Have you ever been interested in having a blog but don't have the time to commit to the schedule? Do you have great ideas for blog posts but no where to share them? Consider being a guest blogger! You can write great posts and have them published with out all the headache of actually managing a blog. It's a great portfolio builder and can lead to some awesome networking opportunities as well.
If you've never been a guest blogger before, here a few tips to help you get started:
1. Do Your Research
There are tons of writer's blogs out there. They all have different voices, subjects, posting schedules and policies on guest blogging. With all those choices it can be hard to narrow it down to those that work best for you, so do your research and find the best blog for you.
2. Take Your Time
Once you find a blog you want to write for, don't hurry to reach out to the owner. Take your time to familiarize yourself with the blogs most recent posts. There's nothing worse than pitching an idea to an owner, only to have them come back and say "We just wrote about that last week." Have they had guest posts in the past? If they haven't that doesn't mean they aren't open to it, but you'll want to approach you pitch in a new way.
3. Brainstorm Ideas
You may have a great idea for a blog post, but that doesn't mean that the blog owner will think its the best idea for their audience. Come up with about three different ideas for your blog post and let the owner pick which would work best for their blog.
4. Reach Out
Once you have your blog, took time to think about your post and brainstormed some ideas, its time to reach out to the owner of the blog. Approach the blog owner without expectations, don't assume what they want or what their readers want. They know their audience better than you. And with any pitch, make it personal. Don't copy and paste the same message to every blogger you contact.
5. Follow The Rules
If your blog post pitch was accepted, pay close attention to the instructions the owner gives you. If they want your post in a certain format, a certain word count, or with specific wording, don't take these comments as suggestions. And most importantly, get your full post to the owner by the deadline. Blogs run on tight schedules so if you miss your deadline, you may miss your opportunity to post all together.