We all know that blogging is an integral part of content marketing. On the other hand, guest blogging, which has proven to be a very effective content marketing strategy for myself and my company, isn’t often mentioned as a must-have. I think this stems from a lack of understanding of the benefits and potential pitfalls of guest blogging as a marketing tool.

So, let’s start with some of the top benefits:

1. Guest Blogging Helps Build Your Credibility

Studies show that 62% of readers think that blogs with multiple authors are more credible. This goes a long way towards establishing your website as a real authority in your niche. As a business, consider welcoming contributors who want to share their expertise on your site—just be sure that their articles fit seamlessly with your brand’s tone and values. On the flip side, if you’re a brand looking to build more credibility, contributing an article to other credible websites can help build your online authority through association.

2. Help Build Domain and Search Engine Authority

Search engine authority is important. It’s really the best way to put your content in front of relevant audiences. Through guest blogging, you can easily build high-quality links to high ranking sites for your brand, thereby allowing Google to recognize you as a credible resource.

3. Expand Your Audience Reach

You probably have a very specific target audience that you’ve been trying to speak to and connect with through your content marketing efforts. By including guest blogging as part of your content marketing strategy, you effectively expand your reach and can tap into other potential audiences through the sites that you’re contributing to.

For all it’s advantages though, there are a couple of downsides worth noting:

1. Guest Blogging Is More Tedious and Time-Consuming

Let me preface this by saying that investing time and effort in crafting a quality post for guest blogging ultimately lets you reap the rewards of your effort. However, the whole process can be a lot of work. If you already have limited time to write, edit, and publish your own content, then guest blogging will take its toll on your day-to-day schedule. For example, it takes a lot of time to find websites that are aligned with your own brand vision to ensure that you’re creating content that’s credible and relevant to both your audiences. You also have to follow new writing guidelines to meet the site’s standards and requirements.

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2. Crafting Content for an Audience You’re Unfamiliar With Can Be Challenging

Knowing your core audience inside and out is likely one of the primary reasons why you’ve seen success in your own blog. When you’re guest blogging, however, you’re writing for an unfamiliar audience and all you have to guide you is the site’s guest blogging guidelines—if they even have them.

Overall, though I think the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to guest blogging. As long as you have the time and the resources to dedicate towards high-quality posts, I guarantee that you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts.

Hope my answer helps! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via Leadspanda.