Unless you are running a company blog, or having your own team of in-house writers that churns out blog posts on regular basis, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t allow the guest contributors to lend a hand, by slipping in a guest post or two every now and then. Needless to say, that doesn’t mean you should start taking all kind of copied or spun articles like some content-hungry MFA website, or an article directory, but if someone is willing to step forward and share some valuable tips with your readers … you shouldn’t think twice before rolling out the red carpet for the guest author.
Many blogs are opened for guest posting, as it is evident from this forum. But, there are some blogs that keep getting more and more guest posts, in fact, some of these Blogs are running solely on guest posts (mind you, these guest posts are more ‘quality’ than what a single writer can produce on regular basis), whilst others fail to attract that many. If you are failing to attract a sufficient inflow of guest posts for your Blog, following tips can definitely help.
1. Allow back links:
The most important factor, you’ve got to permit back links from at least the author’s bio. And there’s no harm unless the author is asking you to link to some illegitimate websites. In that case, you can opt to refuse politely. Other than that there’s no disadvantage of giving out one or two links at the end of each post from the author’s byline, or even from within the body of the article, if it is justified.
2. Respond to queries regarding guest posts:
At times, prospective guest authors would like to confirm one thing or two before they sit down and write something for your blog, in particular when you don’t have a proper “write for us” page that states all terms and conditions, for example what do you expect form guest authors, and what can they expect from you? What is acceptable and what’s not? In case you don’t have a page with this information, you will be getting all of these questions in your inbox and you must respond to all of these queries ASAP.
3. Process straight away and keep them updated:
When somebody submits a guest post, have a quick look, and see if it’s a good fit for your blog, and if it is worth publishing in terms of quality. If it doesn’t fit, just let them know without any kind of delay, so that they can use it for a different Blog. If it’s good enough, then set it up for publishing in near future, and let them know the date. You should make sure that you aren’t keeping the authors waiting for a response, for more than 2 – 3 days.
4. Establish relationship:
Once the post goes live, don’t let the association end, in particular with good contributors. Add them to your Facebook, twitter, or whatever social network you are using, introduce them to your community, make them feel at home, and when you are looking for some posts because you are occupied or going on vacation, write them a short note to ask if they’d mind doing a couple of posts to keep your blog going.
5. Engage guest authors from other blogs:
When you see a good quality guest post on a relevant topic, get in touch with the author via information in his/her author’s byline. Introduce your blog and invite them to do a guest post for your blog. Many would be delighted and more than happy to proceed.
6. Create a ‘write for us’ page:
There are many people looking for guest posting opportunities, one of them might be scanning through your blog right now, but if you don’t have a “write for us” page that clearly states the terms and condition, very few of them will look further. Not only you need to create the page but also promote it on your homepage or social networks.
7. Networking:
Join blogger’s networks or communities, and let the word spread about the guest posting opportunities at your blog. Use the social networks like Facebook or twitter to find the like-minded bloggers or webmasters who would like to get some exposure, and ask if they’d like to do a guest post on your blog. A number of these fellows will be keen on availing this opportunity, especially if they are relatively new in the field.
Good stuff! I will apply your advice!
samax recently posted..Im sorry I pimp-slapped you into that china cabinet
Twitter: victorroibu
says:
It would be interesting in which networks can we find bloggers willing to write guest posts to get a backlink.
Victor recently posted..Using Article Marketing as Part of an SEO Strategy
Twitter: tospider
says:
I have added “write for us” for more than a month in one of my blogs,still to get a guest blogger
Torry recently posted..Implementing a Robotstxt File With Your vBulletin Community
Twitter: nandimaan
says:
I am really searching for some guest poster.Now this post will help some to extent.Thanks for this tips.
Blogging Park recently posted..Feedburner stealing your back-links
Twitter: SBMommy
says:
Unfortunately most guest-bloggers are trying to promote their own product or service, and not just informational blogs. I don’t think back-linking is enough of a motivation to attract a guest-blog anymore.
colorfulchildhood recently posted..Aviation-theme Rooms – Airports- Airplanes- Helicopters
Well I don’t know about you, but I happily blog a post of two solely for some backlinks
mentorpalokaj recently posted..High fat diet is GOOD
Twitter: DennisEdell
says:
A “write for us” page isn’t simply a good idea, I’d call it essential. make it as detailed as possible and all parties will be happier…especially you for not having to answer nearly as many emails.
Dennis Edell recently posted..Your Home Business – Is It Your Business or Hobby
Twitter: twitter.com//Ourfamilyworld
says:
I think having guest posts on your blog is a great idea to have fresh content and new content. I always allow backlinks to their blog/site and promote them on my social media acounts to give them exposure. This is the least I can do, They wrote content for us, I acknowledge their time and effort.
Thank you for the idea of a write for us page. I don’t have one and I am heading to do it.
I find guest posts on twitter. When I visit a blog I like, I email the author and ask if he wants to guest post.
Our Family World recently posted..Guest Post- My Baby Stole My Sleep- Tips on Surviving Lack of Sleep Island
Twitter: faithlounge
says:
Thanks for this Arba,
I have guest posted a couple of times on other blogs and felt that I would now like to have guest posts on my blog. I was not too sure, how I could ensure that any potential guests would write to suite the tone of my blog (if you know what I mean!).
Having a write for us page, is the perfect solution.
I will also apply point 5.
Carole in the UK recently posted..Pray With His Might Not Yours!
Great article. I completely agree with all points, but the one that I agree with most is allowing back links. It compensates the matter of “give and take” which could be a huge attraction to many guest bloggers.
Twitter: iphoneauctions
says:
Check out MyBlogGuest.com – they are a great service i use all the time to find guest bloggers and also submit posts for other sites to publish. It’s a great service run by Ann Smarty (SEOMoz Fame).
Twitter: jessytroy
says:
I second and third that! MyBlogGuest rocks and I am using it all the time with great success!
Jessy Troy recently posted..Dictionary Lamp – A Bit of Geekery at Home
Twitter: iphoneauctions
says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Check out http://MyBlogGuest.com – they are a great service i use all the time to find guest bloggers and also submit posts for other sites to publish. It’s a great service run by Ann Smarty (SEOMoz Fame).
Anthony recently posted..Top 5 iPhone Apps for Travel
Great post! Allowing back links both parties can benefit. Thanks for sharing very informative article.
Twitter: linknami
says:
You can also find active writers that write articles related to your site content on article sites like ezinearticles and approach them directly if they are interested in guest blogging on your site.
I think the most important in your list is “Allowing backlinks”. If the blog is powereful enough you will get e-mails for bloggers who want to guest post
HD Guy recently posted..Panasonic TX-P42GT30B 3D LED TV review
Twitter: atulperx
says:
It good that you update all TOS information and requirements in ‘write for us’ page and user can know that what they need to avoid. Such guidelines are always better to help new guest bloggers and let them understand the value of your blog.
Atulperx recently posted..Top Free WordPress Themes – 2011 April Edition
Twitter: BlazingMinds
says:
The only trouble with some Guest Posters is their complete lack of respect for the blog that they are guest posting on, some will drop one post and never reply to comments and then expect to be able to get another guest post.
It’s a two way street when it comes to guest posting, the guest should take the time to subscribe to the post and reply to those that ate taking the time to read and comment, I guest post myself on several blogs and always subscribe to the post in a effort to show that I have at least some interest in what I spent the time typing out.
Karen recently posted..Doctor Who Ends Until The Autumn!
Twitter: miftanurdin
says:
Do not forget to use sosial bookmarking sites, especially with dofollow tag and high pagerank…..
Mifta recently posted..7 Ways To Increase Your Blog Visitors – Web Traffic
I have contacted many blogs about guest posting but rareley get a response even when competitors posts are on the blog in question.
Thanks for the post. I just changed my blog to allow backlinks, and I think I’ll start working on building relationships through Facebook.
Julie recently posted..Daily Freebies- Shield Immune Defense Booster
Your articles is very informative. Commentluv can surely be a great help in this.
What we should never forget to do is to reply our readers and thank them for passing by. Inviting to have a guest author would also be a great way to build relationship, get new ideas and gain more traffic.
I really enjoyed reading this.
Thanks again.
kloe recently posted..101 Things My Husband Hates About Me
Thanks everybody for liking it …
@Samax
I hope it will work for you.
Thanks for liking it …
@Victor
Some commentators have suggested myblogguest.com and I’d recommend that as well.
@Torry
Maybe you should share the URL at some of these communities like comluv.com or myblogguest.com. You will surely find some interested guest bloggers.
@bloggingpark
If you are looking for guest posters, adding a “Write for us” page should be the first step for you.
@colorfulchildhood
Promotional posts are not even considered a guest post, that’s paid editorial
@Dennis Edell
Very true, that’s a must.
@our family world
Thanks for sharing the tip, asking directly to other bloggers is actually a very doable idea.
@Carole
Glad that my post was of help.
@Zaria
True that … back links remains to be the biggest attraction for guest blogging.
@Andreas
Again, a great tip, guest blogging is definitely a better option than submitting good articles in article directories and many would happily accept the offer.
Twitter: roxannea
says:
Thank you for the suggestions! Im in the process of getting a list of new plugins together for my web guy so my blog is more attractive to other bloggers. I love the guest blogger idea too, Ill have to work on a write for us page.
Roxanne recently posted..Active Adult Communities in Mount Laurel