Is guest posting for you?

I just came home from a week-long conference in New York, BlogWorld & New Media Expo. Throughout the 200+ sessions from the 175 speakers, one of the recurring themes to help content creators gain exposure was to guest post for other blogs. However, today I read a Q&A with Dino Dogan who calls guest posting "slave labor." Hmmm.

I actually met Dino at the BlogWorld conference and although I had interacted with him online on occasion, I'd never met him in person. He's spunky! And, a really nice guy. Who, by the way, is doing some great things to help up and coming bloggers. But, I have to respectfully disagree with his assessment of guest posting.

If you're a content creator and have the time to do a little extra writing, I highly suggest you start doing guest posts. This is a great way to get your name and ideas in front of a new audience. And, it's also a powerful way to solidify your personal brand.

The more places you write, the richer those Google results will be when someone searches for you online. And, the more popular the site, the higher that guest post will rank in your search results. For instance, I wrote a guest post for Spin Sucks in 2011 called, "7 Ways to Turn Employees into Brand Ambassadors." It got a ton of traffic and even made it onto Spin Sucks' list of Top Ten Guest Posts of 2011, ranking at number seven. That initial article always shows up on the first page of search results when you put my name into Google. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty neat.

So, is guest posting for you? Here are some resources I've assembled to help you through the process:

A Blogger's Checklist for Guest Posting on Other Blogs
by David Risley

How Guest Posting Can Help Grow Your Blog
by Jeff Goins

10 Places to Find Blogs to Guest Post On
by Kwame Boame

6 Powerful Guest Post Tactics that No One's Talking About
by Tom Ewer

How to Build Links Through Guest Blogging
by Neil Patel


For the record, I think "paid" gigs that offer writers insulting wages are ridiculous and that you should never write an article for $5. However, if you choose to write for free, as is the case with a guest post, because you reap some sort of benefit from it, that's a completely different animal. I know I've done lots of free work over the years, solely because it gave me great exposure. A guest post is no different. Just like anything, you call the shots and as long as you're getting something from it, I say go for it.  

If you're new to the idea of guest posting, do you think this might be for you? If you've guest posted before, what were the benefits? Drawbacks? Any advice for the newbies in the group?


12 comments:

  1. Hola; sounds like you had a good time at the BlogWorld event. Maybe it's because my crowd is different these days, but it seemed like there was a lot more talk online after the event last year.

    I would have liked to attend, but more to meet the people I have interacted with online.

    I'm ok with guest posting; my challenge is actually doing it. I have 5-6 requests on the table I just haven't gotten to. I feel bad, but I'm hesitant to put something out if I don't think it will raise the bar at the place I'm visiting. Having said that, I'm not comfortable asking someone if I can guest post at their place and probably never will be. 

    The flip side is, I'm totally open to having guest posts at my place and was doing a pretty good job lining them up for awhile; but I guess I've gotten somewhat lazy organizing anything of late. Oh well.....

    I've been fortunate to have GP opportunities at Gini's, Danny's, Lori's and Ken's that actually did ok. I'm not sure of the overall benefit other than maybe a few more people got to know me. It was a lot of fun however. 

    Any advice I would give, is just 'do it.' No need to over analyze if it will be worthy or not; just be bold and jump in. It's not a life changing event.....:). 

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  2. Amber,

    I was happy to meet you at that week-long conference.  I too heard the words - from another - that guest posting is for the birds.

    But is it?

    If that's all we're doing - guest posting.  Then, yes, that's unproductive in the end.  But if we're occasionally cross-pollinating audience, then I think that has mutual benefit.  To the host blogger and the guest.  A win/win.

    I share your opinion about $5 articles.  But think guest posting now and again is a good thing.  :)

    Looking forward to seeing what others have to say,

    ~Keri

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  3. I Agree with guest blogging, for the obvious reason; it puts Your work out there.  However, I think that guest posts do not always draw readers.  There have been so many Q&A type guest posts, that use the same silly questions.  I think many people collectively *YAWN* when they see the words, "Guest Blog Post".  I Myself am a big fan of Good Blogs, so if the Blog Post is on a credible writer's Blog, I will still give it a chance. 

    Now, I am not a good writer, so I would never sully anyone else's Blog with a guest post...but, if You are a good writer, or have a worthy cause, then I am open to having You do a guest post on My Blog.  (Sad little thing that it is! LOL).
    Thanks Amber, for the new Food for Thought!  :)

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  4.  Hey Bill!

    New York is a smaller show than Vegas, so I suspect that's why you remember a bit more online activity. Vegas is a monster-sized event.

    As for guest posting, you're so right. It's a way for more people to get to know you. And that's a good thing. Your advice to the newbies is great. Don't over analyze; just do it. Be bold. In life, that's truly the only way to succeed.

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  5.  Yes! Cross pollinating! That's a perfect analogy, Keri!

    And $5 articles are only of benefit to the "employer." In my humble opinion, no one should ever sell their skills for five bucks and, unfortunately, I see that kind of compensation online all the time.

    You're right, though. Guest posting shouldn't be a way of life. If you have enough content to do that, you really need to direct it to your own site. However, as you say, cross pollinating (again, love it!) can be a win-win.

    Thanks for chiming in, Keri.

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  6.  Hey Eleanor,

    I have to say I'm not a fan of those Q&A type posts, either. I know people say to do them, but they bore me to read them. Therefore, when I've been asked to do them; I don't.

    And, yes, unfortunately guest posts don't always manifest themselves in the form of new readers. In my experience, however, it always increases exposure. And, like most things, it takes time to see the positive results from that.

    Thanks for reading, Eleanor! I'm giddy to have you as a new commenter here ;-)

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  7. I like guest posting, especially when someone asks if I have interest in doing so. I don't mind asking to guest post (or asking people to guest post at Write Right) - at least not like I once did - but it's easier when the other person has done all the heavy lifting. That being said, guest posts can turn into monthly commitments. That's fine if a person has the time and the energy to devote to those commitments, but they can become wearisome, and the guest may become resentful of the work. If I'm going to guest post for anyone, it's because I support what that person is doing and think it would be fun to write a post for him or her.

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  8. Good points, Erin. Long term commitment versus a one time deal is a much different conversation. Something everyone should consider from the get-go.

    It's always smart to under commit and over deliver, at least in my opinion. If you say you're going to do a monthly guest post and then flake, all that goodwill you worked to achieve may just fall by the wayside. But, if you do more than you promised, people feel all warm and fuzzy about you!

    And, yes, believing in the blog and the person behind the blog is critical. Writing just to write, regardless of the outpost, may not yield the results you want. We're all judged by the company we keep.

    Thanks for expanding the discussion, Erin!

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  9. I'm just now beginning to shape a guest post strategy, but in asking for GPs and submitting content of my own. I've done a couple now for Razoo and it's beginning to pay some dividends. 

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  10.  That's great, Jason! I'm glad to hear it's working for you!

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  11. I love the guest posting idea. I can't wait to try it! Thanks Amber. You rock!

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