Guest Posting and What You Need to Know

Guest posting used to be the secret tactic that only established bloggers knew about and used to drive huge amounts of traffic to their sites, but now it’s commonly known as one of the most effective ways to generate traffic from social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

It can drive more traffic to your website than you may ever have expected, so it’s important that you understand how it works and how you can use it on your site. Let’s get started!

Why should I blog

It’s a question many businesses, brands and bloggers ask. The truth is that for all of its popularity, blogging isn’t without its detractors. It may seem like such a simple form of social media marketing—putting your thoughts out there for all to see—but it actually has quite a few advantages and numerous hidden pitfalls. Check out this Bloggers Roadmap.

Whether you’re an experienced blogger or just starting out, here are three reasons why you should start blogging now. Even if you don’t do it regularly or extensively, guest posting lets us expand our reach beyond what we can accomplish on our own blogs alone.

A post published on one website could potentially be seen by hundreds or thousands of people who aren’t subscribed to our website’s RSS feed.

Where can I find blogs that accept guest posts?

If you want to guest post, but don’t know where to start, it’s best to start with your own personal network. Start by writing a short summary of your area of expertise and send it out via email or social media.

Be sure you mention that you’re looking for opportunities for guest posts (this is an easy way for people who may not be interested in reading your content to say no). Also, check out sites like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) where you can sign up as a source for journalists and bloggers looking for stories.

How does the guest posting process work

A guest post is a piece of content written by one person and published on another’s website. It’s typically used as an opportunity for sites that publish original work (like blogs) to expose readers to perspectives they wouldn’t find elsewhere.

This happens when someone who has experience in a particular field writes a piece and submits it (on their own, through a publication, or via a middleman like Outbrain) to another site that publishes pieces on that topic.

Ideally, you want your content to be as good or better than what already exists on your target site so that your post will be accepted and get shared with others.

Rules for successful guest posting submission

When submitting an original guest post, there are a few rules that you must follow: – Do not submit guest posts more than once a month. – Do not accept sponsored or guest posts for hire requests. – Do not ask us to pay for your submission—we don’t do paid submissions. (If you’re interested in paid advertising, we have those opportunities.)

We value our editorial integrity and can only publish truly authentic content on Indie Hackers. Our preferred length is around 1,500 words with a paragraph break between sections, but feel free to get creative and write whatever feels most natural! You can learn more about this from John Thornhill.

When can I expect a response from my submission?

When contacting a blogger or editor with your submission, ask when you can expect a response. Most of them do not accept guest posts on a regular basis and need some time to review your submission.

Do not be afraid of approaching bloggers and editors, but if they don’t respond in an acceptable time frame, try someone else. Keep track of who you’ve approached and what their response was. It’s perfectly fine if they take weeks/months, just make sure they aren’t ignoring you!

Also, keep in mind that the summer months are the slow season for bloggers and editors; plan accordingly if you’re looking for opportunities during those times of the year.

Tips for submitting quality guest posting content

It may seem simple, but submitting content that is high quality and actually relevant to your target audience is one of your biggest concerns when guest posting.

By all means, post things you genuinely believe in, but don’t submit anything that doesn’t cater directly to your intended audience; it looks unprofessional and will ultimately do more harm than good. On top of that, make sure you’re sticking to a consistent schedule—more so if you have an exclusive relationship with a particular site.

Your readers (and potential clients) will want consistency, especially if they like what they see from you in terms of guest posts. Develop an approach that works best for you and stick with it!

Finally

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