Regular visitors to my blog will know by now that I’m a huge fan of guest blogging. I mention it often, as a positive way of getting yourself out there, increasing your traffic footfall to your own site, and realising a number of other benefits that all link in with your overarching online marketing strategy.
And yet, despite the benefits, so many people who run blogs, spending their time on promoting them, writing killer articles and working hard to succeed online still don’t write guest posts.
If you’re one of those shy retiring types who is yet to offer your services as a guest poster to a fellow online entrepreneur, then this post is for you.
Hold on to your keyboards – by the end of this message, you’ll be champing at the bit to put pen to paper and draft out a post that you’ll be itching to publish on someone else’s site.
If you still haven’t guest posted, consider this a prod in to action from someone who swears by it. Here’s why…
The benefits
Guest blogging is fun, first and foremost. It gives you a chance to hone your online identity, knowing it will be read by new people, and you get to choose whatever topic you want to write about, that you think will sit well for the readers of the site you are going to guest on.
After that, the benefits are massive for you and your business.
You get to forge alliances with new contacts in your niche industry, sharing ideas for best practice and discussing new initiatives. Guest blogging also opens your site to a host of new readers, as you can link back to your products and services, and include a brief bio about who you are and what you do at the end of the post.
There’s more!
Guest blogging brings traffic in the form of readers who respond to what you have written, and want to start following you. They are regulars to the site you have posted on, and so it’s natural for them to want to seek out other professionals who write well about similar topics online.
In a way, it’s like going to a party and meeting lots of like-minded individuals with whom you have a lot in common, and swapping business cards with a few to generating contacts for future business dealings.
The downside
There are a few downsides to guest posting – but not enough to make it not worthwhile as a good business practice for your ongoing blogging strategy.
It can be daunting making the jump to writing for someone else – the quality has to be extremely high, sometimes you have to adhere to pretty strict rules, and it can be tough getting criticism for a post which you would pop up on your own site without a second thought.
Many people who run successful blogs can be quite stringent about their guidelines, and for people who are short on time it can be frustrating to spend a lot of resource on crafting a post that will really fit the criteria of what is expected of you.
That said, the benefits are huge, and it’s a great way of opening up discussions with new people and attracting potential new customers to your site.
Which brings me back to my original comment – you’ve never guest blogged? Really? Get on with it!
By the way I do accept guest posts – all are welcome. Here’s my guidelines: Guest Posting Guidelines
What’s your experience of guest posting?
Please share your views in the comments below.
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Twitter: davidwalkertv
I have seen a lot of posts about guest blogging over the last week, but this is pretty insightful. While it can be a tremendous boost to your site and brand, it can also be time consuming if you’re writing the kind of posts you should be writing. Especially if you’re writing for a highi-profile blog that has lots of specifications for the post. ~David Walker
David Walker recently posted..Why I Thought About You All Weekend
Twitter: andrewrondeau
David,
I agree it can take quite a while to get a really good blog post written and accepted.
But when I had a post published on ProBlogger, I got quite a boost in traffic and many more opt-ins.
Plus you get the backlink for your anchor text – which improves your position in the searches.
You can read the effect here:
http://www.webuildyourblog.com/476/traffic-effects-result-guest-blog-post/
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Twitter: kezanari
but like Andrew said the benefits are huge. If true that when you write for high profile blog it can be very time-consuming but he traffic, Social proof plus some nice PR back links to your site.
I think you should try name for posting one article per month to a high profile blog like mashable Or life hacker
Robert recently posted..Sorry But Content Is Not King!
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Robert
One a month would be a great start.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: happymakernowco
Hi Andrew,
I do have to admit that I have done guest post, but not as many as I shold be doing. When I do guest post I spend more time with those post than I do my own. I try to study there blog and write more like they do. Is this a mistake or should I just be me?
I promise to do more of it. As you say, it does bring more traffic and new customers.
thank you for reminding of this, I shall get right on it.
Blessing always,
Debbie
Debbie recently posted..4 Words Your Husband Does Not Want to Hear You Say!
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Debbie,
You should be you AND you should provide a high quality blog post.
When it’s published, it’s your brand and reputation which is scrutinized!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Dear Andrew -
I know. I know.
Yes, I have done some and you are right. Got lots of new visitors who wanted to see who that crazy lady is. And stayed.
I am going to get my head together and do it.
Enough of this laziness.
Corinne Edwards recently posted..COUPLE OF TIPS FOR YOUR INTERVIEW – Media Coaching
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Corinne
I don’t think it is laziness…I think we are all busy. It is getting a schedule that includes guest posting, together and sticking to it.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Twitter: MichelleVan
What? I can’t even get posts out for my own blog.. And who the heck would I approach? And why? ACK!! Overwhelm….. but. having said that, I love to be a guest on video blogs and radio shows. I’ve probably done 50 guest appearances over the last 10 years.. Does that count?
Michelle Vandepas recently posted..Getting In Shape Huff and Puff
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Michelle
It certainly does count – as long as you have a link over to your site!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Twitter: AnaTrafficCafe
Haha, Michelle! I know what you mean.
Andy, I have done several guest posts and the results have been incredible.
I try do at least one a month.
Ana recently posted..Best Affiliate Marketing Programs that Pay
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Ana
The amount of visitors and commetns you get on your blog…shows you have been working hard including guest posting.
You are welcome to post here…anytime!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: http://leapofaction.com
Guilty as charged! Your post is excellent, timely and the proverbial needed kick in the butt. Thanks!
Beat
Beat Schindler recently posted..Six Ways To Free Health Care
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Beat
Looking forward to seeing your next one…real soon!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
OK Andrew
I’m going to write a guest post and submit it to you!
Cheers
Mark
Mark Aylward recently posted..5 Free Link Building Tips For Dummies
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Mark,
Cool – I’m here waiting!
Hold on…let me check my emails…it’s not there yet!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Will the influence gained by guest posting be someday discounted by search engines? Even if they are, I guess guest posts are still worth it!
Raj recently posted..A Bloggers Guide to Choosing Your Domain Name
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Raj,
No one knows the answer to that but while they are not…you should do it.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..You Have Never Guest Posted? Really?
Hi Andrew and friends. Excellent post, as usual.
This is something that my team and I take advantage of every day. It can work out great for all parties concerned.
The fact that the links are imbedded in relative article content is most attractive to the search engines, well actually one search engine grin/, and they get indexed very quickly.
I even put a new twist on it myself by running a gig on fiverr offering to “guest post” on one of my own blogs. I just write a post on the client subject and post it on one of my many general interest sites and end up being paid four bucks for posting content on my own site! That is minus the fiverr extortion fee that approaches usury limits in banking.
All the best.
Rich Hill
Rich Hill recently posted..Google Panda SEO Traffic and YOU
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Rich
That is a weird twist!
Can you write one for me?
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: bloggersethics
i always believe in the power of guest posting and if done with a strategy, you can get good results. but due to lack of time, could not do much of it
Tushar Agarwal recently posted..If You Have Failed, Its Time to Start Again
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Tushar
Sorry but I don’t belive in lack of time!
Other priorities – yes but not time.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Hi Andrew,
I don’t think we’re all shy, there’s also the time factor involved. Running one or even more blogs can take up a lot of time, guest posting in this case seems redundant.
Though i admit it’s a healthy practice if you manage to make time for it.
Lynn Sanders recently posted..What Does A Medical Assistant Do?
Twitter: kezanari
Hi there Lynn
I agree with you that when you are running multiple Blogs it can take up a lot of time guest blogging. I found a way around this and that is by using Dragon NaturallySpeaking this helps you to knockout blogs in rapid succession.
Robert recently posted..How To Increase Your Online Sales In 30 Days
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Robert
I have the same application – great resource!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Lynn,
I agree running a blog does take a lot of time. But I don’t belive in ‘lack of time’ being an excuse.
I believe in priorities. You most probably have other priorities that stop you guest posting.
What do you think?
Andrew
Hi Andrew
i agree with you. Its so sad….. I spend a lot of Time for my Blog. I!!!!! write my Posts with love and dedication, i like Blogging so much. But its difficult for me to geht Traffic. Sorry for my english. I can understand very good, but i cant write good.
Thanks for sharing your Tips. It gives me Hope for Future. Its inspiring for me and i`m thankful for all Tips, because my Blog is New and i`m new in this Business.
I wish you all the Best and much Success with your Projects.
With best Wishes for all from Good Old Germany
Sandy recently posted..C- Dating die Zweite
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Thanks, Sandy.
Good lulck to you too. Keep writing great unique content and traffic will come.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
Hi Andrew,
I love receiving guest posts and publish them frequently on my blog. I post in a variety of places too. It boosts my traffic nicely =)
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny recently posted..Only 1.2% of the least attractive kids get buckled into shopping carts: Benefits of Beauty (infographic)
Twitter: kezanari
Hi there Cheryl
a quick question How many Guest blogs do you write a week?
Robert recently posted..Link Building For Small Businesses
Twitter: blogtechguy
Like many others I’m guilty of not doing this as much as I should. I need to think of some relevant blogs and then relevant topics top pitch. I’ll get there some day, thanks for the reminder!
Joel recently posted..Client Spotlight: I Am Not Making This Up
Twitter: ExtremeJohn
I’m guilty too. Despite the fact that I know how guest posting can be highly relevant and helpful, I only do it very rarely. Still, I encourage guest posting on my own site. This way I can help the guest blogger while he or she can help me spread my business blog too.
Extreme John recently posted..Tips for Getting Traffic from Twitter
Twitter: andrewrondeau
John,
I understand – I think we all would like to do more things to attract traffic but other priorities get in the way!
It is hard to balance everything!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Awesome post! I recently posted about my case study on my recent guest post over at SEOmoz – it proves guest posting really does work! It’s sad to think some people aren’t utilizing this strategy yet
Twitter: kezanari
Wow Jon you just posted on SEOmoz! you must have written a high quality article to be accepted. Send me a link to the article I would love to have a read
Robert UK
Robert recently posted..10 ways to increase your website traffic
Twitter: blogstashdotcom
Hey Andrew,
Spot on as always. Guest posting has been great to me. Since i started doing it, not only it helped me build quality backlinks and drive traffic, it also helped me build relationships with other bloggers and that to me is priceless.
Satrap recently posted..10 Ways to Make Money on the Side
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Satrap
Building relationships is a another huge beenfit of guest posting. Excellent share – thanks.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: raymond8
Great tips.
But how do you find quality people to guest post?
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Raymond
Do a Google search for something like ‘write for us (plus your niche word)’.
Then check out te sites and see if you feel you would like a post published on their site. Also check out their Page Rank.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Thank you for this article! I just began doing more guest blogging and I have found exactly what you’re saying in this article to be true. I look forward to guest blogging more and if I wrote on business rather than relationships I’d submit a guest post to you
. Thanks for the great advice.
Fawn
http://www.HappyWivesClub.com
Fawn recently posted..Yoga, Chai Tea & Me
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Thanks, Fawn.
I wish you did write about business!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Interesting suggestion, I will have to try it one day.My English is not so good though, have to think from my mother language first.
Dithunya recently posted..Travel without inhibitions
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Dithunya
You could always outsource the writing of the post.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: naturallaw1
Andrew I think guest posting is a great idea and I have thought about it. I will probably wait till I get a little more experience before I write for others.
Steve recently posted..Definitions, Natural Law part 1
I am one of those people that haven’t guest blogged yet. Call it being new to the whole scene or a fear of rejection. Hopefully soon I will begin writing for more than just my site. Thanks for the info.
Charles recently posted..Elk Hunting – Smells
Twitter: kezanari
You have to start Guest blogging because it will exspose your site to new traffic and visitors. As long as you keep to the “guest blogging terms” that are set out by the owner you should be good to go… take the plunge my friend
Robert recently posted..Sorry But Content Is Not King!
Twitter: katiepecbvda
I have never guest blogged. I get that it can be helpful to get traffic, but how do you find sites that need guest bloggers. I mean people with successful blogs are already doing good on their own so they don’t need a guest blogger. Where do I find one?
Katie Woodard recently posted..New Video: John West feat. Big Sean – Already There
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Katie
See my reply to Raymond above – do some searching.
People will successful blogs DO want guest bloggers. For many reasons including…getting other perspectives and giving them a day off from writing!
Think ProBlogger – most of his posts are guest posts.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: releasedateguru
I also agree that guest posting has a lot of benefits, but what is there to do when your writing relates to a single niche ? It doesn’t seem very wise to guest post on competitor blogs, doesn’t it ? Please correct me if I’m wrong !
Myke recently posted..ASUS Transformer Prime Release Date Scheduled For December
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Myke
The whole point of guest blogging is to get your name out there and get some extra traffic…oh and the backlink and building relationships.
Without any of that you won’t be very successful on-line. Hence guest posting is a must!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: kezanari
If you guest blog on your competitors website you get the benefits because number one you get to siphon their traffic and increase your brand awareness.
Number two you get a one-way back link from your competitors website to your website so that will bump up your rankings and increase your authority in that niche.
If you owned a small shop website and you Guest blogged for a major supermarket chain your website will probably go to PR4 if it was a PR1 just buy that one backlink alone
Robert recently posted..How Facebook Keeps Upping the Ante
Hi Andrew, I was lucky enough to have guest post to high traffic blogs but it is indeed hard. Much as I want to reach those A-listers, they have, as you’ve said, strict rules. But hey, it’s really worth.
Hi Andrew,
I love guest posting. You are right though as it is tough to write posts for certain blogs. I just got my first rejection yesterday for a post I wrote. Tiny ego slap but I’ll be back writing more guest posts this week. Just need to improve a bit on the quality of writing.
I love the traffic and SEO benefits from guest posting and the networking benefits too!
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Tim,
We all get rejected at soem stage – the winners (like you), move on and try again.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Successful Corporate Blogs: Share Your Mistakes
Twitter: kezanari
it’s not really a rejection because your article may be a triangle and the Blog where you want to submit it was square. Sources you find that triangle blog it will Gladly accept your triangle article
Robert recently posted..Increasing Traffic T? Your Site W?th AdWords
Hi Andrew,
This post for definitely for people like me. I am yet to do a single guest post in-spite of having free time. I need to start with it. Thank you for highlighting the benefits of it.
Cheolsu recently posted..Myspace Login with Facebook
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Cheolsu
If you have the time…what’s stopping you?
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Income Blogging Membership Course: Lowest Price Ever
Andrew
What puts me off is the thought I’m not adding to the value of my blog – especially as I’m currently an infrequent blogger. I’ve followed all the free stuff from Jon Morrow (from copyblogger), whose solo projects are very much on guest posting. One day…
David Rogers recently posted..Improve your self confidence in 15 minutes
Twitter: andrewrondeau
David
You are adding to the value of your blog via the extra visitors you get plus the back link…oh and the extra profile you get by posting on a high profile blog.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Income Blogging Membership Course: Lowest Price Ever
I agree with what David Walker said in his comment in that I have also seen a lot on guest blogging this week, but your post is by far the best. I think mainly because you included your requirements for guest blogging. So you answered a lot of questions there for me. Maybe you could do a follow up post to talk about other ways to find blogs in our niche to guest blog for..
Dave Pilgrim recently posted..Free Itouch App called Drake’s Tower
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Dave,
I could do a post but all you need to do is a Google search. Someting like “write for us (plus your niche subject)”.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Income Blogging Membership Course: Lowest Price Ever
I’ve never guest posted but I’ve read dozens of guest post and most of these posts led me to discover some of the most brilliant blogs. Also some of the guest posts I read were brilliant but the guest poster never tried to interact with the readers.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Robert
Unfortunately that happens to some of the guest posts I accept. The author doesn’t come back and response to comments.
It’s a shame really becaue I will never accept a second guest post from them if that happens.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..What To Do If Your Guest Post Is Rejected
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
I owe someone a guest post. He asked me for it ages ago. I keep meaning to get to it. But now, it’s time to just make it happen. Thanks for the timely reminder (kick in the pants).
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny recently posted..Women Only MMA Training: Separating the boys from the girls
Twitter: andrewrondeau
So what is stopping you? And PLEASE do not say ‘not enough time’!
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..What To Do If Your Guest Post Is Rejected
Twitter: tyroneshum
Andrew,
Truly right. These are also the reasons why I also decided why not do guest blogging too because gathering a whole new audience and converting them is really one of the greatest benefits in blogging (or video blogging).
-Tyrone
Tyrone recently posted..Outsourcing Live Annual Report For 2011 & How To Get Your Videos Noticed On Youtube