After last week’s blogging prompt on opening yourself up to guest posts, a few questions came in, including from Cie and Rhonda, about how to go about pitching to potential guest bloggers and then how to make it work.
Here are my tips:
- Pitch to bloggers where the opportunity is mutually beneficial. If you’re a business, for example, maybe look to another mum in business whose blog style is in a similar vein to you and has a similar sized social media following. It’s a great way to help each other out and build each other’s followings.
- Some bloggers provide guidelines for guest posts, which can make it easier to manage. This can include things like ideal post length, ideal number of images, how many links you’re willing to offer them in the post and what format you like to receive the post in. This prevents any niggling problems down the track.
- Let the blogger know when their post is going live in advance. Send them a link if you’re able. I would suggest once you’ve scheduled the post, to put the link into bit.ly and share that link with the guest blogger. That way you can both track how much traffic came to it and from where.
- Once it’s live, make sure to share it on all your social media platforms. It’s good etiquette for the guest blogger to do the same, but many come into blogging unaware of this, so a gentle reminder in your blogger guidelines, and maybe within the context of an email, can help. As mentioned, this is about helping grow each other’s blogs or sites.
- Likewise, with comments left on the post, it’s generally accepted that the guest blogger will respond – after all, it’s their story they’re sharing. However, you may need to give them a gentle prompt on this. You are welcome to add to the conversation as well, of course.
You never know, but it may be the start of a relationship where you’re able to continually support each other’s endeavours with future social media shout outs, blog posts and business or blog support. It’s certainly opened up some wonderful relationships for me.
Do you have any other suggestions to add to the above to make accepting guest posts run smoothly?
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Love this advice, Kellie! I’ve just decided to approach a couple of bloggers for guest posts in September, so I will taking all of this onboard when I email them 🙂
Good on you, Tam. Looking forward to reading them too. Just make sure you give them plenty of time to write the posts too – that was the other thing I should have added. 🙂
I really should take a leap into guest posts to keep my blog ticking over when I don’t have time to post. Self doubts makes me scared to put the question out there!! Thanks for the tips x
Hearing you, Nee! The more I think about things like this, the more I psyche myself out of doing it. You just have to take a deep breath and leap in. What’s the worst that can happen? They say `no’. No big deal! 🙂
It’s ideal to keep your blog going during the school holidays, when you’re too busy with kids! Good luck with it. x
Can I ask you how you deal with bad pitches? People who don’t get it what you blog is about, or are just after a free link, or you are completely not interested in their topic, or their website is one that you don’t want to be linking to. I get tons of them… I don’t want to be rude and I try to respond to every email, but it pains me to spend so much time on it, it all adds up.
I was tempted to put a big sign on my blog saying, ‘I don’t accept guest posts!!!!!’. but then today I got a pitch that I’m so excited about. When you get a good one, you feel like, “Yes, there is someone there who gets my message and is on the same page as me!” it totally made my day.
Hey Tat,
I actually put something on my Mum PR Facebook page on Friday about receiving too many emails from people wanting to put link posts on my blogs. I delete most of the emails, but sometimes they seem quite genuine – so I respond and then get sucked in to what becomes a time wasting exercise!
Generally, I would just delete them and view them as spam. Especially if they’re not relevant pitches and if you have no relationship with the person.
I actually like Katrina from The Organised Housewife’s “Be My Guest” page. I think I might take a leaf out of her book and create something similar: http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/be-my-guest/
It might be something to consider doing, anyway.
🙂
I might have to create a guest posting page. I’ve been worried that it will result in more emails rather than less, but as long as I mention that I won’t be responding to all of them, should be ok. Thanks Kel!
I think that line about “not responding to all emails” is the key, Tat. It takes away the guilt of not responding too! 🙂
Lots of great tips here ~ sure is something that I need to think about and work on 🙂
Gad you found the tips useful, Lisa. x