There’s a lot of value in guest blogging for your brand. In addition, there’s a lot of work that goes behind it. Guest blogging can help increase brand awareness, boost your visibility on social media, improve SEO authority, build industry credibility, and drive traffic as well as leads.

Here’s one thing that you should always keep in mind though. When it comes to guest blogging opportunities, you have to seek out high-quality sites that are relevant to your product and service. Start by doing a simple Google search–type in your industry with one of these popular key phrases associated with guest blogging–”submission guidelines,” “become a contributor,” “contribute an article,” “guest post by.” The search should pull up a list of websites that accept guest bloggers and you can sift through the list to find one that suits your business best. 

Once you do find a site that’s perfectly aligned with yours, you need to figure out how you can approach them and make your pitch.

1. Make sure your blog is related

Don’t just approach a website by virtue of the fact that they are popular. You need to make sure that you have something of value to contribute. Keep in mind that if it’s a popular website, they very likely receive multiple pitches daily. You have to make sure that you’re actually worth their time.

2. Keep your social profiles up to date

A lot of site administrators or editors will check your credentials once you make your pitch to guest blog. Beyond your website, they will likely check your social media profiles and use the information gathered to determine whether your pitch is worth accepting or not.

Update your social media pages with the correct information, with correctly filled out bios, and appropriate links to your website. 

3. Consider your guest blogging options

Don’t just pitch to the biggest sites. Chances are, there are multiple other sites in your niche that, while smaller, which equally authoritative and influential. Try doing a Google keyword search describing your product or service and use the results to find sites showing up in top results.

4. Reach out in a professional manner

The best way to approach this is by taking a look at their “contact us” or “about us” page to see if they have anything that mentions guest posting guidelines. If there isn’t a button labeled specifically for guest posting, reach out to them via email and make your pitch.

5. Be sure to follow the site’s guest posting guidelines

If you do find a site that’s related to your niche and they allow you to write for their site, find out what their guest posting guidelines are and be sure that you follow it. Some things to consider:

• Be sure to respect and follow their posting guidelines or your post might end up getting rejected.
• Always make an effort to personalize your writing—don’t create a piece for the sole purpose of selling. You want to focus on being informative and relevant to their reader’s needs.
• Consider adjusting your writing style to fit the voice and style of the site you’re guest posting on.
• Always introduce yourself—include your background, experience, and why you’re writing about this topic.

Finally, always remember that the purpose of guest blogging isn’t to get link backs. Gaining links are a benefit, but guest blogging can do so much more for your brand if you do it right. If you need help leveraging on this marketing strategy, give us a call and we will be happy to help you.