Why It’s Important To Guest Post On Other Sites
- Necessary to help increase your online visibility as a blogger and an online business owner
- Potential to attract a bigger audience and you are able to link back to your site
- Cross promotion between the two sites to reach a wider audience and audiences you might not have been able to reach on your own
Even though I don’t advertise guest posting on my site, I still receive emails from time to time for these requests. The majority of the time, the emails sound really generic and spammy. I’m referring to the ones that start off with: “Hello admin, hey there, etc.” So I automatically delete them. People will often use email templates to save time and be more efficient. This is definitely not a bad idea, but I think it’s important to make the effort to create a template that shows sincerity and authenticity.
Not only is it about what you say, it’s also how you say it. Since you are not speaking to them in person, it’s important to focus on how you say it and what kind of tone you are creating. The messages in emails can be read in so many different ways to different people.
Here are some guidelines you can follow when composing a response-worthy guest post request:
1. Make Sure Their Content Relates To Your Business
I’ve had people requesting to guest post that had absolutely nothing to do with my site’s content. Or people have asked to write a topic related to personal finance when it’s perfectly clear that I’m not writing about personal finance anymore. I haven’t written about personal finance since late 2015. This shows that they haven’t taken the time to look at the About Page or read the latest blog posts.
2. Introduce Yourself
First off do they know who you are? Do you follow them on social media? Have you ever interacted with them on social media? Or commented on their blog? Shared their posts on your social media accounts and tagged them? I would be more likely to accept a guest post if I had a vague idea of who this person was and if they were following me.
3. Why You Would Like To Guest Post / How Your Post Can Provide Value
Read some of their most recent posts on the blog and mention what you liked about them or how the content helped you. People will often say they would like to guest post because they want to increase their exposure, help promote their business or build up their writing portfolio. All of these points are valid, but it seems too cookie cutter in my opinion. In addition to that, tell the person about your brand and what your mission statement is. Explain how your knowledge on subject XYZ can help their audience.
4. Showcase Your Writing
Include links to your own posts on your business’ blog or a personal blog that are relevant and other guest posts if you have written any. This gives the person an idea of what your writing style is like and what types of topics you normally write about.
5. Propose 2-3 Topics To Write About Including Possible Titles and Talking Points
This shows you’re taking initiative and creating less work for them because all they have to do is pick one. You’ve already completed some of the work on your end as well because you’ve already brainstormed a few ideas and discussion points.
6. Review Your Request
Just like any blog post or any other email you send, be sure to review it carefully. Read it over a couple of times to ensure the message says what you need it to say and it includes the proper information. The last thing you want is for the email to say someone else’s name and someone else’s business. Use proper grammar and spelling. I find Grammarly to be a very useful tool when it comes to proofreading.
7. Request a link back to your site AND social media accounts.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it doesn’t hurt to ask every time. Every site is different and may have different guest posting requirements.
8. Following Up With Your Request
If they respond within the next few days, then great! If not, be sure to follow up a couple of times, with a few days spread apart between requests. After a couple of follow-ups, there is still no response, then move on to your next task. When it comes guest posts and the follow-up process, they’re only worth a couple of emails in my opinion.
Do you have a process when for sending and accepting guest posts requests?
Thank you for the tips! Guest posts is something I want to get into, so this was helpful.
You’re very welcome! Good luck with the guest posting process!
This is great advice!! It is so true that templated, generic Guest Post Pitch emails get very little response, It’s about building the relationships!!
Hi Cheryl, I am so glad you agree with this. Yes, it is definitely about building the relationships, not just about link exchanging.
Great tips, it gives me a direction to start with! I haven’t started blasting out emails to get some guest posting spots yet because I just wasn’t sure where to start. I will def. be using this outline to reach out to some people!
Awesome! I’m so glad you found this outline helpful. All the best to you with your guest posting!
I too get a lot of requests like yours… It kills me when they email me at my amanda@ email address, but still open with “Dear Admin”! Come on guys, my name is right there!!
But anyways, I received ONE really guest post request recently. She followed all of your advice above, and then some. So I quickly wrote her back – and then never heard from her again. I was quite disappointed, actually! I didn’t understand why she’d take all that time to send a personalize pitch email, and then never follow up?
I know. It takes so little time to address someone’s name, but it really does make a HUGE difference. Do you think it’s worth it to follow up with her to see if she’s still interested in guest posting? She could be really busy. But only if you think it would be worth it to have her content on your site.