Quick Navigation

• Why Is Guest Blogging Important For Your Business?
• How to Find Guest Post Opportunities
• Steps to Take Before Pitching Your Guest Post
• How to Pitch a Guest Blog Post
• What to Include (and Not Include) in Your Guest Blog Post
• Tips For Creating Quality Guest Blog Posts
• Are You Ready to Begin Guest Blogging?

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A guest blog post, also referred to as guest posting or guest blogging, is an article written for, and published on, someone else’s website or blog. It typically involves a topic that the host’s audience will find helpful, valuable, and engaging. Guest blogging offers benefits to both the guest blogger and the host blogger. Business owners and bloggers always need fresh new content that speaks directly to their audience.

In this comprehensive guide on how to guest blog, we’ll review why guest posting is important for your business, how to find guest post opportunities, how to pitch a guest blog post, what to include in a guest post, and helpful tips that will increase your chances of being accepted for guest blogging opportunities.

Image via Flickr by Got Credit

Why Is Guest Blogging Important for Your Business?

Guest blogging is important for your blog or business as it increases your online presence in a positive, reputable way. It helps others view you as an expert in your particular industry as well as improves your own content writing skills. It can also provide the amazing advantages below.

Build Relationships With Other Bloggers

Networking has always been a traditional means of getting to know others in your same niche or industry. Bloggers can’t necessarily network at monthly face-to-face meetings, so how do they build relationships? One way is through writing guest posts. Not only are you adding value to someone else’s business, but you’re also building relationships along the way.

Getting to know other bloggers can help you and your business tremendously. You’ll have an expert in your industry that you can go to for any questions you may have or discuss any challenges you are encountering. Let’s face it, blogging can be a lonely career path. Having other bloggers to talk to who understand this way of life and the specific challenges involved has many advantages.

Make Your Blog Search-Engine-Friendly

When you submit a guest post, the host blogger usually includes a link to your blog or website somewhere in the post, typically at the end or beginning. The more guest posts you publish, the more links there are to your website or business blog. This is fantastic when it comes to SEO for your blog. These backlinks rate your website higher on Google and other search engines.

Build Your Own Following

If people find your guest posts engaging, entertaining, and highly valuable, they will more than likely begin to follow you on social media and possibly become future customers or clients. People need to see that you are more than a salesperson. They need to know that your overall goal is to help people with your blog or business, not simply make money. Focus on providing value and genuinely connecting with others and, over time, you will see the results.

How to Find Guest Post Opportunities

Ask Industry Connections

As a blogger, you probably have other friends who are also bloggers. Begin with blog owners you already know and who already know you. If you’ve been networking, they’re probably familiar with your work or will at least recognize your name. Send an email asking if they’re currently accepting guest blog posts.

Promote It on Your Blog

You have a blog with readers and regular visitors. Place a notice on your sidebar or footer, or write a blog post letting others know that you’re looking for guest post opportunities. Include a list of the type of articles you like to write as well as your other areas of expertise.

Use Social Media

While promoting your blog on social media, post that you’re looking to write guest blog articles for other bloggers and business owners. You can also ask your followers if they know of anyone who is currently looking for guest bloggers. You’ll be amazed at how simply asking will conjure up some amazing opportunities.

Search for Them

One of the best ways to find guest blogging opportunities is to look for them on search engines and social media platforms. Use keywords, such as:

• guest post
• guest blogger
• writers needed
• blog for us
• write for us
• guest post opportunities
• submit a guest post
• accepting guest posts
• guest post guidelines

If you have a specific industry niche, include that term along with the other search terms. For example, if you write about gardening, use the keyword phrase “guest post gardening” when actively looking for guest blog posts to write.

Network on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a remarkable way to find several guest blogging opportunities. It’s known as being a professional network. Bloggers who use LinkedIn are actively searching for other bloggers for both networking and working together. This is another great place to add a post about how you’re looking for guest blog options.

Look for Blogs in Your Niche

While you can search on how to find guest post opportunities, you may also want to begin by looking for blogs where you would like to write a guest blog post. Search using a keyword phrase that includes “your niche + blogs” and you will find an extensive list of relevant blogs in your industry. Check to see if any of these blogs have a system in place for accepting guest blog posts. If there are any others you’d like to write for, add them to your guest blogging list. You’ll need to pitch to these blogs and their owners.

Would you like a helpful tip for increasing your chances of being accepted as a guest blogger on these blogs? Take a few weeks to begin to follow them on social media, like or comment on their posts, and read and comment on their blog articles. Recognition is a powerful tool when it comes to expanding your blogging opportunities.

Use Blog Search Engine

Blog Search Engine is an excellent resource for discovering blogs in your specific industry. You can search according to a specific term or keyword and you can also submit your own blog to this list, creating another opportunity for others to find your blog online.

Search Blogging Communities

Just as there are communities built around hobbies and shared interests, there are also communities built around guest blogging. A well-known guest post community is My Blog Guest. Here you can find helpful tips on how to best pitch guest blog posts, how to submit guest blog posts, and how to find a wide range of guest posting options.

Utilize Blogger Directories

A blog directory is a worthwhile way to gain exposure for your own blog as well as find popular blogs in your specific area of expertise. It’s another method of discovering blogs you can pitch to for guest posting opportunities. Blog directories give you an idea of which types of articles are most popular, which blog posts receive the most traffic, and who are some of the top bloggers in your specific industry. A few popular blogger directories include BlogLovin’, Blogarama, Technorati, and AllTop.

Search Craigslist

Craigslist is a hugely underrated means of finding guest posting opportunities. Most business owners on Craigslist are looking for paid writers to create articles for their blogs. You can always contact them, letting them know you’d be willing to write a blog article for free, and ask for a link back to your website rather than compensation. While you’re on Craigslist, you can create an ad saying that you are available for guest posting.

Steps to Take Before Pitching Your Guest Post

Now that you have several methods for finding guest posting opportunities, let’s take a step back before you begin to pitch your specific guest blog post. While this process does not need to be difficult or complicated, it should be approached thoughtfully in order to maximize your chances of being accepted as a guest blogger.

Familiarize Yourself With the Blog’s Content

Before sending that email asking to be considered as a guest blogger, you need to take the time to get to know the target blog’s content. Look at the type of writing already on the site. Is it for more advanced readers or for beginning learners? Are they writing to a business audience or general consumers? Does the content consist of deep dives into the subject or is it more of a general overview? Taking the time to look at these questions and more will help you find out exactly how to submit a guest blog post to that particular blog or website.

Check out Other Guest Posts

It will benefit you greatly to spend some time checking on other guest posts for the blog to which you want to pitch. Who are the guest bloggers? Are the guest blogging writers fellow bloggers, consultants, business owners, or freelancers? Which type of articles do they write? Do their articles receive a lot of engagement? Are these blog posts shared on social media or commented on by the blog’s followers? The information you gain from asking these questions will help you craft your pitch to this specific blog.

Discover Which Posts Have the Best Engagement

If you want to truly maximize your guest blog pitch, check out the guest blog posts that have the best engagement, most comments, and top social media shares. There’s obviously something amazing about these particular articles that make them so attractive to the audience.

Network, Network, and Network

This essential step cannot be stressed enough. One of the best ways to be chosen as a guest post blogger is to make yourself recognizable. Take a week or two and read and comment on the host blogger’s articles. Follow them on social media and like, comment on, and share their posts. Make yourself recognizable before pitching to them.

How to Pitch a Guest Blog Post

Read the Directions

As with anything, it’s always best to read the directions first. Many blog owners will immediately ignore your guest post pitch if it doesn’t follow their specific guidelines. Each blog owner has their own reasons for setting up particular instructions for guest posting. Not only do you want to convey that you are willing to write articles the way they ask you to, but that you also respect their wishes.

Personalize Your Pitch

One of the best ways to stand out among the many other guest bloggers is to personalize your pitch. In your email request, don’t use “Dear Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” Take the time to find the name of the blog owner, blog manager, or contact person. It should be located somewhere on the blog. It will provide you with an amazing advantage right away when you’ve shown that you’re willing to take the time to create a well-crafted email pitch.

Focus on Being a Blogger

While you may be a business owner who also runs a blog, you may find it more advantageous to market yourself as a blogger first. After all, you are asking to guest post on someone’s blog. Begin by introducing yourself as a blogger at (insert blog name here).

Explain Why You Should Be a Guest Blogger

This is where researching the particular blog you are pitching to will come in very handy. Use what you’ve learned about the blog to explain why you should be a guest blogger on the website. For example, if the blog appears to prefer whimsical and engaging content, you can market yourself as a blogger who enjoys adding a bit of humor to each post, if that is, in fact, what you enjoy doing. If the blog owner enjoys articles that have lists or bullet points, you can mention that you write in a clear, detailed way, utilizing small paragraphs and bullet points.

You will also want to include a few links to articles you have written and published. Be sure they match the description of yourself as a blogger. Once the blogger clicks on the link and begins reading an article you have written, they will be able to tell right away if the description of yourself does indeed match previous articles you have written.

Include a Few Blog Post Topics

It can’t hurt to pitch a few different blog post topics, depending on what the guest post guidelines suggest. Sometimes, blog owners don’t really know what they want for an article until it’s suggested to them. This last step helps keep your options open and communicates that you are willing to try a few new ideas and aren’t so rigid in your writing.

What to Include (and Not Include) in Your Guest Blog Post

It can be a struggle to know exactly what to include, or not include, in your guest blog post. By following these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to becoming a sought-after guest blogger.

Include Your Best Content

One of the most common dilemmas guest bloggers wrestle with is whether or not they should save their best content for their own blog or use it for a guest post. Again, this is where researching the blog you are pitching to is very helpful as it truly depends on the type of blog to which you are submitting an article. If you’ve been accepted as a guest blogger in a mainstream blog, then yes, definitely set aside some of your best amazing content for this blog. Consider that this particular post will see a lot of traffic. Saving your best content for this class of blog will only drive more traffic to your individual blog.

Focus on the Blog Owner

You’ll also want to remember that this particular guest post is not about you. It is being written for a different blog. Do not include links to your own products, services, or articles. In fact, if you can include some links or content from other areas of the blog for which you are writing, it only shows your commitment to making the article more about the blog owner. It will also increase your chances of becoming a recurring guest blogger too.

Format Posts Similarly

When writing your guest blog article, format the post similar to the those already on the blog. If other guest posts utilize a small paragraph type format, then you’ll want to do the same. If they use headers or quotes in their articles, consider including some of these features as well.

Add Keywords

In order to improve the rankings of your particular guest blog post on search engines, it would be very beneficial to conduct some keyword research. Consider using a research tool, like Google Keyword Planner, if the blog owner hasn’t already given you their own keywords to use within the content of the article.

Use a Call to Action

If you want people to comment on your guest post article, you need to ask them to do so. This is an often forgotten tool that many people don’t utilize. The more discussion and engagement your article gets, the better it is for the blog owner and for your own blog as well.

Add a Link to Your Website

One of the best things about guest blogging is having links to your blog included all over the Internet. Most, if not all, bloggers who utilize guest posts can include a link to their own blog or website. More often than not, the link will send readers to their blog’s home page.

Include a Well-Written Bio

A bio is typically allowed at the very end of the guest blog post. Be sure to double-check this with the blog owner if you’re not sure. In your bio, talk about your background and experience in the specific topic you wrote about. It will help to solidify why you are an expert in this particular area. You may also want to include an interesting fact or feature about yourself or your blog. Make it something that will cause readers to click on your blog link because they want to learn more about you as a blogger.

You’ll also want to include all of your social profiles. Many people use different social media platforms so be sure to include all of them. You may even want to include a sentence at the end of your bio, such as, “You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram,” and include links to your social media accounts as well.

Tips for Creating Quality Guest Blog Posts

Quality Is Key

It doesn’t matter if you save your best content or average content for guest posting. Just be sure it’s full of high-quality content. Don’t use words that aren’t necessary just to fill up space.

Build Relationships

While this has been mentioned already, it really is key to creating quality guest posts as well as becoming an influential guest blogger. The more you make yourself known to others in your industry and take the time to get to know those same bloggers, the more likely you are to become a sought-after blogger yourself.

Are You Ready to Begin Guest Blogging?

Now that you have a step-by-step guide for guest blogging, you are more than ready to begin finding and pitching those high-quality blog post opportunities. Armed with the knowledge of how to find guest opportunities, how to pitch bloggers in your industry, what to include in your guest blog post, and how to create quality and engaging content, not only will you provide value to those host bloggers but you will also build and grow your own blog as well.

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