Photo by Richard Moross
Guest posting is a fantastic way to reach a new audience with your blog. Most importantly, it is also a way to strengthen your relationships with others.
I’ve been fortunate to guest post on several blogs and also to have several guest posts and interviews on this blog.
In this process, I have discovered some of the do’s and don’ts of guest posting.
Do:
Be nice. Always be nice; it’s that simple.
Be respectful. You are asking for the greatest gift a blogger can give; the blogger’s home. Be extra respectful of this when guest posting.
Make sure the post fits. Read the blog and if there are requirements, carefully read those.
Form a relationship first, if possible. Familiarity brings comfort. You trust someone you know more than a total stranger.
Promote your guest post. Tell others about it via social media. Tweet about it. Post it on Facebook.
Thank the host for the opportunity. Courtesy goes a long way.
Realize the work will be edited. Your post might look different when it posts.
Reply to the comments. Don’t ever overlook this.
Communicate. Give the host your bio and links to your blog and Twitter and/or Facebook. If you are going to be out of town on the scheduled day of your post, let the host know. He or she might be able to push you forward or bump you back a week.
Don’t
Be rude. Passionate can EASILY be interpreted as rude. (This is the ultimate rookie mistake. Of course I never* have done this…)
Email repeatedly asking for a response without a reasonable time frame. You will most likely get an email reply if you follow the tips above. If you don’t get a response within a week, then you can send another follow-up email.
Worry about traffic. Blogging is about forming relationships, not numbers.
Make it resistance. Don’t fixate on one guest post as your new goal as a blogger.
Be arrogant. It never, ever ends well and turns people away.
Be offended if you get rejected. See if you can ask why the post was rejected. And you can always send the post to other blogs.
Forget to include a picture. Many blogs include pictures. If you include a good picture, it makes things easier for the host.
Guest posting can be a fantastic experience for a blogger. I challenge you to guest post for the right reasons: to strengthen relationships and to form new ones. Now I must confess I’m struggling with a lot of these don’ts too. Please don’t feel I am picking on you and excluding myself. Not at all. I’m a work in progress. But the key is, I am growing. I challenge you to grow too.
If you are a blogger and you are serious about writing, it’s time to start guest posting. Go for it!**
*total lie
**1 batch of home made chocolate chip cookies is required to guest post for me or a Jimi Hendrix cd.
