Getting your post onto an A-List blog is one of the best ways to boost your traffic and increase your credibility. It’s also one of the best, if not the best, no cost promotion idea. Here’s a few tips to improve your chances of having a big name blog accept your guest post.
Send The Post With The First Email
Many smaller blogs will email the big blog asking if they would like to receive a guest post before actually sending it. While this may seem like proper protocol, your chances of getting your post published is much higher if you just send the post with the first email. A-List bloggers are very busy people and really don’t have time to play email tag. You can send the post in the email itself or attach it as a text or Words file. The easier you make it for the A-List to publish the post, the better.
Send Your Best Work
When submitting a guest post, always send your best work. I remember a while back when another blog made the claim that guest bloggers will never send their best work because they’ll save those for their blogs. It sounds logically but it’s simply not true. Sending a sub-par post won’t do you any good because it won’t get published. If you have an opportunity to guest blog for an A-List, then you better put your best foot forward because it’s your moment to shine. Your post will be read by a ton of people and they will judge you based on it. If they like what they read, chances are good that they will click though and read other posts on your blog.
Tailor The Post To The A-List Blog
You’ll stand a much better chance on having your post published by tailoring it to the blog you’re after. This shows you actually read and understand the A-List blogger’s target readership. You can also try and spin the post to appeal to the blog owner himself. Brennan Heyde’s post on What Wannabe Dot Com Moguls Can Learn From Gordon Ramsay is a perfect example of this.
Don’t Shop The Post
I have received guest posts where the blogger asked me to reply within x number of hours if I want to use it. Otherwise they will shop it to another blog. In every case, I let them shop it. This type of attitude shows a lack of respect. It also shows the above rule on tailoring the blog post wasn’t followed because if it was, the post wouldn’t be shop-able.
It’s OK to set a time limit on acceptance but don’t tell the blog you’re trying to get published on that if he doesn’t accept, you’re going to give it to someone else. Nearly 100% of the time, he’ll tell you to give it to someone else. I have received guest posts stating that if I don’t want it, let them know so they can publish it on their own blog. That is fine.
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