Forget the rankings. Building an emotional connect with your audience is the new SEO (Social SEO sounds better). Google loves its users and your ultimate aim should be happy Google users and your own satisfied audience.
Following this statement, creating & curating killer content is the rage today; content that focuses upon hot and sexy (rich and realistic facts and figures that they fall in love with) topics that users search. It’s been commonly called “Content Marketing” in business terms now.
When it comes to content marketing, the most trusted source is editorial content that involves guest blogging as one of the commonest used methods (I personally feel it’s just overused and exploited). The overuse has made many elite blog owners and webmasters not only reject guest posts but even take off guest blogging opportunities at all. It seemed like so called “contextual link building” was replaced by guest posting.
Guest blogging is not just about getting a link somehow by contributing a generic content written in cool looking style. What counts the most is what concept it holds, whether blog audience would like it, is it worth sharing, did you follow up with response on comments received if any and above all, building a relationship with your blogger friend and the audience.
I’d be talking how we can conceptualize an awesome guest post that a blogger simply can’t refuse.
Good content and concept needs thinking and thinking is a homework. Let’s do it!
Make a list of guest blogging opportunities
- First thing first, create a list of blogging opportunities where you can contribute. Take help of twitter, Google and Google blog search using search terms like below + your industry’s generic most term
“guest post”
“contribute as guest”
“guest post is written by”
“be our guest”
“guest authors needed”
“guest blogger”
“writers needed”
“blog for us”
“write for us”
- Use your social networks and personal relationships for guest posting opportunities and feel free to ask.
- Use blogging communities like MyBlogGuest, BlogSynergy, FastBlogFinder to start with.
- Use forums and blog directories like technorati, blogarama, blogher
- Create a page on your blog where you state your wish to contribute as a guest author and what you’re best at.
While you do some homework before you pitch, building up a relationship with these listed blog owners would just increase your chance of getting accepted. Share your comments and opinions on the posts you liked, share good topics on your social channels, get yourself in their known and good list.
Take good time to understand them, their standards and pitch only when you’re sure you can meet their and their audience expectations. I couldn’t resist mentioning this killer post by Rae. See what blunders guest blogging attempts can do.
Know the audience
Proud and serious blog owners expect genuine guest authors to write something that their blog audience and regular readers would love, something that offers them a great value and something that’s unique and comes with a different and thought-provoking concept. At the same time we understand that you should be benefited too, and get some link love.
Check out the popular posts contributed by the guest authors on your targeted blog. See what topics grabbed maximum attention. Try to read the psychology of this blog audience. And now think about a topic that relates to your industry but connects with their emotions.
For example, proposing topics like a How to take care of a sick dog, How to select foods for your cat for a pet blog would be too generic and may invite a clear rejection. Rather think of something like; “Why Does Your Dog Eat Poop & Grass?” Trust me, such topics invite such a huge attention and actually very focused audience too.
Search Through Past Posts
No blog owner or audience would like repeated topics until and unless you’re offering a great update on the same. Search through the blog and see if the topic you thought isn’t already written. It’d be funny to propose generic and already posted topics as a guest post. To be honest, it’s a clean attempt to beg for a link in exchange of a crap where you shouldn’t be surprised at a straight NO or no response at all. “Write The Pattern”
Scan Blogger’s Own Posts
Though bloggers take care of their readers but they do have a hidden choice and interest of topics. Try to study what they are writing the most and their style. See their social channels and what they love to read about. This would not only help you think of a great guest post topic but also pitch better.
Don’t forget, you love to connect with like-minded people or people who try to understand you. Pradeep Kumar from HellBoundBloggers loved this guest post because of personal experiences involved and lesson to community. “Write The Pattern and make a List”.
Search Trends
To think of something new, searching latest trends is a great idea and should NOT be ignored. It’d get you listed in popular search results, cached quicker and read more. Google insights, Twitter trends, Google+ trends is always a great help.
Think of Unusual and Crazy Useful Topics
Now when you’re done with this homework and close to your final thoughts, listing down unique ideas isn’t a tough job. Think of topics and list them in your excel sheet. Just make sure they’re not generic and common topics. Topics that create curiosity are favored by bloggers as well as readers.
Pitch – A unique way
By now, the bloggers in list might know you already (if you followed my tip in step 1). Pitching them wouldn’t be tough. However, you can always include 2-3 topics options and what you’re going to discuss in detail. Don’t forget to ask their own choice of topic if any.
Show some of your recent guest contributions and how they were loved by all. Let the blog owner know that you are going to have a good social love that would help their blog with traffic and more subscriptions.
There are almost 100% chances to receive a response and then you can go ahead with writing a wonderful post as planned and structured and that follows the guest blog guidelines.
I believe the post would be some help if you have been facing guest blogging rejections in the past. Feel free to share your experiences and how you though of great topics to avail guest blogging opportunities with good success.
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Warm Regard, Steven.