Getting a Guest Post Published

Day Twenty of my new blog, and I had my first guest post published! So I thought I’d share the process I went through to get it published, so that you can use it as some kind of template to do the same.

But first, we need to explore the reasons for writing guest posts. After all, aren’t we helping the competition, and at the same time “burning” a great idea for a post we could put on our own blog? The straight answer to both questions is yes, but the benefits outweigh those small disadvantages:

• A guest post will bring traffic to your own blog, via a link in the post and the comments
• It will also bring followers from the other blog’s readership, who like the content
• As it helps out the other blog owner, chances are he or she will become a follower
• It will provide you with some kudos in the world of blogging

So what was the process I went through? There are 9 key steps:
• Identify a blog you can write for
• Research that blog in detail and come up with an idea
• Write the piece
• Email the blog owner to tell him or her that you have a piece for them to consider
• Email the post to them with a short introductory biography
• Follow up if you don’t hear from them
• Be on hand for comments when the post is made and afterwards
• Email the blog owner to thank them
• Write a piece about it on your blog, linking the article

Let’s have a look at each of these in detail:

Identify a Blog you can Write For
I came across www.jamieharrop.com via Twitter, and have been following the blog for a couple of weeks. I like the topic, which is motivation, and I like Jamie’s writing style. His blog is mature and has much more traffic than my own, so it made a sensible first choice.

Research the Blog in Detail
This doesn’t mean scan the most recent posts! It means read the whole blog! It can take some time, but you need to really get inside the head of the blogger. There is no sense in submitting a post which is at odds with something he or she has said in the past – you won’t get published.
I read and enjoyed the whole blog, and came to understand the whole ethos of it. The next step was simple – I needed to apply a similar thought process to Jamie’s but write an article that he hadn’t covered before. Drawing on past experience, I came up with the idea of blogging about “The difference between desire and ability.”

Write the Piece
I don’t need to tell you how to do this! But proof read it, proof read it again and double and treble check your spelling a grammar. Nothing will put off your potential sponsor faster than a post he or she has to waste time correcting.

Email the Blog Owner and Tell Them you have Post for Them to Consider
I think many people would miss out this step, and there is some logic to avoiding it – after all, your busy blog owner is going to get an extra email, so why not just send him the post? I guess I could be accused of being reticent, but it just feels more polite to me to ask first, so that was what I did! It also gave me a chance to ask what format Jamie would prefer.

Email the Post to Them With a Short Biography
It’s likely that the blog owner will want to introduce you to his or her readers, so write a third person biography they can use at the start of the post. Not too much detail or waffle, but who you are, where you are and what you do is about right, together with a link to your own site.

Follow up if you don’t Hear from Them
In this case I didn’t have to, but I’d planned to follow up after five days and ask if the piece was going to be used. My rationale was that I would use it myself, or offer it to another blog.

Be on Hand for Comments When the Post is Made
Ideally, be on hand “live” so that you can respond quickly to any comments or questions that come from the post. This will help get people to your own site, and will make them feel their comments have been worthwhile. Don’t forget to keep checking the blog over the next few weeks to see if any new comments have arrived which need answering.

Email The Blog Owner to Thank Them
This is just common courtesy, and maybe suggest they are welcome to write a guest post back at any time.

Write a Piece about it on your blog, linking the article
That was the piece! And here’s the LINK

If you enjoyed this you should also have a look at:

1/ Useful resource posts for new bloggers

2/ Do you really want to make money online?

3/ Blogging lessons from geocaching

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