If I told you many of the big players in the blogosphere today started out doing one special thing like worship, wouldn’t you really want to know that thing?
It’s two words: guest blogging.
That’s right. They agreed to give up their BEST content to other blogs, instead of being selfish and keeping it all for themselves for their blogs. If they hadn’t done this in the beginning, they probably wouldn’t have become so popular and huge in the blogging world today. Don’t believe me? Ask any of the big players and they will confirm what I’m saying.
In fact, I will go as far as saying that the traffic received from guest posts on other blogs is FAR better than the traffic from social media. Talking in terms of quality, and target-’ness’, that is.
A Source of Sustainable Traffic
Guest blogging sets up sources of traffic to your blog which are sustainable, meaning to say that you’ll still get targeted traffic to your blog even weeks after you’ve posted your guest post at a particular blog. This is because even though your guest post is off the front page of that blog, it’s still alive in the archives, which are one of the most visited parts of a blog.
Guest Blogging Builds up Credibility
Which should be among the top items in your ‘blog todo’ list. Credibility is very important in the blogging world, since that establishes you as a true authority and not just another wannabe.
Remember that your guest post is good enough and of a standard high enough to have been published on a blog by the blog owner. There’s a great post set up for the readers to devour. When that blog’s readers read that post, they’re probably impressed and they come over to YOUR blog and subscribe to your RSS feed. That’s a bond of trust formed between you and a new reader.
Remember, readers are not foolish people. They will go to a blog or website ONLY if it offers something that fulfils a need . And your guest post set up the magnetic field which pulled them towards you. Obviously you’re offering them something they want, and that’s why they’re heading over to your blog!
Guest blogging brings in TARGETED traffic
Yep, it does. While being dug or stumbled or slashdotted does bring in traffic by the hordes, a very minute percentage of that traffic is related or trageted to your blog. 99.5% of that traffic is just for the sake of digging, or stumbling or slashdotting. Naturally, bounce rates for social media traffic are very high.
However, bounce rates for traffic from blogs where you’ve guest blogged are very low. Why? This is because that guest post brings in TARGETED traffic which knows it can get something useful where it is headed. I agree that number may not be as big as the social media one, but we’re talking about quality here, right?
Readers who come over to your blog have read your post and are impressed and are interested in what more you have to offer. What’s more targeted and bull’s eye than that!
Opportunities are Plenty
You probably won’t have to look far to find a blogger who would like guest bloggers to post on their blog. Every blogger could use a little break from their blogging schedules once a while.
And, if your post becomes a hit, that blogger might even consider making you a regular contributor and that’s a great accomplishment!
To learn how to find guest blogging opportunities, read on…
Guest Blogging Adds Diversity to a Blog
It prevents the blog from following a monotonous tune. It adds new and fresh, even controversial views to that blog, and invites reader participation. If you’ve not yet opened up your blog to guest postings, it might be worth to consider your decision again.
How to go About it
You want to guest blog on another blog but don’t know how to begin? No problem. Here’s what you could do:
Firstly, identify the blog you want to guest blog on. Preferably, it should be in the same niche as yours, so you can take full advantage of the traffic from that blog.
Next, explore that blog to see if the owner/blogger has explicitly invited bloggers to guest blog. If that is so, you’ll probably see a ‘Write for Us’ or somewhere.
If you DO find such a link, well and good. Follow the instructions and guidlines the blog owner has lay out and you’re right on track!
However, if unfortunately you DON’T find information on guest blogging, and nor has the blogger publicly invited guest bloggers, your best bet is to send them a polite email asking if you could guest blog. Here’s some tips on writing that email:
- Make it personal. Address the email like ‘Dear Siyab,’ instead of ‘Dear Owner’.
- Go straight to the point. If that person runs a busy and popular blog, they’ll not have much time, and so might not read your email if it is very long.
- Don’t flatter. Flattering the blog owner might seem a good option, but believe me, don’t. It might backfire on you. The owner might think you’re just wanting to take a piece of the traffic pie, instead of adding something valuable to the blog.
- Don’t forget to mention your own blog(s) and what it’s about. Also, give a brief description of your own blog(s). Again, make it short.
Another tip: Don’t approach just one blogger. Approach several in your niche. Say eight or ten. Why? Because some will definitely refuse your proposal, due to various reasons. Even then, one or two may accept. Even if ALL of them refuse, try again, and this time try blogs that are less popular.
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