How to Land a Guest Post for an A-List Blogger
There's a frequently discussed debate in the blogging-to-blog blogosphere about whether or not start up websites should seek scoring guest posts on A-List blogger sites early on in their careers. Brian Clark from Copyblogger.com has stated in the past that he wrote on his own for two years, twice a week, before looking to other websites for guest posts and help building up his traffic. BlogTyrant.com is a new and upcoming blog that is not publishing any guest posts for a good bit while they build up their brand without mixing in additional writers.
So, is it worth it for a fresh blog, maybe even a brand new one, to look for guest posting opportunities from A-List bloggers? It certainly seems like a dream come true, but as I've talked about before on The Traffic Blogger, guest posting is one of the best ways to drive targeted traffic to your site. That being said, A-List bloggers are no different from you in regards to rejecting bad guest posts. So is it even worth attempting to get their attention long enough for them to read your guest post and then by some miracle expect them to publish it?
Why yes, yes it's totally worth it.
Is it a guarantee that an A-List blogger in your niche will ever publish your work? Nope. Is it necessary that you get guest posts on these kinds of sites? Nope again. But if you do a good job you'll get your work published. It's actually surprisingly easy to do!
Steps to Getting an "A"
1. Write about a fresh idea or new perspective on an old one. Do NOT write filler that has been done a hundred times over. If you have no fresh ideas then you are not ready to guest post on a professional blog run by an A-List blogger.
2. Be sure to vet the site and check out what kind of articles the author may be interested in. See what has already been done and try not to rewrite the same old stuff again for that particular audience. Give the author something fresh!
3. Contact the owner of the site with your guest post in tow via email. Send it with a subject line that says guest post from XXXX site and for the body simply write something along the lines of "Guest post submission from XXXXX site" and at the bottom thank them for their time. That's it, NOTHING MORE. Trust me, these site owners approve of concise, to the point emails when they receive hundreds per day.
4. Wait for a reply, if you get nothing then send the same email one more time, but at the top mention that you did not receive a response and would appreciate one so you can publish the work on your own blog if they don't want to. This will give them a sense of urgency to get back to you, assuming that your work is good enough.
If these steps fail you, well then your stuff is either not good enough or is just not what the blog owner is looking for. If you get a response that is a No, then ask once if they would be willing to let you know what it is they are looking for.
Guest posting is more than just a chance to get lots of eyeballs on your pages. It is more importantly the start of a relationship with another writer in your niche. That's how you have to look at it, even if the blog owner is someone as famous as say ProBlogger.net: Three Ways to Take Advantage of Being a Blogging
So, is it worth it for a fresh blog, maybe even a brand new one, to look for guest posting opportunities from A-List bloggers? It certainly seems like a dream come true, but as I've talked about before on The Traffic Blogger, guest posting is one of the best ways to drive targeted traffic to your site. That being said, A-List bloggers are no different from you in regards to rejecting bad guest posts. So is it even worth attempting to get their attention long enough for them to read your guest post and then by some miracle expect them to publish it?
Why yes, yes it's totally worth it.
Is it a guarantee that an A-List blogger in your niche will ever publish your work? Nope. Is it necessary that you get guest posts on these kinds of sites? Nope again. But if you do a good job you'll get your work published. It's actually surprisingly easy to do!
Steps to Getting an "A"
1. Write about a fresh idea or new perspective on an old one. Do NOT write filler that has been done a hundred times over. If you have no fresh ideas then you are not ready to guest post on a professional blog run by an A-List blogger.
2. Be sure to vet the site and check out what kind of articles the author may be interested in. See what has already been done and try not to rewrite the same old stuff again for that particular audience. Give the author something fresh!
3. Contact the owner of the site with your guest post in tow via email. Send it with a subject line that says guest post from XXXX site and for the body simply write something along the lines of "Guest post submission from XXXXX site" and at the bottom thank them for their time. That's it, NOTHING MORE. Trust me, these site owners approve of concise, to the point emails when they receive hundreds per day.
4. Wait for a reply, if you get nothing then send the same email one more time, but at the top mention that you did not receive a response and would appreciate one so you can publish the work on your own blog if they don't want to. This will give them a sense of urgency to get back to you, assuming that your work is good enough.
If these steps fail you, well then your stuff is either not good enough or is just not what the blog owner is looking for. If you get a response that is a No, then ask once if they would be willing to let you know what it is they are looking for.
Guest posting is more than just a chance to get lots of eyeballs on your pages. It is more importantly the start of a relationship with another writer in your niche. That's how you have to look at it, even if the blog owner is someone as famous as say ProBlogger.net: Three Ways to Take Advantage of Being a Blogging