Every now and then I get an email from someone in my industry asking if I’d be interested in having them do a guest post for my blog. My first thought is usually “Cool..someone likes my stuff!”
If you do any kind of research online about guest posting you will find that it can be a great way to expand your reach and build your list. In fact, guest posting can be a great tool to use if you’re looking to grow your business.
But, before you begin letting others write for your blog I wanted to give you my two cents…
Establish yourself as an authority in your industry 1st
If you have not been writing consistently for several months, producing piles of relevant and useful content for your ideal audience (clients), then don’t invite in a guest poster. My thoughts on this do not come from a place of scarcity, meaning “you don’t want to give someone an opportunity to steal your clients,” but, from a desire to see you set up as THE number one educator in your niche. It’s your site. Feel free to link now and then to others that you respect, but make sure you have a firm foundation of content of your own before you allow guest posts.
Stay true to your brand
Your job as the CEO of your company is to protect your brand. Your brand is everything you do and don’t do (read this). It’s what you believe and how you come across as well. I can think of a few people that are coaches/marketers that have approached me to guest post or advertise on my site, but I’m not interested. Why not? MOTOR is edgy. My writing has a straight forward, no-fluff tone. It would not support my brand if I asked a touchy-feely type coach to post here.
No guest posts unless it fits into your content marketing plan
Yes..you need a content marketing plan. This should include ideal client personas and an editorial calendar at the very least. This calendar would be your blogging schedule, which would have things in it like the keyword phrases you’re targeting and how and where you can repurpose the blog posts..oh, yea…and, which Social Media outlets it needs to be shared on. Somewhere in there, if it applies to helping you reach more of your ideal clients, you could plan some guest posting that will support your plan.
Before you look for guest posts make sure you’ve got a solid plan in place. Everything you do tells a story. Make sure you’re intentional with your marketing.
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