Guest posting often seems like the magic solution to every blogger's troubles. No traffic? Guest post. No subscribers? Guest post. Need inbound links? You guessed it, guest post! But let's be real – it's not as easy as baking a cake. It's more like making a soufflé – a lot of work (but let's keep that between us). Thinking it's impossible to land a guest post? I totally get it.
Start with Your Pals
Your friends are your secret weapon. They're the most giving, forgiving folks you'll ever encounter in the blogosphere. They’ll help with your grammar, images, and even show you how to woo their readers.
If you've got friends who blog, chances are you've already spilled your blogging fears to them. They know about those mean comments, your bafflement over what a ‘terrabang' is, and where on earth to put it. Your friends have their own blogging bogeymen, which means they're the perfect people to talk to about guest blogging without fearing rejection.
Your Best Guest Post
Your debut guest post for a friend will be your magnum opus. Think about every conversation you've had with them about blogging. You're a detective who's been gathering clues about their audience. This means your first guest post will be like a laser-guided missile, hitting right at the heart of what their readers need.
It's not just about getting traffic or building backlinks. It's about confidence, about someone rooting for you to step into the guest blogging arena. It’s about leveraging those connections and deepening relationships.
No blogging buddies yet? Hop into the 30-Day Blogging Challenge community and make some!
Beyond the First Post
Once you’ve got a taste of guest blogging success, then it’s time to broaden your horizons. With a published guest post under your belt, you can confidently approach other bloggers in your niche. You've got something to show, and it's time to build relationships and understand their blog and audience.
Here's a friendly strategy:
- Comment on their posts.
- Share their work.
- Subscribe to their newsletter.
- Study their content and audience.
- Look for the perfect moment to pitch your post.
This approach might not be the Usain Bolt of strategies, but it's the tortoise in the race. Slow and steady, remember?
So, chin up! Ditch the pity party and start planning your guest blogging campaign. It’s all about nurturing relationships and understanding what their readers crave. You've got this!
Sarah x
Hi, Sarah,
I totally agree with you! I always recommend that new bloggers start with friends or even other bloggers they meet in a class or online.
Thanks for the great post!
Sue
I agree with your article. People should reach out to their immediate network first. As you said they will be more forgiving and even helpful.
From your experience, do you think that posting on a site that is not in the same niche is worth doing?
Different niche, same audience = yes. Different niche, different audience = no. If there’s no overlap it’s not beneficial to anyone and search engines may frown on links from unrelated content. That said… if you can’t guest post anywhere else for whatever reason… then a different niche is worth practising in.
Hello Sarah! This is a great post my friend! I for one have not done but a few quest posts and I would never have thought about pitching anything other then in my little about section, then it really was only a link back to my site not really a pitch. LOL
I do agree slow and steady do win out every time.. Thanks for sharing.. Chery :))
Good take on where to guest-post Sarah – always start with your friends or immediate connections. With Google now saying that guest posting is less desirable for bloggers, some could get cold feet when reaching out to popular blogs to guest post. i say there is never any harm in asking.
All the best,
Stuart
This is great advice! I’ve personally guest posted on two blogs. Unfortunately I’ve gotten very busy and haven’t written one in a while, something I need to do more of, but I have enjoyed working with the two bloggers I’ve guest posted for. Unfortunately not many of my friends prior to starting my blog had blogs themselves, but I have now networked, especially through tweetchats, with many many other bloggers. My blog is pretty new still, just 7 months old, but it is growing and I am seeking guest bloggers myself.
In fact, one additional point to add is that if you both guest post and accept guest posts, you can have steady content on your blog, help other bloggers out, and have more time to spread yourself out among other blogs via guest posting, so it’s win/win both for you and other bloggers. Just make sure that if you accept guest bloggers, you still post your own work regularly so they aren’t doing it all for you.
If anyone is interested in guest posting on my blog, with a primary topic of parenting, but I will accept other closely related topics like Education, Health and Wellness, and Frugality, or anything related to kids, maybe you’ve got young siblings or cousins, nieces or nephews, or you have other experiences with children, feel free to connect with me. I’d love to have some new blood on my blog, so to speak, and if you’re like me and don’t personally know any other bloggers, then reaching out to someone who specifically says they are seeking guest bloggers is the next great option. Now I’ve written a book in this comment, but I hope it has been helpful. I’m craftyfrugalmom on just about everything, Twitter, Facebook, and Stumbleupon, so feel free to connect with me. Do not underestimate the power of guest posting, or the fun!
Thanks, Sarah,
I hadn’t thought of it that way – glad I asked and thank you for your helpful reply.
And as I read this, I’m getting closer and closer to actually approaching someone about guest blogging. It’s going to happen. Watch for it folks. 🙂 Thanks for this encouragement, Sarah, and great to discover your blog. Just signed up for your email list.
I needed to see this. I’ve been trying to figure out how to start getting my posts on other people’s blogs. I’ll just start with someone I know!
Hey, thanks for this…I’m in this exact position, pitching to people and not getting anywhere…maybe once I follow your advice I will! Thanks so much. I wanted to ask about your challenge, does it offer some sort of support or is it solely by myself writing and toughing through it alone?
Hi Rania, the challenge is very supportive. There’s a thriving FB community where we are very active and encouraging. You’ll find many friendly people who will help and advise you if you get stuck 🙂
Good luck with the guest blogging 🙂