Let’s assume you’re already sold on the value of guest posting.
It works. Let’s just leave it at that. (If you aren’t sold on the idea, read this) 😉
I want to deliver a word of warning, though, for all you new and would-be guest posters.
There are three things you need to remember. Forgetting any of them can destroy your credibility and ruin any chance you have of posting on a site again.
I see so many people forgetting these simple truths all the time and it breaks my heart to see them wasting great opportunities.
Don’t be one of them!
The first thing you need to remember is:
This is Not Your Audience
You know your audience well (or at least you should!) – you know what they like, what they respond to, and what gets them excited.
When you’re guest posting, however, it’s not the same audience. There may be people who might eventually join your audience, but they’re not yours yet.
That means it’s in your best interest to spend a little time learning about them, what they like, and what they respond to.
When you’re guest posting on a new blog for the first time, look at older, well-performing posts – the ones with lots of comments and shares.
Those topics are what the readers of that blog like best, and if you use that to inform your writing, you can come out of obscurity swinging.
There’s another thing to remember. It will probably never be more important to graciously accept criticism and apply editorial suggestions than when they are given by the owner of the blog you are writing for. Their blog, their audience – listen to them!
You’re in a Position of MASSIVE Trust
When you’re guest posting, a blog owner is trusting you with his or her most valuable resource: the foundation of their entire online business.
Their audience.
This is not a responsibility to take lightly, and you need to tread carefully. This is not the time to go wild with form, crazy with controversy (unless it’s one of those blogs and the author okays it) or slack off on research.
Be respectful of the gift you have been given, and rise to the occasion with quality that will make the blog owner happy they let you in, and eager to do it again.
You are also speaking from a position of being endorsed by the blog owner. This gives you tremendous power in terms of spreading your message to new people. Use it wisely and well, and you’ll probably be allowed to use it again, in a variety of ways.
Bring your best to the Comments Section
Now I know you religiously answer every comment on your own blog. It’s one of the ways you thank people for taking the time to read your work, right? 😉
Commenters on your blog deserve to be thanked and responded to, because they’re loyal and interested.
Commenters on a guest post you’ve written need even more to be responded to, so make absolutely certain that you make available the time to respond to each comment left on your guest post.
This is the first impression you make! Be present, be attentive, be responsive. Tell them you appreciate them by appreciating them!
Loudly and publicly.
You’re not just being polite when you engage with commenters in this way. You’re also able to gain valuable insights into what about your work interests, bothers or inspires them. It gives you a fountain of information you can dip into when you guest post for them in the future.
Hopefully, this will be the start of a long and fruitful relationship.
Take Some of the Pressure Off
We’ve just spoken about responsibility, but haven’t touched on the actual writing of a good guest post.
All things considered, it’s a lot of potential stress, and it can feel like a lot is riding on how well you perform (like your business, your craft, your income and your entire future. Oh, my.).
Relax. Stay cool. We’ve all been there, and just as publishing your first post on your own blog was scary and new, you’ll get used to guest-posting and exposing yourself to new audiences.
You can assure yourself of quality and good results by using a system like Write Like Freddy to make sure your writing hits a super-high level of value and resonates with your new audience.
What do you do to make your guest posts rock? Share in the comments.
