This is a guest post by Adam Riemer.
One of the hardest things to do with your new websites or blogs is to get people to find it and trust it. Once you have people finding and trusting your blog, you can then begin to build your brand and grow your following. The issue is that with all of the clutter on the web, it’s hard to start a new site and stand out. That’s why guest blogging and posting is a vital tool that you can use to help get your site off the ground, build a fan base and create a trustworthy brand. Here are some tips that you can use to help increase your chances of being accepted as a guest blogger, even when your site is not known and has no authority.
Write original and unique emails and contact form messages.
One of the most annoying things a blog owner or webmaster can get is a general template asking for a guest blog post or article submission. Before writing to the site owner or using a contact form, read a few of their posts and make a couple of comments about them. Show the owner of the site that you do enjoy their work, you have read their blog and that you know what they enjoy writing about.
Make recommendations of articles in your email.
One thing that is important to do is to let the webmaster know what you will be writing about. One thing I like to do is look through a site to see what posts have the most shares or comments, which pages get the most traffic, etc… Once I have that I come up with a few unique article ideas and mention that I noticed their audience tends to enjoy these types of posts. Not only can you help to grab their attention since they know that is where their traffic is coming from, but you can also get them excited about more posts on topics their readers enjoy.
Show other posts you’ve written.
One thing that can help you to stand out is to show that you write quality and unique content that gets a reaction from the readers. By showing a few examples of content that are relevant to the topic of the site or blog you are reaching out to, you not only show that you can write interesting and unique content, but that you pay attention to what the readers of that site enjoy.
Let the owner know of errors or mistakes.
Many blog and site owners don’t have time to double check everything. If you notice spelling errors or that certain pages and links are broken, don’t be afraid to point them out. Just make sure that you do it in a nice way that doesn’t end up offending the person.
Show that you are an authority on the topic.
One thing that is a concern is that the person reaching out has no knowledge of the subject matter. If you submit an article that has general points that exist everywhere else, you will bore the website owner or Blogger and also have wasted your time and theirs. In your article ideas and when you pitch them, make sure to mention a few of the reasons that you would be a good fit for their site. You could mention things that are relevant to the topic that you know that other people don’t as well as talk about events you attend that are about the topic. Having something interesting from an authority is always a great way to get your foot in the door.
Negotiate with other accounts and sites.
One thing that I have done in the past is offered tweets from other sites and Twitter accounts and included articles on Facebook pages for my other sites. You do have to make sure that there is a good fit, and you don’t want to start out with a trade. Instead, use this is you absolutely want to be able to write a guest post and also make sure you include why the Tweet or Facebook mention is relevant and would benefit them. Mention your follower count as well as the activity and types of people that follow or click through on your posts, etc…
Guest blogging is a great way to build up a quick following and a solid brand without having to spend money. You just have to be original, show that you have read their site and also remember that they are doing you a favor. If the person says no, try to negotiate, but just remember that you don’t want to push back to hard because if they are an authority, they probably know other bloggers in that niche and can black list you.
