Ernest Dempsey – How to Be a Great Guest Blogger @ErnDempsey
Posted on Sunday, October 27, 2013
How to Be a Great Guest Blogger
by Ernest Dempsey
No matter what kind of business you are in, you need to get eyeballs on your products. That’s just a simple fact.
Well, it’s simple except that getting consumers to see what you’re selling can be a tricky thing. There is a world full of other people who are all vying for the same attention. So, how do you separate yourself from the rest of the noise?
Some people use advertising. But that can get expensive and when you look at it, most forms of advertising don’t deliver great results, especially not for writers.
Over the last few years, there has been a growing trend in the online world. Writers have realized that creating an audience out of thin air is an extremely difficult proposition. With that realization, they have adopted the practice of borrowing the audience of others.
Guest Posting
Writing guest posts for other authors has proven to be a tremendous way to pick up new subscribers and drive huge bumps of traffic to your blog or website. And the process isn’t all that different from submitting articles to an offline magazine (something writers have been doing for decades).
I recently ran a guest posting campaign to drive some traffic to my site in hopes of picking up some new subscribers. The results were good, not ridiculous, but definitely solid. I increased traffic to my site by 100% and increased my subscriber count by 75%.
Keep in mind I didn’t have a lot of traffic or subscribers to begin with.
Still, more is a good thing.
But how do you write content for another writer? Moreover, how do you pitch, get accepted, and write something that a blogger will love.
How to Be a Great Guest Blogger
Always give your best stuff. Seriously. Don’t sit there and think that you should keep your best content for your own site.
When you are pitching a blogger or online magazine, give them the cream of the crop, and be sure to tell them you are.
Every time I pitch a blogger I’ve never written for, I tell them that I send only my best stuff as guest posting material. And it’s the truth.
Why do it that way?
Because they are the ones with the audience. If you give them your best content, it is more likely to be shared by a larger number of people than if you simply posted it on your own site. It is also going to be seen by more eyeballs, and those eyeballs will love it.
If they love it, they will click on the link to your site. Now they can see all your other great content. Oh, look, this person sells stuff too.
Click.
See how that works?
Another key to being a great guest blogger is being friendly and interactive. Be sure you tell the blogger that you love interacting with people in the comments section and that the day your post goes live you will respond quickly to each comment.
Who to Write For and What to Write
This part is easier than people think.
Go to alltop.com or just do a search on your favorite search engine for blogs that relate to what you write. If you write science fiction, maybe you should find science blogs, technology blogs, or even news blogs. If you write romance, there are a million of those kinds of blogs out there for relationships, dating, etc.
My blog’s content is about personal development. So, I find blogs that relate to that and write guest posts for them. Keep in mind, I write action/adventure and science fiction, so my blog’s content has nothing to do with my books.
That doesn’t matter. Your blog’s topic can be anything you’re passionate about or are an expert in.
Do you have to have a blog on your site to write guest posts? No.
I know a woman who picked up 1000 subscribers before she even launched any content. All she had was an opt-in form.
Remember that when you are looking for a place to guest post, take a look at the popular articles and read through them thoroughly. This will give you a great idea as to what kind of posts the blogger likes to run.
Some prefer personal stories with a great point at the end while others like to do simple lists of how to do stuff.
Combining all these tools and ideas will turn you into a great guest blogger in no time.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – PG13
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Ernest Dempsey on Facebook & Twitter
Website http://ernestdempsey.net/
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