To Guest Post, or Not to Guest Post: That is the Question
Guest posting on other blogs have become a common thing in the blogosphere. Why are so many bloggers writing guest posts on other blogs? The main reason is to drive traffic back to their site after they have written an awesome article.
Some are writing because they love writing and they enjoy sharing what they know with other bloggers. Further more guest posting will help you meet and engage with other interesting bloggers that will funnel traffic to your site.
There is nothing wrong with guest posting on another blogger’s site, but before you decide to guest post, there are a few points you must consider.
Five important points you must consider before guest posting
1. Get to know the owner of that blog. Don’t be a stranger. Do you follow each other on Twitter or Facebook? Have you actually made comments on each other’s blogs? This is important because this is how you network and develop relationships with other bloggers online.
2. Be familiar with the topics posted on that blog. Have a general idea about the blog topics that are published on the site before you submit a guest post. It is a good idea to check the categories so that you can write your guest post accordingly. This will give you a better chance of your guest post being accepted and published.
3. Make sure you are submitting guest posts to blogs that are closely related to your niche. Why? Because the readers of those blogs will more than likely visit your blog after you have written your awesome post. When they land on your site, they will be expecting to find more of the same awesome articles. But after arriving on your site they find articles that have nothing to do with what you posted on the other site. Select your sites wisely!
4. Don’t waste your precious time. This ties in with number three. You could be writing awesome content on the other blogs, but will it help you in the long run? Probably not! Your time is valuable so make sure you make good use of your time. Yes, you will receive a surge in traffic from writing your awesome articles, but will those visitors become active readers and loyal followers of your blog? Most of the time, those visitors will bounce so fast, without ever leaving a comment. Never to return again.
5. Respond to most if not all comments you receive on your guest post. There is nothing worse than talking to someone who never responds back. You should always engage those who take the time to comment on a guest post that you have written. It is your guest post and when fellow bloggers comment, they are talking to you and not the owner of the blog. In some cases the blog owner will reply to comments, but you should make it your duty to respond to those comments too. Why leave the commentators hanging?
Has guest posting helped me? Yes and no!
Here is how guest posting has helped me.
Guest posting has helped me meet new bloggers that I would have never ordinarily met. I have even developed relationships with a few bloggers that I have met along the way. I had a surge in traffic too at the time my articles were published. Guest posting has helped me have more confidence in my writing abilities.
Here is how guest posting has not helped me.
Guest posting has not converted visitors into loyal readers and followers of this blog. Why? Because I guest posted outside my niche and those fellow bloggers who visited my blog were not very interested in my articles. I learned some valuable lessons. Experience is truly the best teacher!
Conclusion
Guest posting is good and I highly recommend that you write guest posts. But sometimes it can be a waste of your time, especially when you are posting articles on blogs that are not closely related to your niche. Your time is valuable and don’t waste it!
What is your take on guest posting?
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Image credit: Maria Reyes-McDavis
Category: Blogging
[...] A while ago, I posted an article about guest posting. This article questioned if you should guest post or not guest post. [...]
Hi Evelyn,
This is my first visit here. I am pleased you’ve mentioned on guest posting. I’ve been guest posting on and off since 2008. I’ll share some of my experiences.
The majority of blogs that constantly rely on guest bloggers. I didn’t find that successful in the terms of conversions to my blog. It’s fine guest blogging, but you’re there to develop a reputation and selling your ideas to a new audience.
Guest posting should be a win-win situation for all. However, the main winners are the readers.
If you want to be successful for guest posting – aim high and target blogs that occasionally accept guest posts. Your readers will be more grateful for newer content.
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hi James,
Glad you stopped by to chime in on this topic!
You’ve been guest posting for a while now and I commend you on that.
You share some great points and what I like the most is that the readers should be the main winners. I’ve read some awesome guest posts, that really helped me solve some problems I had with blogging.
Thanks for stopping by and it is nice meeting you!
Take care,
Evelyn
I don’t think “guest posters” should focus too much on the ultimate goal to convert readers of their post into loyal visitors of their original blogs.
Guest posting is a very good way to get to know a fellow blogger a lot better (as it’s happened to me) and generally expand your knowledge of how blogging works.
Sure, converted visitors is a plus that you should value a lot, but especially at the beginning of one’s “blogging career” every chance to learn something new should be taken without much thinking
Gabriele Maidecchi recently posted..Make your followfriday less dull
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Gabriele,
Thanks for chiming in!
I agree with you! Guest posting is a way to get to know other bloggers and to even more.
Take care,
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn
Nice to meet you. I have been reading you a lot lately and admire your wonderful writing style and personality.
My thoughts on guest posting are juxtaposed as well: While I can see the benefits of writing guest posts – surge in traffic, backlinks, etc. – I strongly believe we can get the same kind of results through building a community and engaging with readers of our own personal blogs. I also have reservations about submitting my most ‘awesomeness’ post to someone else’s blog: why should they get all the glory? What do you think?
Thanks for sharing this very useful post.
Michael
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hi Michael,
Welcome!
Wow, thank you for such a wonderful compliment!
I too believe that we can get the same kind of results through building community and engaging readers on our own blogs. I’ve actually seen my traffic do better just by doing this more. I’m okay with slow growth..there’s no way to go but up.
What do I think?
I think that we should focus on writing the best content for our blogs by giving our readers what they want (first and foremost). If one writes an awesome guest post, then that person should get a piece of the recognition too, but in some cases it doesn’t work out that way. Who wants to play second fiddle when you can play first fiddle on your own blog. That’s the way I see it. I have slowed down writing guest posts. I do have a few blogs that I will be guest posting for and these blogs are closely related to my niche, so that should be a lot of fun.
Glad you found the post useful!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Take care,
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn,
I like your clear and detailed guest posting tips.
Your mention of sticking to your niche resonates with me. When writing guest posts which weren’t relevant to my blog I received a tiny surge in traffic. When keeping guest posts pertinent my traffic rose significantly.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..7 Dingbat Network Marketing Mistakes Which I Made
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Ryan,
Thanks!
I’m glad to know that I’m not alone in noticing this. Well, we live and learn.
Thanks for your support and for stopping by!
Evelyn
I’ve been a bit of a slow-poke about guest posting and haven’t done many compared to many of my blogging peers. That’s okay though. I know it’s a valuable promotional tool when used the way you outlined in your article, but I’m going to use it at the right time. And for me, that means when I have time to enjoy the process!
Jean Sarauer recently posted..How to Drive Your Blog to Success in the Slow Lane
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Jean,
It is good to see you, sis!
Yeah, it is truly a valuable and promotional tool.
I’m with you! I’ve decided to do the same thing as well! I feel that when I have time, then I can produce better content that will grab people and help them.
I’m off to read your article…the headline is calling me.
Have a great weekend!
Evelyn
I’ve done a few guest postings in the past, they can be great. I think it can work to post on blogs outside of your niche but that audience has to be receptive blogs outside their own niche. Interestingly enough, when it comes to people who write about blogging, or SEO on a personal level I haven’t encountered to many that do interact with those outside their niche. When it comes to whom I follow, I follow whoever I like, so yes many are outside my niche.
HealthyOpal recently posted..Busy as a bee Taking care of customers and additional writing projects
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Opal,
It’s good to see you, sis!
I totally agree with you about the audience being receptive.
Yeah, that’s been the case for me too. (blogging, SEO, etc)
I’m with you on who you follow. I do the same thing too.
Thanks for chiming in!
Evelyn
Yea i agree with all your point! Guest posting on a niche similar to your niche is the best! And that’s what i want to start looking into. *off topic* gimme your skype i.d we need to talk lol
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Samuel,
Thanks for swinging by!
Yeah, you can skype me..
evelyn.parham
Take care,
Evelyn
Evelyn,
I agree with guest posting pros and cons, I have done a few on blogs I enjoy and consider friends so it was an easier way to start.
I enjoyed the process and had peak traffic for a few days around guest posting and gained a few subscribers. I see you write for weblogbetter and other site regularly, I think it is great idea! I am always learning stuff from you.
Preeti recently posted..Top 10 reasons why I am not on Twitter
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Preeti,
Your article was a vegetarian/vegan topic. After I read that, I subscribed to you.
I think I discovered you from one of your guest post on another blog.
So guest posting does help and can be a very good thing!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Evelyn
P.S. These days, I’ve slowed down writing on other sites regularly. So if you don’t see me on those sites, then you’ll know.
Evelyn,
I am glad then that i wrote that vegan pantry post. I have done very little guest posting so far and I am taking it easy, with school starting.
Why did you slow down your guest posting?
Preeti recently posted..Why learning from history is cool – Part II
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Preeti,
Yeah, I believe your Vegan Pantry post is where I discovered you.
I totally understand.
It was too much for me to do. I felt like I was trying to be everywhere and do much more than I should have been doing. I found it to be waste of my time and we both know that time is valuable. Plus, I want to guest post on blogs that are more related to my niche.
Take care,
Evelyn
Twitter: lavenderuses
says:
I love that you give both the positives and negatvies of guest posting. I have been asked to guest post on two blogs in my niche. However, as a newbie to blogging I am glad I have not rushed into it.
The direction of my blog is a little different to when I first started out a few months ago, so still thinking about it.
I appreciate I will probably get a surge in traffic from one of the sites, but I don’t think they will convert to loyal readers. Could be wrong but don’t think so. The other site I am not sure about. It is more closely aligned to mine but as they are producing and selling products similar to what I intend to sell and are situated here in Oz, not sure if it is advantageous or not.
Patricia Perth Australia
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Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hi Patricia,
I think you are doing the right thing by not rushing into anything. Because it has been my experience that when I rush into things, they end up not going the way I would have liked them to go.
I think it could be advantageous to write on the blog that is closely related to your niche. Even if they are selling products that are similar to yours, you can always present your products with a different twist.
Take your time and don’t move too fast!
Thanks for stopping by and chiming in!
Evelyn
Guest blog posting is an excellent way to get new readers and spread the word of your blog. I find it helps to write in a personal way that resonates with the other blog’s readers. You can do so by being controversial, or writing about something that’s high useful.. anything that makes you stand out from the crowd is good.
Henway recently posted..Last Resort For Acne
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hi Henway,
That’s true!
Thanks for sharing your great pointers!
Take care,
Evelyn