Guest Blogging Ebook

[CuLS1 8LCCClnC
L8CCk]

[8ased on many monLhs of hard work and guesL blogglng Ann Smarty,
owner of My8logCuesL.com, Lhe flrsL guesL blogglng communlLy ever, shares
her Llps and acLlonable advlce on how Lo guesL blog for maxlmum beneflL]
CuLS1 8LCC 1C
MAxlMuM 8LnLll1
M?8LCCCuLS1.CCM

CuesL 8logglng e8ook

!

1A8LL CI CCN1LN1S

1able of ConLenLs ................................................................................................. 2
! WhaL ls CuesL 8logglng? .................................................................................. 3
! 8eneflLs of CuesL 8logglng ............................................................................... 6
8ulldlng a 1argeLed Audlence .......................................................................... 6
8ulldlng ?our 8epuLaLlon ................................................................................. 6
Colng vlral ........................................................................................................ 7
Llnk 8ulldlng ..................................................................................................... 7
neLworklng ....................................................................................................... 8
>>>> ln shorL, Lhe overvlew of mulLlple beneflLs of guesL bloggers: ........... 9
! WhaL CuesL 8logglng ls nC1 .......................................................................... 10
CuesL blogglng ls nC1 llnk bulldlng ................................................................ 10
CuesL 8logglng ls nC1 ArLlcle MarkeLlng ....................................................... 11
And some deLalls on each polnL ................................................................. 12


#
! Pow Lo llnd CuesL osLlng CpporLunlLles ..................................................... 13
Pow Lo use Coogle Lo llnd CuesL 8logglng CpporLunlLles ............................ 13
1. Make sure you use ALL synonyms .......................................................... 13
2. 1ake advanLage of wlldcard (*) operaLor ............................................... 16
3. use 'C8' and '~' operaLors Lo beLLer descrlbe your nlche ...................... 18
More Ways Lo llnd CuesL 8logglng CpporLunlLles ......................................... 18
1. Look around ?our CurrenL 8logglng ConLacLs ........................................ 18
2. Look for new, 8apldly-Crowlng CompeLlLors ......................................... 19
3. Search and 1rack 1wlLLer ........................................................................ 19
4. !oln CuesL 8logglng communlLy ............................................................. 21
! Pow Lo Approach Lhe 8log Cwner ................................................................. 23
Pow Lo choose Lhe blog Lo guesL posL for ...................................................... 23
1. use ?our Cwn !udgmenL ........................................................................ 23
2. LvaluaLe Soclal Medla opularlLy ........................................................... 24
1he llrsL 1hlng Lo uo: Co 1hrough CuesL osLlng Culdellnes ........................ 26
now roceed Lo 8ralnsLormlng a Cool CuesL osL ldea ............................. 27
WrlLe a Cood CuesL 8logglng lLch ............................................................ 29
useful 1lps for ersonallzlng ?our lLch ..................................................... 29
WrlLe and lormaL Lhe CuesL osL .............................................................. 32
WrlLe ?our AuLhor 8lo (8y-llne) .................................................................. 34
CeL Lnrolled afLer ?our osL ls ubllshed ................................................... 33


$
! CuesL 8logglng 8esL racLlces ........................................................................ 36
Pow Lo CeL Crganlzed .................................................................................... 36
Pow Lo Pandle no 8esponse and 8e[ecLlon ................................................... 36
Learn from Lhe 8esL! Puge 8rands LhaL CeL CuesL 8logglng .......................... 37
#1: lnLel: CreaLe and SupporL a 8logglng CelebrlLy .................................... 37
#2: LvernoLe: Share ?our Cwn Success Case SLudy ................................... 38
#3: Salesforce: CeL Lhe Whole 1eam lnvolved ........................................... 39
Concluslon .......................................................................................................... 40


%

! WnA1 IS GULS1 8LCGGING?

CuesL blogglng ls a muLually beneflclal exchange beLween a blogger and
anoLher wrlLer. 1he concepL ls qulLe sLralghLforward:
" 1he auLhor wrlLes an arLlcle and shows lL Lo Lhe blogger,
" 1he blogger decldes lf Lhe arLlcle flLs hls blog, and lf Lhe answer ls yes,
publlshes lL on Lhe slLe.
1hus, Lhe blog owner who hosLs a guesL blogger can Lake a break from creaLlng
conLenL, whlle addlng a fresh polnL of vlew for readers. 1he guesL blogger geLs
Lhe chance Lo reach a new audlence, aLLracLlng new readers Lo hls or her own
blog or webslLe.
usually lL's Lhe would-be guesL blogger who geLs ln Louch wlLh a blog owner Lo
requesL publlcaLlon. 8log owners who are open Lo guesL conLrlbuLlons wlll
accepL pleces LhaL Lhey conslder a good flL for Lhe blog. 1he normal pracLlce ls
for Lhe blog owner Lo glve proper credlL Lo Lhe guesL blogger, and Lo lnclude hls
or her conLacL lnformaLlon.


&

! 8LNLII1S CI GULS1 8LCGGING

1here are many beneflLs Lo becomlng a regular guesL blogger. ?ou can grow
your audlence, bulld your onllne repuLaLlon, earn more llnks Lo your own blog
or webslLe, and meeL lnfluenLlal people ln your lndusLry.
8UILDING A 1AkGL1LD AUDILNCL
CuesL posLlng on blogs relaLed Lo your parLlcular nlche can expose you Lo a
whole new communlLy of people who are lnLeresLed ln your area of experLlse.
1hese readers are your poLenLlal new fans, followers and long-Lerm readers. lf
Lhey llke your work, Lhey'll promoLe lL Lo Lhelr own fans and followers.
! ! ShorL-Lerm beneflL - Culck splke of lnLeresL ln your slLe or producL.
! ! Long-Lerm beneflL - AcqulslLlon of loyal readers and followers.
8UILDING CUk kLU1A1ICN
Lvery Llme you wrlLe for a dlfferenL blog wlLhln a speclflc nlche, more people
lnLeresLed ln LhaL sub[ecL area wlll become acqualnLed wlLh your work. lf you
conslsLenLly produce hlgh-quallLy conLenL, you'll soon wln recognlLlon and
respecL as an experL ln your nlche area.


'
A credlble onllne repuLaLlon wlll burnlsh your brand, helplng you bulld LrusL
wlLh prospecLlve followers and cusLomers.
! ! ConslsLenL guesL blogglng helps bulld LrusL and a solld repuLaLlon.
GCING VIkAL
As your repuLaLlon grows and you reach more LargeLed communlLles, you wlll
have lncreased Lhe opporLunlLy for your brand Lo go vlral.
CuesL bloggers can achleve vlral popularlLy ln Lwo ways: slow and fasL.
1he slow way ls Lo bulld a readershlp across many blogs. ?ou'll gradually spread
your lnfluence beyond each blog's core readers Lo new ones as Lhey share your
work wlLh frlends ln 1wlLLer, lacebook and oLher soclal neLworks.
1he fasL way requlres a loL of hard work and more Lhan a hlnL of good luck. lf
you manage Lo publlsh a guesL blog spoL on a parLlcularly acLlve and popular
slLe, your work could suddenly go vlral. ?our sLory could hlL Lhe fronL page of
ulgg, or geL LweeLed across Lhe enLlre mlcro-blogosphere.
! ! ShorL-Lerm beneflL - 8each fronL pages of popular soclal medla slLes
lndlrecLly by publlshlng your conLenL on hlghly popular slLes.
! ! Long-Lerm beneflL - 8ulld up a solld followlng by conslsLenLly exposlng
your work Lo soclal medla users who frequenL dlfferenL blogs ln your
nlche.
LINk 8UILDING
MosL guesL bloggers wrlLe for esLabllshed blogs - blogs LhaL search englnes
regard as plllars of auLhorlLy and LrusL ln Lhelr speclflc nlches. lf you're Lrylng Lo
earn hlgh ranklngs ln search resulLs for your own blog or webslLe, backllnks


(
from Lhese leadlng blogs can be worLh Lhelr vlrLual welghL ln gold. 1hey'll add
an alr of relevance and auLhorlLy Lo your own slLe.
uon'L LreaL guesL blogglng as [usL anoLher llnk-bulldlng LacLlc. MosL blog owners
won'L posL poorly wrlLLen conLenL LhaL's been deslgned solely Lo geL llnks. Cn
Lhe oLher hand, well wrlLLen arLlcles LhaL lnclude llnks Lo relevanL webslLes are
more Lhan welcome on mosL blogs.
# # Long-Lerm beneflL - 8ulld up hlgh-quallLy backllnks by provldlng useful
conLenL Lo hlgh-auLhorlLy esLabllshed blogs.
NL1WCkkING
1he esLabllshed bloggers ln any glven nlche are ofLen connecLed Lo promlnenL
flgures ln Lhe relaLed lndusLry. When you provlde good conLenL for Lhese
bloggers, you bulld your vlslblllLy and repuLaLlon wlLh Lhe people who maLLer ln
LhaL lndusLry.
When you're flrsL geLLlng esLabllshed, Lhls ls a greaL way Lo wln aLLenLlon for
your brand. lf you do a good [ob for Lhe esLabllshed leaders ln your fleld, Lhey'll
be more wllllng Lo help promoLe you and your fuLure pro[ecLs.
! ! Long-Lerm beneflL - LsLabllsh solld relaLlons wlLh nlche lnfluencers and earn
Lhelr supporL by provldlng hlgh-quallLy conLenL.
! ! 8emember, Lhe key Lo guesL blogglng ls Lo provlde hlgh-quallLy, orlglnal,
relevanL conLenL LhaL adds value Lo oLhers ln your nlche. Always sLrlve Lo
produce your besL work Lo make sure you geL Lhe mosL ouL of your guesL
blogglng sLraLegy.


)
>>>> IN SnCk1, 1nL CVLkVILW CI MUL1ILL 8LNLII1S CI
GULS1 8LCGGLkS:
" CeneraLe more Lrafflc Lo your webslLe,
" ALLracL (poLenLlal) cusLomers / subscrlbers,
" 8ulld (powerful) llnks Lo your slLe,
" lncrease your brand awareness,
" 8ulld Lhe repuLaLlon of a real experL ln your nlche,
" 8ulld conLacLs wlLh bloggers,
" Learn oLher bloggers' LacLlcs and meLhods,
" CeL lnsplred by seelng whaL oLher bloggers do,
" CeL feedback on whaL you do from ouLslde",
" 8each new communlLles and Loplc hubs,
" CeL lnLroduced Lo new nlches you were unaware of,
" 8ecome known ln oLher nelghborlng" nlches (where you can expand
your buslness Lo),
" llnd new buslness parLners,
" Share your sLory Lo a wlder audlence,
" LxperlmenL,
" 8ecome a beLLer wrlLer,
" Learn Lo communlcaLe ln varlous clrcles,
" 8roaden your ouLlook: geL Lo know more resources ln your nlche,
" lnfluence Lhe lnfluenLlal (and become one of Lhem),
" Pelp your campalgn Lo go vlral,
" CreaLe an lmpresslve onllne resume,
" Learn Lo caLer for varlous Lypes of audlence.


*+

! WnA1 GULS1 8LCGGING IS NC1

8efore you sLarL guesL blogglng, you need Lo clearly undersLand whaL lL ls nC1:
GULS1 8LCGGING IS NC1 LINk 8UILDING

uesplLe Lhe facL LhaL guesL blogglng does bulld llnks Lo your webslLe, lL should
noL be used purely for Lhls purpose. 1here are Lwo reasons why:
8y focuslng on llnks, you are noL golng Lo creaLe good conLenL. oor-quallLy
conLenL wlll be re[ecLed by all decenL blog owners (especlally lf Lhey noLlce you
are uslng Lhem Lo bulld llnks. no one llkes belng used!),
?ou may sLlll be able Lo geL lL publlshed on a low-quallLy blog buL Lhe llnk wlll be
worLh noLhlng, Lhe posL wlll go ln archlve and you'll see no value from your
efforL (no maLLer whlch alm you were pursulng).
Cnly by Lrylng Lo geL all Lhe aforemenLloned beneflLs of guesL blogglng you are
golng Lo geL Lhe mosL ouL of your sLraLegy:
Guest b|ogg|ng |s va|uab|e on|y |f you understand how th|ngs work!
" ?ou wlll only be able Lo drlve value lf you geL your posLs publlshed aL
hlgh-quallLy blogs wlLh a "real" acLlve readershlp. Llnks from Lhose blogs
wlll glve you much more Lhan [usL "vlrLual" llnk and age8ank power:


**
# 1hey wlll drlve acLual followers Lo your slLe and promoLers Lo your
buslness.
# 1hey wlll "lndlrecLly" resulL ln dozens (maybe hundreds) of llnks
from people who wlll be clLlng you, lncludlng your posLs ln round-
ups and bookmarklng your arLlcle aL soclal medla slLes.
# 1hey wlll poslLlon you as experL and bulld your auLhorlLy and brand
awareness.
" 1hls ls only posslble lf you focus on Lhe quallLy of your posLs, lf you
slncerely Lry Lo provlde value and geL people lnLeresLed.

GULS1 8LCGGING IS NC1 Ak1ICLL MAkkL1ING

Guest posting Article Marketing
Unique content? Yes, absolutely
No (Spun content is
NOT unique. Period.)
Extra links? (to your article) Yes! Hardly possible
Potential promoters and
followers?
Yes! Hardly possible
Increased exposure to social
media?
Yes! No
Networking power? Yes! Hardly possible
Boosting reputation?
Yes! (If you are
great)
Maybe (if you are
great!)


*!

AND NCW SCML DL1AILS CN LACn CIN1:
Why |s |t |mportant to bu||d ||nks through un|que content?
Coogle fllLers ouL all dupllcaLe-conLenL arLlcles, Lherefore only one of your llnks
mlghL be consldered. !"# %&'(')*+, &-".)/ 0-1 *+0'2)1& 31 0" 31 2"4&'/1+1/
/.5)'2*01&6 no one knows Lhe exacL answer Lo LhaL quesLlon - Lherefore Lhe
safesL beL ls Lo creaLe LoLally unlque conLenL (no copylng, splnnlng, eLc.)
What |s meant by "extra" ||nks here?
?our arLlcle publlshed on a well-read blog wlll be clLed, lncluded ln round-ups,
bookmarked, scraped - Lhls all wlll resulL ln dozens of backllnks Lo your acLual
guesL posL. 1hls wlll, lndlrecLly, brlng you dozens of backllnks.

Do b|ogs have more peop|e who are ||ke|y to fo||ow and promote your brand
|n the future?
?es, absoluLely. LeL's face lL: blogs and arLlcle gallerles do have dlfferenL Lypes
of audlences. eople 7"))"# blogs whlle Lhey only randomly check arLlcle


*#
gallerles (lf Lhey do LhaL aL all). 8log readers are much more llkely Lo sLlck" Lo
you and help Lo grow your brand by spreadlng Lhe word, llnklng, comlng back
regularly, eLc.
W||| a guest post br|ng you c|oser to soc|a| med|a front pages?
AbsoluLely! 8logs are MuCP more soclal-medla frlendly Lhan arLlcle gallerles.
8log readers are soclal-medla savvler Lhan random vlslLors of arLlcle gallerles
slmply because blogs A8L soclal medla. 1hey have communlLles of Lhelr own -
people who come dally Lo 1weeL, Llke, ulgg, and Mlxx every slngle posL LhaL
geLs publlshed Lhere '42)./'48 9".+ 8.1&0 5"&0.

lL's all Lhe maLLer of conLacLs!
now, leL's [usL sLop for a second and Lry Lo lC8CL1 abouL llnks, soclal medla
fronL pages, Lrafflc and all LhaL sLuff LhaL we can'L llve wlLhouL. LeL's geL back Lo
Lhe baslcs: to peop|e.
8ulldlng conLacLs wlLh real people ls Lhe mosL lmporLanL sLep ln promoLlng your
buslness. ?ou can'L do everyLhlng yourself. lf you Lhlnk you can, you wlll fall.
?ou need people who wlll follow you and LrusL ln you. ?ou need people who wlll
brlng frlends Lo your buslness and who wlll geL Lhe word ouL when you need lL.


*$
CuesL posLlng ls Lhe mosL effecLlve way Lo network w|th |nf|uent|a| peop|e ln
your nlche. 8y conLrlbuLlng value, you wln Lhe bloggers' hearLs and Lurn Lhem
lnLo bellevers. nexL Llme you need Lhem, Lhey wlll be happy Lo help!
8u||d|ng reputat|on through GkLA1 content
l've seen qulLe a few excepLlonally greaL arLlcle dlrecLory conLrlbuLors who have
bullL Lhelr names vla arLlcle markeLlng. 8uL wlLh guesL blogglng lL ls [usL easler.
All you need ls Lo be prepared Lo lnvesL Llme and creaLe 8LAL value, and you'll
see your guesL posLs bulld your repuLaLlon - lL really ls a maLLer of a few
monLhs of acLlve and proper" guesL blogglng.
Conc|us|on: LeL's be falr here: lf you conslsLenLly submlL greaL (noL spun, buL
unlque and valuable) conLenL, you are llkely Lo succeed wlLh boLh Lhe LacLlcs.
8esldes, lf you do guesL blogglng, lL doesn'L mean you can'L Lry your hand aL
arLlcle markeLlng as well. It a|| comes to how hard you are prepared to work
and how much t|me you are prepared to |nvest because you can'L do boLh wlLh
Lhe same conLenL. ?ou'll fall.


*%

! nCW 1C IIND GULS1 CS1ING CCk1UNI1ILS
nCW 1C USL GCCGLL 1C IIND GULS1 8LCGGING CCk1UNI1ILS
CuesL posLlng ls one of Lhe mosL effecLlve ways Lo promoLe your blog, meeL
new audlences and bulld valuable conLacLs. 1herefore mosL A-llsL bloggers
guesL posL, and LhaL's why lf you are a blogger, you should Loo.
1hls posL wlll help you Lo sLarL. lL llsLs some useful yeL lesser-known Coogle
search Llps LhaL wlll leL you flnd valuable guesL posLlng opporLunlLles ln your
nlche.
1. MAkL SUkL CU USL ALL SNCNMS
varlous bloggers use dlfferenL words Lo lnvlLe guesL auLhors. Some dlrecLly ask
Lo submlL a (guesL) posL", oLhers offer Lo become Lhelr auLhor or wrlLe for
Lhem. Lven Lhe mosL sLralghLforward lnvlLaLlon can be expressed ln dlfferenL
words: you can be asked Lo submlL, suggesL or send a posL for example. Pere's
more or less compleLe llsL of phrases bloggers use Lo lnvlLe people Lo guesL
posL:
SubmlL a guesL posL" / SubmlL posL" / SubmlL blog posL"
Add blog posL"
SubmlL an arLlcle"
SuggesL a guesL posL"
Send a guesL posL"
WrlLe for us",


*&
8ecome an auLhor",
CuesL bloggers wanLed"
ConLrlbuLe Lo our slLe",
8ecome a conLrlbuLor",
8ecome guesL wrlLer"
(WrlLe for our) guesL column".
now, you may have noLlced LhaL all Lhe phases are surrounded by quoLaLlon
marks . 1hls ls Lo force Coogle Lo search for Lhe exacL maLch. CLherwlse you wlll
geL Loo-general resulLs randomly menLlonlng posL", conLrlbuLe" and guesL".
lf you add some words LhaL descrlbe Lhe Loplc of your blog, you wlll end up
geLLlng LlghLly relevanL resulLs.

2. 1AkL ADVAN1AGL CI WILDCAkD (*) CLkA1Ck
ln Lhe prevlous sLep l have menLloned uslng quoLaLlon marks for beLLer search
resulLs LargeLlng. 8uL some guesL lnvlLaLlons can be sllghLly dlfferenL. lor
example, a blogger may wrlLe 8ecome our conLrlbuLor" lnsLead of 8ecome
conLrlbuLor" or Send us your posL" lnsLead of Send your posL" buL Lhese blogs


*'
wlll be fllLered ouL because we were uslng quoLaLlon marks and Lhus lnsLrucLed
Coogle Lo search for exacL maLch.
So how can we lnclude all Lhose sllghLly dlfferenL resulLs wlLhouL sacrlflclng on
relevancy?
1hls can be done wlLh help of Coogle's Wlldcard operaLor (*) whlch ln search
resulLs geL subsLlLuLed by one or more words. So lf we, for example, search for
submlL * guesL posL" search resulLs wlll lnclude:
submlL a guesL posL"
submlL your own guesL posL"
submlL your guesL posL"
submlL one guesL posL", eLc


*(
3. USL 'Ck' AND '~' CLkA1CkS 1C 8L11Lk DLSCkI8L CUk NICnL
More ofLen Lhan noL, lL ls hard Lo descrlbe your blog Loplc wlLh one (or Lwo)
words. lor example, your blog may be abouL money, savlng, frugallLy, shopplng,
eLc. 1he more words you use, Lhe lesser resulLs you wlll geL, because Coogle wlll
do lLs besL Lo show you only Lhose pages LhaL have all of Lhose words llsLed.
1o geL broader buL relevanL resulLs, we should lnsLrucL Coogle Lo search for any
relevanL words. lor LhaL we can use C8 operaLor beLween Lhe words - money
C8 savlng C8 frugallLy C8 shopplng" - because, essenLlally we are lnLeresLed ln
guesL blogglng on slLes coverlng any of Lhese Loplcs.
1o go even furLher ln Lhls dlrecLlon, we can use ~ operaLor before a word LhaL
may have many synonyms and relaLed words, and Lhus lnsLrucL Coogle Lo look
for all Lhose synonyms. lor example, a ~money" search wlll lnclude words llke
currency", flnance", flnanclal", eLc.
So whaL do we have ln Lhe end afLer we comblne all Lhe Llps? Pere we go:

MCkL WAS 1C IIND GULS1 8LCGGING CCk1UNI1ILS

1. LCCk AkCUND CUk CUkkLN1 8LCGGING CCN1AC1S
Cne of Lhe besL ways Lo sLarL guesL blogglng ls Lo use your currenL neLwork.
CuesL posL aL your frlends' blogs: Lhls way you'll be able Lo Lry your hand aL
guesL blogglng ln Lhe frlendly communlLy you already know. ?ou'll geL Lhe
useful feedback and helpful advlce you need for a good and successful sLarL.


*)
2. LCCk ICk NLW, kAIDL-GkCWING CCML1I1CkS
Well, Lhe flrsL Lhlng Lo keep ln mlnd here ls LhaL Lhere are no 8LAL compeLlLors
when lL comes Lo blogglng (Lhls ls one of Lhe reasons why l love lL). 8logs can'L
really compeLe because each of Lhem has lLs unlque volce and Lhus Lakes lLs
own place.
8uL Lhere are blogs ln Lhe same nlche as you are and lL ls a good ldea Lo flnd
new, emerglng and rapldly growlng ones and see whaL Lhey are dolng.
Cne of Lhe besL Llps l was ever glven was LhaL when lL comes Lo compeLlLlve
research, th|nk young. lL ls noL easy Lo follow already esLabllshed, hlgh-
auLhorlLy blogs...Lhey already have solld conLacLs and fans whlch help Lhem
move furLher.
new bloggers have noLhlng, Lhey are hungry and Lhey've goL Lo be creaLlve.
WaLchlng whaL Lhey are dolng and followlng Lhelr sLeps, you can learn a loL. lL
doesn'L mean you have Lo copy everyLhlng Lhey are dolng - you'll noLlce
yourself geLLlng lnsplred by waLchlng Lhose acLlve bloggers. ?ou wlll also flnd
plenLy of unlque ldeas and way of dolng Lhlngs.
Look ouL for "places l guesL posLed" and "my guesL posLs" secLlons Lo see where
Lhose new and acLlve bloggers promoLe Lhelr conLenL and how.
3. SLAkCn AND 1kACk 1WI11Lk
1hls ls somewhaL relaLed Lo Lhe prevlous one: you won'L be able Lo (easlly) flnd
new bloggers ln Coogle, because Lhey don'L have enough llnk auLhorlLy Lo
ouLrank more esLabllshed blogs. 8uL you wlll surely flnd Lhem 1weeLlng.
8esldes, 1wlLLer search ls real-Llme - meanlng LhaL you'll flnd new and fresh
guesL posLlng opporLunlLles.


!+
1here are plenLy of Lools allowlng Lo search and Lrack 1wlLLer, one opLlon ls Lo
use Seesmlc ueskLop or 1weeLdeck. Pere's how lL nClSLLLSSL? updaLes me of
new relaLed 1weeLs:
llrsL Lhlng Lo do ls Lo conflgure lLs seLLlngs Lo noLlfy you of new search resulLs.
Co Lo SL11lnCS > nC1lllCA1lCnS and puL a Llck nexL Lo "nC1ll? A8Cu1 nLW
SLA8CP 8LSuL1S".
?ou are almosL done. now use Seesmlc's bullL-ln search opLlon Lo search
1wlLLer for whaL you need. l was searchlng for "guesL posLs" ln general. ?ou
may wanL Lo resLrlcL Lhe search Lo your nlche llke [guesL posL dleL] or [guesL
posL money].
:.'2; 0'5< 2+1*01 * &15*+*01 &1*+2- 7"+ 1*2- &94"49( 9".=/ )';1 0" 0+*2; >?@!
A> B8.1&0 5"&0 ("419CD B8.1&0 5"&0 7'4*421CD B8.1&0 5"&0 &*E1CD 102F
?our search wlll be saved auLomaLlcally and from now on Seesmlc wlll quleLly
noLlfy you of new search resulLs vla small pop-ups.

now whenever you have new resulLs, [usL go ahead and check ouL Lhe new
blogs and whaL Lhey are dolng.


!*
4. ICIN GULS1 8LCGGING CCMMUNI1
My 8|og Guest ls a free guesL blogglng communlLy all guesL bloggers musL [oln.
lL organlzes guesL posLlng offers and calls Lo leL users flnd each oLher:
$ 1he forum search ls based on Lags and allows you Lo flnd users sharlng
slmllar blogglng lnLeresLs. roflles and blogs belng added Lo Lhe sysLem
are Lagged
$ 1he maln forum Lhreads are broken lnLo general caLegorles (llke
1echnology, 8uslness, CreaLlvlLy, eLc). ?ou can fllLer by any of Lhe
caLegorles Lo see Lhreads wlLhln each one.

LxcepL for Lhe baslc forum feaLures, Lhere oLher opLlons LhaL help bloggers
bulld connecLlons Lhrough hlgh-quallLy conLenL.

Cne of Lhe mosL effecLlve guesL blogglng Lools lnslde My8logCuesL ls Lhe
ArLlcles Callery. 8aslcally, lL allows members Lo expose Lhelr conLenL Lo Lhe


!!
gallery for blog owners Lo come Lo offer Lhelr blogs Lo publlsh Lhe posLs. It g|ves
authors one p|ace to pub||sh the art|c|es for b|og owners to come and app|y.


!#

! nCW 1C AkCACn 1nL 8LCG CWNLk
nCW 1C CnCCSL 1nL 8LCG 1C GULS1 CS1 ICk
Whlle Lhe chapLer was abouL flndlng Lhe blogs, Lhls secLlon ls abouL how Lo
evaluaLe Lhe hosL blog and esLlmaLe Lhe value of your guesL posL Lhere. Whlle
such popular meLrlcs as Coogle 8, ?ahoo! backllnks and Alexa rank are
someLhlng Lo keep ln mlnd, lL ls beLLer noL Lo focus on Lhem. 1hey have noLhlng
Lo do wlLh whaL really maLLers: how |arge and act|ve the b|og aud|ence |s.
1he readershlp of Lhe blog ls whaL really maLLers. 1haL's Lhe hearL of Lhe blog.
1he readers are who you are golng Lo expose your producL or brand or
experLlse Lo.
A slLe may have 8 3 buL no real" (loyal) readers behlnd lL. So, whaL's Lhe use
of wrlLlng for lL Lhen?
Pow do you Lell lf a blog ls worLh your guesL posL?

1. USL CUk CWN IUDGMLN1

!usL a few mlnuLes of browslng Lhe blog glves you an lnlLlal (and mosL ofLen
correcL) ldea of how popular Lhe blog ls. l lnsLanLly look for Lhe followlng
fooLprlnLs:


!$
kandom post comment count and qua||ty
# # Pow many commenLs are Lhere for Lhe Lwo or Lhree posLs l randomly
landed aL?
# # Are Lhere any spam commenLs? (lf Lhere are, Lhls may mean Lhe blog ls noL
moderaLed whlch ls never a good slgn),
# # Pow deLalled are Lhe commenLs? (l love lL when readers leave long
commenLs deLalllng Lhelr oplnlon).
kandom post soc|a| med|a buttons
# # 1wlLLer counL buLLons,
# # lacebook llkes and shares, ecL.
S|debar w|dgets:
ay aLLenLlon Lo and cllck Lhrough such wldgeLs as 8ecenL commenLs" and
MosL popular posLs" Lo geL an ldea of how long ago Lhe laLesL commenL was
posLed, and whaL ls well recelved wlLh Lhe blog's readers.

2. LVALUA1L SCCIAL MLDIA CULAkI1
1wlLLer has made lL easler Lo qulckly evaluaLe any blog popularlLy. Whlle oLher
soclal medla servlce (llke SLumbleupon and ulgg) largely depend on Lhe slLe
nlche and Loplc, 1wlLLer ls unlversal ln Lhls respecL, everyLhlng and anyLhlng
under Lhe sun geLs 1weeLed.
1hls ls why how acLlvely Lhe blog ls 1weeLed usually reflecLs Lhe overall
resource popularlLy and relevance.


!%
1opsy ls a greaL Lool for soclal medla monlLorlng of Lhls Lype. !usL run a qulck
search for [slLe:blogdomaln.com] - mlnd Lhere are no spaces - and you wlll be
able Lo see:
MosL 1weeLed posLs from Lhe domaln all Lhe Llme,
MosL 1weeLed posLs from Lhe domaln over Lhe pasL monLh, week, day or
hour,
1he number of found LweeLs for each posL,
Pow long ago (and by who) each posL was flrsL 1weeLed:

uellclous u8L search wlll help you undersLand whaL users assoclaLe Lhe blog
wlLh. lL shows whlch Lags people use Lo bookmark Lhe home page. 1hese Lags
also reflecL Lhe readers' favorlLe Loplcs, as well as expecLaLlons.


!&

1nL IIkS1 1nING 1C DC: GC 1nkCUGn GULS1 CS1ING GUIDLLINLS
MosL blogs accepLlng guesL posLs have clearly-cuL rules and guldellnes for Lhelr
conLrlbuLors. 8e sure Lo learn Lhe blog guesL posLlng pollcy / rules (lf Lhere are
any), and fo||ow each po|nt re||g|ous|y.
1he guesL posLlng guldellnes may lnclude:
# # CuallLy requlremenLs, llke how many words Lhe posL should have, how
useful and unlque lL should be, eLc,
# # 1he preferred Loplcs and sub[ecLs,
# # Llnklng requlremenLs and pollcles, llke how many llnks you wlll be glven
from your byllne, whlch anchor LexL you are allowed Lo use, eLc,


!'
# # osL formaLLlng and decoraLlng preferences. lor example, lf you are
requlred Lo flnd nlce lmage Lo lllusLraLe Lhe maln ldea of Lhe posL, lf you are
asked Lo use screenshoLs, eLc,
# # 8epubllshlng pollcles, such as lf you are allowed Lo reuse your arLlcle. noLe:
Lhe usual and defaulL pracLlce ls Lo only use Lhe posL CnCL for Lhe LargeL
blog.
# # LdlLorlal pollcles, llke lf your guesL posL wlll be edlLed and Lo whaL exLenL.
Io||ow|ng each po|nt attent|ve|y (and poss|b|y referr|ng to each of them |n
your ema|| p|tch) w||| be h|gh|y apprec|ated and |ncrease your chances to be
approved dramat|ca||y.

NCW kCCLLD 1C 8kAINS1CkMING A CCCL GULS1 CS1 IDLA
?es, you need Lo know whaL goes well on LhaL blog. 8uL no, you don'L need Lo
amend your unlque sLyle. 8log whaL you are good aL, don'L ever Lry Lo appeal
Loo much Lo an audlence LhaL can'L appreclaLe who you are. 8e yourself.
8emember LhaL by accepLlng a guesL posL, Lhe blog owner hopes Lo breaLhe
some fresh alr lnLo hls resource. Pe looks for your unlque volce, noL for
someLhlng he has already (successfully) done on hls slLe.
?our posL ldea ls cruclal. lL ls golng Lo grab Lhe blogger's aLLenLlon, lnLeresL and
prompL hlm/her Lo geL back Lo you Lo dlscuss Lhe posL. A posL ldea wlll also geL
Lhe readers' aLLenLlon and wlll make Lhem remember you and your pro[ecL (or
blog). 1hus you wanL Lhe posL ldea:
# # 1o be caLchy and unlque (someLhlng noL really covered yeL aL Lhe blog or
looklng aL some oLher perspecLlve of whaL has already been menLloned),
# # 1o be relevanL Lo Lhe blog Loplc (Lo make sure you LargeL Lhe audlence well).


!(
% Act|onab|e adv|ce: Pere's how l usually come up wlLh Lhe posL
ldea: l browse Lhe blog Lo geL an ldea of lLs maln Loplc and Lhen add
my area of experLlse. 1hls usually resulLs ln a really cool posL LhaL
grabs Lhe aLLenLlon of boLh Lhe blog owner and hls readers. lor
example, for a personal flnance-relaLed blog, l mlghL suggesL Lhe
Loplc, Advanced Coogle Packs Lo Search for ueals and Speclal
Cffers." (1hls would lnclude some advanced buL useful Coogle
search operaLlons Lo help readers flnd Lhe besL deals.) 1hls way Lhe
posL looks fresh and lnLeresLlng Lo Lhe blog readers, and aL Lhe
same Llme, allows me Lo share my experLlse.
% Act|onab|e adv|ce: 1ry searchlng [slLe:blogdomaln.com guesL
posL C8 guesL posLs] - Lhls wlll brlng up Lons of guesL posLs
prevlously publlshed aL Lhe slLe. 1hls way, you wlll be able Lo see
whaL oLher guesL auLhors blogged abouL, how Lhelr conLenL was
recelved (commenLed, LweeLed, eLc), and whaL Lhey dld Lo grab Lhe
readers' aLLenLlon.


!)
WkI1L A GCCD GULS1 8LCGGING I1Cn
So, you have done your homework. ?ou spenL Llme lnvesLlgaLlng Lhe LargeL blog
and lLs readershlp preferences and you have a greaL posL ldea. ?ou are ready Lo
conLacL Lhe blog owner.
1hls ls a very lmporLanL sLep because lL acLually deLermlnes lf Lhe guesL posL ls
golng Lo be arranged. So don'L screw up.
eople have varlous approaches and afLer some Llme you'll be able Lo work ouL
your own. Pere's whaL usually works for me:
# # l am always brlef and personallzed. l always Lake Llme Lo flnd Lhe blogger's
name before Lrylng Lo conLacL hlm,
# # l menLlon my posL ldea and add why l Lhlnk lL wlll do well on Lhe blog,
# # l llnk Lo a couple of my prevlous posLs Lo show my sLyle,
# # l never lnclude Loo many llnks (as a message wlLh loLs of u8Ls may end up ln
Lhe spam box).

USLIUL 1IS ICk LkSCNALI2ING CUk I1Cn
1. Get Ser|ous about I|nd|ng the 8|ogger's Name
1he mosL obvlous place Lo look: Lhe AbouL" page buL even Lhere bloggers may
avold menLlonlng Lhelr names. Pere are a few more ldeas Lo look furLher:
1) See how the b|ogger s|gns h|s]her post. A loL of Wordress and 8logger
LemplaLes lnclude Lhe AuLhor name" aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe arLlcle or below Lhe
LlLle:


#+

2) Check the 1w|tter prof||e.

3) Search Goog|e for "[8|og Name] |nterv|ew": bloggers love lnLervlewlng each
oLher (wlLhln a nlche) and geL very personal answerlng Lhe lnLervlew quesLlons.


#*
2. Ment|on the 8|og *Name* |n the Sub[ect and |n 1he 8ody
lf you have ever recelved a (seml-)auLomaLlc plLch, you know LhaL lf your blog ls
even menLloned, LhaL's probably lLs u8L (because lL ls easy Lo source and pasLe
auLomaLlcally uslng varlables).
lf you wanL your plLch Lo sLand ouL, lnclude Lhe *name* of Lhe blog lnsLead -
Lhls ls mosL llkely Lo be appreclaLed as well:
lor example, from boLh Lhe LlLle and Lhe logo, lL becomes obvlous LhaL Lhe
owners prefer Lo call Lhe blog lreelance WrlLlng !obs" (versus
freelancewrlLlngglgs.com or even lreelance WrlLlng Clgs"):

3. Drop Some Iam|||ar Names (Cpt|ona| but Lffect|ve)
CeLLlng connecLed Lhrough a common conLacL always works besL. lf you and Lhe
blogger are ln Lhe same nlche, you are almosL sure Lo have common (blogglng)
frlends. ?ou can dlscover Lhem on Llnkedln (lf you are boLh lucky enough Lo be


#!
well-neLworked Lhere). Pere's a shorL buL acLlonable gulde on bulldlng conLacLs
uslng soclal medla.
Whlle Llnkedln works besL for LhaL, oLher soclal neLworks would do as well. lor
example, lacebook page wlll also show you Lhe common connecLlons, so always
check Lhe blogger's presence on lacebook.

WkI1L AND ICkMA1 1nL GULS1 CS1
1hls sLep ls Lhe clearesL one. !usL grab a cup of coffee and wrlLe a good posL.
Make lL unlque and - well - awesome! kemember that the b|ogger doesn't ask
for anyth|ng |n return for expos|ng your brand to h|s aud|ence and ||nk|ng to
your resource. All he needs ls greaL conLenL. WlLh LhaL ln mlnd, [usL do as well
as you can, and Lhen even beLLer.
1o make sure your posL ls accepLed, make Lhe blogger appreclaLe your efforL.
8esldes Lhe obvlous (wrlLlng a greaL arLlcle), make sure you sLyle and formaL Lhe
posL Lo LargeL Lhe blog.
Pere ls Lhe posL formaLLlng checkllsL you should follow:
# # 1ake an efforL Lo do some searchlng Lo llnk Lo prevlously publlshed arLlcles
from wlLhln your conLexL. 1hls ls [usL a way Lo be pollLe and show Lhe
blogger you read hlm. 1hls efforL wlll be hlghly appreclaLed, LrusL me.


##
# # Copy Lhe LargeL blog formaLLlng (P2/P3 Lags for subheadlngs, Lhe use of
bold and lLallcs, eLc),
# # Copy Lhe LargeL blog sLyle of uslng lmages. Many blogs use lmages Lo grab
users' aLLenLlon: mosL of Lhe Llme Lhere's an lnLroducLory lmage elLher
allgned Lo Lhe rlghL/lefL or cenLered. 1here can also be lmages for each
ma[or subheadlng. 8emember, lf you do noL provlde Lhe lmages, Lhe
blogger wlll have Lo look for Lhem - Lhus lL wlll Lake longer for hlm Lo
publlsh your posL. 8esldes LhaL, don'L forgeL Lo credlL Lhe lmages properly.
# # ersonallze Lhe screenshoLs (lf you have Lo vlsuallze your lnformaLlon uslng
screenshoLs, make sure Lo use Lhe LargeL blog ln Lhem).
# # CreaLe a clean P1ML documenL (LhaL can be easlly copy-pasLed Lo
Wordress edlLor, unllke Lhe LexL from a Word doc, for example, LhaL
usually creaLes some welrd formaLLlng lssues),
# # Send lmages ln a separaLe flle (for Lhe blogger Lo easlly hosL Lhem aL hls
blog).
# # Llnk Lo your sources and use (and credlL) lmages and mulLlmedla under
alLernaLlve copyrlghLs or publlc domaln.
# # roof read agaln and agaln unLll you learn Lhe copy by hearL. 1hen glve lL
abouL 12 hours Lo lle unLouched, go back Lo lL and proof read agaln.
ku|e of thumb: Don't send the post |mmed|ate|y after wr|t|ng.
lL ls a wlse ldea Lo sleep on lL. ln Lhe mornlng, go Lhrough lL agaln and only Lhen
send lL. 1hls fresh look wlll help you flnd some mlsLakes and flne-Lune your
sLyle.


#$
WkI1L CUk AU1nCk 8IC (8-LINL)
A byllne ls LhaL &-"+0 *4/ 2"42'&1 paragraph LhaL Lells Lhe readers who auLhored
Lhe guesL posL (yes, &-"+0 and 2"42'&1 are Lwo keywords here).
1he byllne ofLen conLalns llnks Lo Lhe auLhor's slLes, and Lhls ls why Loo many
guesL bloggers puL Loo much emphasls on LhaL paragraph.
1he ru|e of thumb: uon'L even Lhlnk abouL Lhe by-llne unLll you wrlLe Lhe posL!
1he acLual posL ls whaL you need Lo focus on, a byllne ls a secondary and far less
lmporLanL Lhlng, slmply because wlLhouL a posL Lhere ls no byllne. So lf you go
Loo far Lo promoLe yourself ln Lhe byllne, Lhe posL has a greaLer chance aL belng
re[ecLed.
A good byllne conLalns no more Lhan 3 senLences and no more Lhan 3 llnks:
# # SLarL lL wlLh your name and a shorL deflnlLlon of yourself (8logger, new
mom...any words LhaL besL deflne you ln your oplnlon).
# # lollow wlLh your maln blog (l know mosL of us run qulLe a few buL you
should choose one). l for one don'L mlnd keyword-based anchor LexL here
buL l am ofLen Loo humble Lo use one myself. l'd say, for a good work on a
posL, Lhe auLhor deserves one good llnk wlLh Lhe anchor LexL of hls cholce.
# # MenLlon your area of experLlse or your maln lnLeresLs and where readers
can flnd all Lhe necessary lnformaLlon abouL you (Lhls can be your onllne
resume, mosL compleLe soclal medla proflles, or your porLfollo).
# # lnvlLe readers Lo follow you on 1wlLLer (or oLher soclal medla neLwork LhaL
maLLers Lo you mosL). MenLlon your LweeLlng sLyle and Loplcs (llke l LweeL
abouL search and SLC, as well blogglng ln general").


#%

GL1 LNkCLLLD AI1Lk CUk CS1 IS U8LISnLD

Cnce your posL goes llve, your [ob ls noL done yeL:
# # Spread Lhe word by LweeLlng, sharlng on lacebook and oLher approprlaLe
soclal medla neLworks.
# # Subscrlbe Lo commenLs and reply Lo each one.
8emember, Lhe more you parLlclpaLe, Lhe more people wlll remember your
name and Lhe more valuable connecLlons you make. Soon afLer LhaL, you wlll
see people clLe you and refer Lo you. CeLLlng noLlced and recognlzed vla guesL
posLlng ls hard work buL lL ls well worLh lL!


#&

! GULS1 8LCGGING 8LS1 kAC1ICLS
nCW 1C GL1 CkGANI2LD
1he mosL dlfflculL parL abouL guesL blogglng ls LhaL lL ls opt|ona|. ?ou don'L have
Lo reporL Lo anyone on Lhe sLaLus and Lhe resulLs. So, you keep movlng Lhe
guesL posL Lo a laLer daLe afLer everyLhlng else ls done.
1hus, you end up wlLh Loo few guesL posLs a monLh and Loo slow resulLs. WhaL
you need ls a plan Lo keep you dlsclpllned.
# # Make lL a rule Lo wrlLe and submlL aL leasL one guesL posL a week.
# # Add wrlLlng a guesL posL Lo your weekly work schedule.
# # lan wrlLlng a guesL posL for Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe week (Monday or
1uesday).
nCW 1C nANDLL NC kLSCNSL AND kLILC1ICN
MosL popular blogs have busy schedules, so don'L be offended lf your posL
doesn'L go llve aL once. l know LhaL afLer you work hard on Lhe posL, you may
geL overly anxlous abouL Lhe feedback buL you may need Lo walL.
l usually walL for Lhe reply no more Lhan 1 week, Lhen l send a noLlce Lo Lhe
blog owner saylng LhaL lf l don'L geL a reply ln Lhe nexL couple of days, l wlll
need Lo publlsh Lhe posL elsewhere.


#'
LLAkN IkCM 1nL 8LS1! nUGL 8kANDS 1nA1 GL1 GULS1 8LCGGING
#1: IN1LL: CkLA1L AND SUCk1 A 8LCGGING CLLL8kI1
lnLel has deflnlLely made a good cholce. LkaLerlna WalLer ls a well-known guesL
blogger conLrlbuLlng Lo Mashable, 1he nexL Web, lasL Company, Soclal Medla
Lxamlner and many more. She acLlvely collaboraLes wlLh readers by replylng Lo
commenLs and parLlclpaLlng ln dlscusslons.

So what |s Inte| do|ng r|ght?
1he company |ets Lkater|na bu||d her own persona| brand. She always llnks Lo
her personal blog whlle maklng lL obvlous LhaL she loves worklng aL lnLel.
LkaLerlna has become a and lnLel handles LhaL perfecLly. lL brlngs Lhe company
credlblllLy, whlch ls an lnvaluable advanLage.


#(
#2: LVLkNC1L: SnAkL CUk CWN SUCCLSS CASL S1UD
LvernoLe ls one of Lhe besL Lo |||ustrate the d|fference between se|f-promot|on
and shar|ng authent|c case stud|es.
LvernoLe's CLC hll Llbln ls a guesL conLrlbuLor aL 1echCrunch, sharlng Lhe
behlnd-Lhe-curLaln and flrsL-hand experlence of promoLlng an lhone
appllcaLlon. 1hls posL was an eye-opener for many people, as lL shared some
preLLy awesome sLaLs.

So what d|d Lvernote do r|ght?
8elng really open and sharlng your acLual sLaLs and LacLlcs ln a guesL posL on a
popular blog may make you vulnerable Lo compeLlLors who mlghL Lry Lo copy
your sLraLegy.
8uL the |oya| commun|ty of soc|a| med|a advocates and exposure the guest
post br|ngs |s we|| worth the r|sk.


#)
#3: SALLSICkCL: GL1 1nL WnCLL 1LAM INVCLVLD
Salesforce ls one of Lhose huge brands LhaL Lakes guesL blogglng really serlously.
lor example, Lhelr CLC Marc 8enloff guesL posLs aL 1echCrunch on Lhe fuLure of
cloud compuLlng, Lhelr coders guesL posL aL Lhe offlclal Coogle Code blog,
sharlng how Lo bulld a Coogle LarLh app for Salesforce.com loundaLlon
granLees and how Lo vlsuallze your cloud's daLa, and Lhelr Mvs guesL posL on
flle managemenL.

So what |s Sa|esforce do|ng r|ght?
lncorporaLlng your whole Leam ln guesL blogglng means creaLlng mulLlple volces
around your buslness. CuesL blogglng should be a Leam efforL. Sa|esforce g|ves
|ts emp|oyees the freedom to ta|k about what they are good at and whaL Lhey
en[oy. 1he resulL: plenLy of flrsL-hand LuLorlals on uslng Salesforce and a loL of
well-esLabllshed conLacLs wlLh bloggers.


$+

CCNCLUSICN
CuesL blogglng ls one of Lhe besL meLhods of lncreaslng vlslblllLy on a web LhaL
ls saLuraLed wlLh blogs, boLh good and bad. 8aLher Lhan lnvesLlng energy ln Lhe
shady world of arLlcle dlrecLorles and ezlnes LhaL are flooded wlLh quesLlonable
conLenL every day, Lake some Llme Lo develop worLhwhlle posLs for growlng
webslLes.
1hls gulde has glven you Lhe lnformaLlon, and now all you need ls some
lngenulLy and your naLural wrlLlng ablllLles. CeL sLarLed, and sLarL reaplng Lhe
beneflLs!

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