I will tell you this: Guest posting works. It works wonderfully IF you know how to do it right. IF you are hundred percent clear on your outcome. IF you execute everything well enough – notice I didn’t say perfectly. Well enough is fine.
So okay, let’s start with what guest posting is. For those of telegram database you who are new to online marketing, guest posting simply refers to the process of getting your name published on another site/blog to drive their people to your site and have them sign up to your email list. You want to get in front of audiences that belong to someone else.
The process begins with identifying the blogs you want to write for, making a pitch and getting published. Sounds simple enough, so then why do so many people make such a big fuss about it?
People make a big fuss about it because they make a number of mistakes when it comes to their guest posting strategy. They don’t know what they want from their efforts in the first place. They do not understand it. In this guide, I am going to walk you through the entire process of guest posting so that it makes sense to you and will leave no stone unturned.
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Your purpose
First things first, when you start guest posting (or blogging), you need to think about your purpose of getting published on a blog. Sure you want to reach more people and build backlinks to your website, but there are three main reasons for engaging in guest posting.
1. Build your credibility
There are some sites that are huge credibility boosters. If you get on these sites, you don’t necessarily drive a lot of traffic to your own website, but you do elevate your status in your audience’s eyes.
You are looking for sites that are highly reputable, sites like Lifehacker, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Entrepreneur, etc. It is a great idea to get on these sites to raise your authority. These sites are also good for sending you a stream of small traffic over time but you may not want to focus all of your guest posting efforts on these sites.
2. Create connections
There are some places that are ideal for you to post on because you want to build a relationship with the site owner or the blogger. You want to provide them with highly valuable content and create a long term relationship.
These can be the influencers in your niche. Eventually you want them to share your content with their huge audiences, maybe send out a tweet or share it on their Facebook page. You might also want to approach these people for strategic partnerships and affiliate relationships along the way.
3. Drive traffic
This is the goal that most people are familiar with. They only think of guest posting as a means to generate traffic and drive people to their websites. This is fine and if you want to pursue guest blogging for this reason alone, you are better off choosing super targeted websites that have a great relationship with their own audience. For example if you are a life coach, consider targeting sites like The Daily Love, Tiny Buddha, Mark and Angel Life, etc
content
Look for sites with high level of reader engagement and social media sharing. Pay attention to the comments they receive. By publishing your content, the owner is endorsing you and so their readers are more likely to follow your byline link and check you out. Also, target mid-sized blogs for better ROI rather than the ones with huge audiences but less engagement.
So if you work your tail off and get yourself published on a big site but hardly get any traffic or signups from it, don’t go ahead and complain to others. Put up a big ‘as seen on …’ banner on your site. You have earned it. If you publish on an influencer’s blog and don’t get much ROI, think of it as investment. Some of the sites will offer all three benefits. Competition to get on sites like these are often huge so don’t set your heart on only getting published on those.
Include these different types of blogs in your promotion strategy depending on which stage you are at. Are you looking to build credibility, connections or your list? By looking which area in your business currently needs boosting, you’ll be able to come up with a great mix for your success.
So, clear on your guest posting strategy? Great. Now let’s look at how to begin this process and avoid the big mistakes a ton of people make.
