Last week I was a guest blogger on the topic of writing exercises and prompts at The-Writing-Bug, a blog that's part of Northern Colorado Writers. I enjoyed writing the piece, since it made me take a closer look at something that's just part of my regular writing routine. Plus, I reconnected with a former classmate, met some new writers, and saw a bit more traffic to this blog. All in all, a worthwhile experience.
If you want to explore guest blogging as a way to test the waters or to extend your readership for your existing blog, here are 4 tips to consider:
1. Volunteer
How do you get a guest blogger spot? You ask. Blogs that have been around for awhile, particularly those that post daily, are in constant need of fresh content. Your best bet is to ask bloggers who you already read and enjoy, since you're likely to be a good fit. I'd also suggest that you seek out content-focused blogs, as opposed to personality-focused blogs. If people are reading a blog mainly because they like the writer's voice, they may be less receptive to someone new. Once the host has agreed to a guest post, the next step is to:
2. Ask for guidelines
You should already be familiar with the blog and have a sense of
style, appropriate topics, and readership. There may not be formal guidelines—frankly,
it's highly unlikely—but the host still should give you an idea of
word count and how he or she wants to handle elements like photos, links, and your bio. You'll also want to find out about preferred formatting (HTML/Word/Text), the deadline, and planned publication date for the post. Then you'll need to:
3. Sign up for Google Alerts
If you don't already monitor the web for your name, now is a good time to start. Bloggers, particularly those with huge readerships, may forget to tell you when your post goes up. Or something may happen that bumps your post to another date. You'll want to know as soon as your post is up, so you can help:
4. Get the word out
Tell your own readers, friends, and Facebook/Twitter followers when your guest post is up. You also should monitor the comments on your guest post and respond if appropriate. If you have enough warning that the post is going up, you should make sure that you post on your own blog about the guest spot or at least have something relevant posted. If you just wrote a brilliant guest piece on how to make a Fair Isle sweater, then new visitors to your own blog would probably enjoy seeing more knitting tips, rather a photo of your cat hiding under the bed. (Although you never know. The cat thing could totally work for those readers.)
Need more tips? There's a great series about guest blogging on the Problogger website that covers the topic for both potential guest bloggers and blog hosts. Has anyone else been a guest blogger? Do you have any tips to add?