How to Make Sure Your Guest Post Gets Published

Guest blogging is one of the MOST effective ways to build momentum to your blog. You are using someone else’s traffic, social media followers, and authority to build your brand. When I refer to someone else’s, I’m referring to an authority blogger which has been dominating your niche for years.  I’ll admit the one thing which helped me build momentum was my ability to find the right guest posting opportunities online. This helped my brand grow my 40% within a few weeks, and increased my email subscription even quicker. However, here’s the problem:

Many people don’t know how to write guest posts, and get them published. The reason some of them are denied is because they don’t follow the rules, or forget to add the value required. The good news is these are very simple fixes, and if you follow this guide, you’ll be able to be published on authority blogs.

Today, let’s talk about the main reason why you don’t get published when guest posting, and what you can do about it before. The factors can be divided into the following:

  • Lack of research
  • The right outreach
  • Adding value
  • Follow-up process
  • Marketing

With these elements outlined, let’s get started.

Lack of Research

For me everything always starts with research, and if you have been reading my previous posts then you know the emphasis I put on this. However, I’m still surprised at the amount of people who don’t follow the game plan, and end up missing out on opportunities. Here’s the rule I have lived by:

If you do research, you’ll be able to find what hot, and trending. Going forward, you’ll be able to write effective content which resonates with your readers. This is the single MOST important thing next to marketing which will allow you to dominate your niche. So, here’s the question:

How can you perform research the right way? Here’s the top “3” methods I use to get ahead…

First, start with Google search because you’ll be able to find authority blogs within your niche which can provide enormous content. Skim through the top 3-4, and explore the content with the most comments, shares, and engagement. You know these topics are hot, and will be able to find constructive ways to add value to them going forward. I’ll explain this a bit later.

Secondly, Buzzsumo is a tool you can use to find high performing content quickly, and with very little effort. For example, you should start with your main “target” keyword and see what the tool generates. It will bring up the highest performing content based on that keyword. You can click on the results to be taken to the website which publishes this content. Skim through the content, and find what’s missing so you can add it the next time you are writing content. Next,

This tool is also great to find high performing keywords because if you type in a keyword, and it displays very little results then you know it’s not that popular…right?

Third, you can even visit forums to find great content ideas going forward. If you know a certain topic or question is trending, then it could be a great pitch for a guest post…right? Authority bloggers are always looking for a common problem to solve, and from my experience forums are a great place to start.

What’s next,

Explore the content, and find ways to make it better. If the competitors content is missing videos, images, or infographics, then add them to yours before sending them in.

The Right Outreach

Authority bloggers get guest posting requests several times a week so you have to stand out. One reason why people don’t get accepted or have problems finding opportunities is because they don’t pitch the right content ideas. Not to mention, there outreach email is pretty crappy, and doesn’t stand out compared to anyone else. It’s about standing out so you get the opportunity, and NOT your competitor. With that said,

I would focus on the MOST authoritative blogs in the industry because there is NO point focusing on lower quality blogs. The energy you put in outreach, writing content, and marketing can be better used towards blogs which will make a huge difference. Here’s a question: Would you rather get published on a blog which sends 20,000 visitors a day or 2,000? If you agree with me than 20,000 sounds way more attractive which is way you should stay focused. So what can you do to ensure your outreach is on top at all times…

First, follow number 1 and have the best topics available by your side. When you present the best, you get the best opportunities so make sure your topics are attractive. If someone is pitching to me for an opportunity on my blog, then I want to find those that can provide awesome value introducing topics which are currently not on my blog.

Secondly, it’s all about the email I received, and I remember the ones who have read my previous work would always stand out. Whenever I would ask for a guest posting opportunity, I would reference their work letting them know how much value they provided when I first started blogging. Here’s another cool trick:

You might want to reach out to them asking them for their feedback on a question. This will open up the doors of communication, and the next time you write it will improve your chances of getting published on their blog. For example, I created an expert post where I asked bloggers for their opinion on link building. After, I followed-up with a thank you email, and have been able to communicate since than.

Adding Value

Here’s the thing many people forget…

It’s all about adding more value than your competition because this is what people need now-days. Google has even tweaked their search engines to give those who add value higher rankings within the SERP’s. This is determined by 200 rankings factors including engagement through social shares, time on page, and maybe even comments. However, people still continue to write content which provides absolutely NO value at all. You have to keep in mind…

When you add value people will want to link to your content, and even ask you to write for them. I actually got found by another authority blog because of content they read on JohnChow.com. With that said,

Always add value when writing content which can be done through thorough research, and asking the right questions. When you add value, you increase the likelihood of getting published on guest blogs, and continued opportunities going forward.

The next time you write content, it’s important to think about the elements you expect to see within your content. Use the same structure, and value when you are writing for someone else because “quality” is the only approach expected these days.

Follow-Up Process

Sometimes you have tor each out to the blogger more than once so it’s important to keep track on your progress. I like to have everything written on an excel sheet so I can follow through on EXACTLY when and who I should be contacting. It’s important not to keep messaging the blogger everyday, but shoot them a follow-up message maybe once a week. Through an effective follow-up sequence, you’ll be able to touch base with bloggers getting more opportunities going forward.

Once you have been published, it’s a good idea to shoot them another message asking them:

  • What you can do to improve your content
  • If you have more room for another post
  • If they have any suggestions on future posts

It’s as simple as using spread-sheet to start to mark down who you have written messages to, and who to keep writing to going forward.

Marketing

I learned this the hard way while building my blog and this cost me enormous traffic which otherwise would have converted very well. No matter if you are guest blogging or NOT it’s important to ensure you always promote your content on as many channels as possible. When I would get published on a guest blog I would often be slow to market on my own. I guess I just thought the guest blogger would do everything, however this isn’t always the case. Even though they will share on social media, and shoot an email to their list, it’s important I do the same on my end because this will just help build momentum. Here are a few things you can do going forward:

  • Start with your email list because they are your loyal readers. Even though you are published on another blog, they’ll “share” the content which will convert into readership for you. Remember, you have your author bio in place so any clicks will lead to your website.
  • If you have social accounts for your blog, make sure you sure at all times. This has been important to build momentum before, and will continue to be very important going forward. Always share on the main social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
  • Build links to your article which is good to build organic rankings. The higher you rank within the SERP’s the better for you because traffic ultimately will end up on your blog. For example, a visitor will click, arrive on your content, then read about you in the author bio. At this point, they’ll click on the links and arrive on your blog…right?
  • PPC or banner marketing which can be awesome if you have a budget to spend. This of course depends on the budget you have to spend and if you can afford monthly PPC campaigns.

No one can argue with the power of marketing, and this is even the case if you are guest blogging because it all ends up being good for your bottom line, your brand, and reader retention.

Final Thoughts

For anyone getting started with blogging, it’s important you know how to build momentum quickly. This will establish your brand more quickly compared to your competitors. I’ll admit this was one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first got started with blogging because I waited way too long to outreach for guest blogging opportunities. However, I was able to turn this upside down getting some of the best opportunities going forward.

If you think about it closely, you’ll know that through effective guest posting you’ll be able to build readership, your brand, increase conversions, natural links, etc. In the end, all of the elements discussed is EXACTLY what you need to start growing your business online. However, I’m surprised at the amount of people who continue to NOT apply the strategies for guest posting above. Here’s what you should be doing right now…

Start by reading through the content again, and looking for ways you can implement guest blogging into your business. If you feel it’s something which will make a huge difference, I encourage you to get started. I personally think guest blogging is huge for anyone looking to get started online, and building momentum quickly. So, here’s what you should be doing right now:

  • Read through this content again
  • Make notes of the important points discussed
  • Research some opportunities by doing a quick search or looking on popular blogs within your niche
  • Do outreach as describe within this content, and make sure you keep track for future follow-ups
  • Write the best piece of content which adds complete value.
  • Keep the momentum going