Guest blogging is one of the most powerful tools on the internet, not just because it can help you create valuable back-links, but also because it can expose you to a larger audience. All bloggers, no matter their field of expertise or personality, wish to be read, this is the main reasons for which they are writing in the first place. While posting on your own blog can only bring you a certain amount of traffic and readership, posting on various authoritative sites offers many opportunities.
But how exactly can you expose your blogging skills in front of a huge amount of writers? First of all you have to get your guest post approved, and this is not something that can be easily done. If you wish to emerge as a prolific and valuable writer, you should take into consideration the following advice for guest blogging success:
1. Read the Guidelines Carefully
You probably think that your job is hard, and you are right. It is no easy thing to search for sites, check them, send e-mails, reply to them, write posts, comment on them and also keep track of your efforts, but did you ever stop to think how difficult the task of a blogger is? He probably receives tens of e-mails each and every day from people just like you, so what can you do to stand out? First of all, bloggers who are interested in guest-posts will usually share their guide-lines on a special page.
Whatever you do, make sure you understand what he wants, and how he wants it, because if you don’t you will only make him mad, and decrease your chances of ever posting on his website. The same way you expect respect from him when sending a post for reviewing, so does the blog owner request respect for his rules.
2. Be Original and New
Somebody once said that content and guest-posting will die. While it is true that guest-posting has become more difficult to do, there is no chance of it dying. The only problem is that Google, and webmasters are no longer accepting low-quality, crap articles that bring no real value to their pages. They want something fresh, something unique, something insightful. The whole idea of guest-blogging is to write about something different, or at least write about the same thing in a different way. If you really want to be read, and succeed online you have to bring something fresh to the table.
3. Share Interesting and Useful Information
Don’t write on certain subjects only for the sake of conversions, or traffics, or whatever it is you think you might get. Try to put yourself in the place of the reader. What does he want? How can you anticipate and meet his needs. In most cases internet users are looking for How-To articles, or problem solvers.
They don’t have time to waste on the computer, so they need information fast. On the other hand, there are users who simply love to waste hours reading about personal development articles and success stories that are very touching. It is up for you to decide what type of audience you will be addressing, and how you will be doing it.
4. Decide on a Topic that You Know
The best thing you can do when contacting websites for guest-blogging opportunities is to also present them with the topic that you had in mind. This will not only save you from another e-mail exchange, but it will also show your interlocutor that you are capable and serious about business.
Furthermore, once you have decided on the topic, make sure you write something CORRECT, and something that proves both your expertise, and your opinion. While some writers shy away from expressing their opinion, others are strong believers who prefer to voice their opinions.
5. Choose Quality Over Quantity
It is true that back-links are important, but more important than back-links, are social signals, and REAL visitors. So instead of focusing all your time and effort in posting on obscure websites that nobody reads anyway, why not post a GREAT blog post on a great blog, where great people come together to share opinions? A good back-link will definitely help you a lot better than ten mediocre links.