How to offer incentive to bloggers to allow guest blogging

10 replies
How can I appeal to bloggers to allow me to guest blog?

I do web design and search engine marketing services. I'm hoping to add to my content marketing and link building campaign by guest blogging. But I've never used this method of link building before. I have great content to offer. I'm just unsure how to approach relevant bloggers.
This advice, and perhaps a little guidance and hand holding, is worth $$$ to me. I believe that I'll be ranked #1 for all my target keywords, instead of just most of them, with this tactic. So I'm not against paying someone to help mentor me on this specific aspect of seo. Keep in mind that I'm a pro seo and do well, already. So this isn't a scenario where you'd need to explain basic seo principles to me. Any advice is appreciated, and what goes around comes around. Thanks in advance.
#bloggers #blogging #guest #incentive #mentor or consultant #offer #ppc #seo
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by Counselor View Post

    How can I appeal to bloggers to allow me to guest blog?

    I do web design and search engine marketing services. I'm hoping to add to my content marketing and link building campaign by guest blogging. But I've never used this method of link building before. I have great content to offer. I'm just unsure how to approach relevant bloggers.
    [snip] Any advice is appreciated, and what goes around comes around. Thanks in advance.
    Here's a freebie for you...

    Some bloggers don't use guest posts, period, so approaching them is a waste of time.

    For those who leave evidence that they use guest posters (like guest posts), study the guest posts and any intro remarks the blogger makes. Do they indicate that there is an existing relationship prior to the guest post? If so, you may have to lay some groundwork before asking to guest post.

    You can lay this groundwork by:

    > leaving real, valuable, content-enhancing comments without trying smarmy backlink tricks like using keywords as your name.

    > reacting to their blog post on your own blog and using the trackback to attract their attention.

    > dropping them a personal email and initiating a plain old human conversation.

    The only incentive you should have to offer is excellent content that will give their readers a good experience. If you have to offer them money or some other incentive, it's not a guest post, it's an ad and should be identified as such by the blogger.

    When you find a blog you want to guest post for, send a proposal email. Tell them you'd like to write a guest post about (your idea) and how you think it will fit into his blog and appeal to his readers. Tell him that if he agrees that his audience might like your idea, you'll be happy to provide links to other writing samples and once you get the go-ahead, you'll provide the guest post.

    For results, it beats the heck out of blasting form emails to anyone with a blog. And, as a side benefit, you also get to put your content in front of that blogger's audience with an either implied or explicit endorsement.

    Personally, I see that as the main benefit and the link as the bonus, but you said you're an SEO guy, so I tried to put it in your terms...
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  • Profile picture of the author royljestr
    I agree that excellent content is the KEY! Also you might want to try to build a relationship with them first. Maybe backlink to their site, or do something nice for them. After you have a relationship they will be more likely to let you submit a guest post.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fazal Mayar
    Comment on their blog or contact them directly and submit. If your article is good they will submit.
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    Blogger at RicherOrNot.com (Make Money online blog but also promoting ethical internet marketing)

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  • Profile picture of the author Hartmann
    Yes, build a relationship first via blog commenting or on facebook. Most people a pretty cool about accepting a guest post from someone that they kind of know but are less likely to be receptive to a bland email. Offer an infographic...people like those.
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    • Profile picture of the author Counselor
      Originally Posted by Hartmann View Post

      Yes, build a relationship first via blog commenting or on facebook. Most people a pretty cool about accepting a guest post from someone that they kind of know but are less likely to be receptive to a bland email. Offer an infographic...people like those.
      Are there any super networkers who connect quality content producers like myself with established bloggers in the SEO or web design sphere?
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      • Profile picture of the author uttoransen
        Originally Posted by Counselor View Post

        Are there any super networkers who connect quality content producers like myself with established bloggers in the SEO or web design sphere?
        There are plenty - just Google it. There are atleast 10+ such networks that i know of.

        Quality content is the basic requirement - most people who are doing guest blogging provide quality content, so it goes without saying. Apart from that, would also suggest you to do a few more things like promote the post on the social media, reply to comments on your guest posts etc.

        The problem with free guest posts are that - every one wants one. Think from the point of view of the blogger. Any good blog gets 20+ guest post request a day - speaking from personal experience. If he accepts everyone he will end up with 600+ guest posts a month. But in reality - he might post like 5 to 10 guest posts a month.

        On top of that, some of those people with guest post requests - offers $20 to $80 for publishing the post. And most of the time, their content will be better or as good as yours. Think from the point of view of the blogger - what will he do?

        At this moment, guest blogging is very over-saturated, you really need to be very good and perhaps with a budget too, if you want to succeed in it.
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  • Profile picture of the author DTGeorge
    Originally Posted by Counselor View Post

    How can I appeal to bloggers to allow me to guest blog?

    I do web design and search engine marketing services. I'm hoping to add to my content marketing and link building campaign by guest blogging. But I've never used this method of link building before. I have great content to offer. I'm just unsure how to approach relevant bloggers.
    This advice, and perhaps a little guidance and hand holding, is worth $$$ to me. I believe that I'll be ranked #1 for all my target keywords, instead of just most of them, with this tactic. So I'm not against paying someone to help mentor me on this specific aspect of seo. Keep in mind that I'm a pro seo and do well, already. So this isn't a scenario where you'd need to explain basic seo principles to me. Any advice is appreciated, and what goes around comes around. Thanks in advance.
    There are plenty of lists with blogs that accept guest posts - such as The Ultimate List of Blogs that Accept Guest Posts. Target these sites and other sites that have been listed as accepting guest posts and you'll have plenty of choices.
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  • Profile picture of the author illiptic
    I would search facebook for people who have blogs in your niche and shoot them a quick message and see if they would like you to do a post for them.

    Its a lot easier to get people who have lower profile blogs to agree to a guest post from someone who doesn't have a lot of credibility yet.

    This has worked like a charm for me in the past, just networking like that on facebook
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Lee
    Tons of good information here guys! I've wondered recently about guest posting too.
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    • Profile picture of the author aross
      Wonderful info! Someone recently emailed me and asked me if they could guest blog. I have never had someone offer their services free so of course I wrote back being completely honest and letting them know this would be a first for us. Of course I never heard from them again, so maybe they wanted bloggers with experience... Anyway, we might look into this more and offer incentives... This was for our local cleaning business website which has more traffic than the cleaning business consulting website.
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