ad, but you get paid for it, it’s essentially the same thing as getting a guest post published.
Keep in mind that you may want to check the rules of your blog and/or your country’s laws before doing this, as it may be considered spam. But if the blogger is open to the idea, it can be a great way to get your foot in the door, and you might even be able to negotiate a regular salary as a result.
Offer to be a guest blogger as part of your product launch strategy
If you’re planning on launching a new product soon, or you’re simply looking for a way to drum up some extra attention, one of the best ways to do that is by launching a new blog.
Ideally, you’ll have been writing for your blog ever since day one, but if you’ve only got a few posts up, or you’re just getting started, now is the perfect time to reach out to other bloggers in your industry, and ask if they’d be willing to publish a guest post from you.
By offering to write a guest post as part of your product launch strategy, you’ll get a ton of free publicity, and the blogger who publishes your article will also get a link back to their blog, which could boost their traffic.
Show off your own blogging skills and talent
If you want to get more guest posts published, you need to be choosy about the blogs you approach. You’ll want to make sure that the blog you want to write for is a good fit for your content and your voice.
Try to find blogs that you like reading, and make sure to note the authors’ names. Once you’ve found some blogs that you like, and that fit your blogging style, you can use the contact pages on those blogs to get in touch with the owner.
Be sure to send them a short message explaining why you want to write for their blog, and what makes you the right person for the job. It’s likely that the person running the blog will receive dozens of these types of messages each year. So, make sure that your message stands out.
Wrapping up
Guest posting is one of the best ways to get your blog noticed. It can also help you build relationships with people in your industry, and get your name out there. To get started, make sure you know what a guest blog post is, and how it works. Then, start building relationships with bloggers you like and trust by offering to write for free or by pitching a paid guest post.
Next, make sure you write great content that blows them away. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to guest post on other blogs.
