Are you looking to improve traffic on your website? Have you heard that writing articles for other websites is a great way to attract new clients and establish your authority in your field? Are you wondering about the benefits of guest posting?
Guest posting is a fairly simple and exciting e-commerce strategy. If you have unique insights because of what you’re providing or selling, you’ve got the skills to write some excellent posts.
Yet how do you get started, and where do you find guest post opportunities?
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Guest Posting?
Guest posting, or guest blogging, happens when you write free content for someone else’s site that includes backlinks to your own site or information about yourself and your business.
Beyond getting actual customers to visit your website, guest posting can help to boost the credibility of your brand. It can also help you to network with others in related industries so you can begin to benefit from one another’s business.
What Are the Benefits of Guest Posting?
Guest posting can help your website and blog to have better rankings in engine searches. This can bring even more prospective customers to your site. You’ll also find your brand mentioned more often on social media.
The more authority you build online, the easier it will become to get prospective customers to trust your brand. This will help you to land sales more quickly.
Guest posting will benefit the site you’re posting on as well since they’ll be getting free content from an expert. You’ll also get the opportunity to hear constructive feedback from leaders in your industry.
The more you guest blog, the better you’ll get at finding your voice and selling your brand to prospective customers. It’s a great way to hone your writing skills and showcase the unique services you have to offer.
How Do I Find Guest Post Opportunities?
One of the easiest ways to get started finding guest posting opportunities is to do an online search for websites looking for guest posts in your field. It’s as simple as typing in the topic you want to write about and the word “guest post.” You should be able to find several websites related to your field looking for free content.
Other searches that will work include your keyword or words and phrases like “write for us,” “submit an article,” or “suggest a post.” You’re sure to find active websites where you’d be a welcome contributor.
Once you’ve found a website you’d like to write for, take a look at their blog posts and see if you’re post would be unique or offer a fresh perspective. You don’t want to post something repetitive or anything that wouldn’t add value to readers’ lives.
You can also go on social media and find online communities for digital marketers. Here, there may be shared lists available of blogs that accept guest posts. You may even be able to ask folks in your groups about their success with guest blogging for these sites.
How Do I Pitch a Guest Post?
Before pitching an idea to the owner of a blog, make sure you’ve done your research. You’ll want to take a look at the blog and possibly reference themes you like when you contact them. Make sure that the topic you choose provides unique value to their readers.
When you pitch, your subject line should be something that catches the site owner’s eye. It may be something valuable, personal, or compelling. Make sure it’s succinct.
Your pitch can be short, and it needs to get right to the point. Give a quick greeting. “Good afternoon,” or “hello” will work just fine, but be sure to personalize it to the blog owner.
Let them know who you are and what you’re selling. Next, tell them why their site is a good place for your content.
Finally suggest a few different topics that you’re interested in writing about with brief descriptions. If you’ve written before, provide links to your previous articles. Finally, you can provide links to your website and social media profiles, followed by a courteous good-bye.
How Do I Write a Good Guest Post?
Good guest posts will drive readers to your site as well as engage them. This means they’ll be commenting on your post and sharing or liking it.
Get to know the website you’ll be writing for before creating your post. Are the articles geared towards novices in your field, or towards intermediates or experts? You won’t want to write your post at too simple or difficult a level for your audience.
Make sure you’re product or service isn’t the main focus of your article. Your goal should be to provide information or advice that’s valuable to the reader. Occasional backlinks are the right way to get your website into the article, but they will need to fit in naturally.
A great article will also include internal links back to the blog itself, as the owner will greatly appreciate you showing that you know their content. Finally, a call to action for comments or a visit to your website will get your readers engaging with your brand right away.
The Magic of Guest Posting
Finding the right guest post opportunities for your brand may take a little time and research. However, once you’ve found the right spot for your content, you could be drawing new customers to your website and brand name faster than you thought possible.
Don’t stop getting smart about e-commerce now. For more help with increasing your brand’s awareness, contact us today.
