Guest posting allows you to tap into an existing audience and funnel targeted traffic back to your site. But maximizing the strategy‘s benefits requires finesse.
From building relationships to crafting compelling content, myriad small details determine success.
I recently put guest posting to the test, attempting to publish 50 contributions in just 90 days. Here’s what 43 accepted posts and 5 big lessons later taught me about guest blogging done right.
By the Numbers: My 90 Day Guest Posting Experiment
I gave myself 3 months to contribute as many guest articles as possible across blogs in my niche. These were my results:
- Pitches Sent: 153
- Posts Published: 43
- Combined Article Views: 26,372
- Top Post Views: 6,416
- Total Social Shares: 12,821
The numbers only tell part of the story though. This intensive campaign also gave me hard-won insight into guest posting strategy.
In this guide, I’ll break down crucial lessons for:
- Building relationships with hosts
- Choosing blogs strategically
- Creating compelling content
- Promoting for maximum impact
- Turning posts into partnerships
Let’s dive into my five critical discoveries for guest post prosperity.
Lesson 1: Network First, Pitch Second
Cold email pitches touting “the perfect post for your audience” rarely captivate. So put pitch emails on hold when targeting a new site.
Strategy #1: Comment and Share First
Start by actively engaging on the blog and social media through:
- Commenting on relevant articles with insights and observations
- Sharing blog content you find helpful
This shows you “get” the blog’s niche, topics, and audience. And it earns visibility as a thought leader they’ll recognize.
For example, I shared and commented on posts by Entrepreneur on Fire over 6+ months. So when I finally pitched founder John Lee Dumas, I was already a familiar, supportive community member.
Strategy #2: Use LinkedIn to Network
LinkedIn provides another avenue to introduce yourself. Identify and connect with blog editors and contributors already part of your extended network.
A warm outreach referencing a shared connection piques interest and builds credibility.
After connecting withoughed Matthew Barby, Global Head of Growth at HubSpot, I leveraged our newfound “relationship” to successfully pitch myself to the main HubSpot blog.
The Takeaway: Blogging is a community. Put in the work upfront to build real relationships before asking for anything in return.
Lesson 2: Define Your Target Blog List Strategically
With boundless blogs to consider as targets, zeroing in on the “right” ones to pitch is critical. Assess blogs across 3 key criteria:
Criterion 1: Audience Demographic
Blogs naturally attract a specific readership demographic. Seek out sites whose audience closely matches your target customer or client profile. This filters prospects to only those likely interested in your services, products, or brand.
My content and tools target small business owners and entrepreneurs. So I pitched blogs like Entrepreneur on Fire whose fans fit that bucket versus, say, The Penny Hoarder, read more by debt-burdened consumers.
Criterion 2: Topic Relevance
Consider the regular content focus and categories of potential host sites. Your pitch should tightly align with subjects and themes they already cover.
For example, I created social media and networking related posts for Social Media Today since these match their bread-and-butter issues.
Criterion 3: Domain Authority
Domain authority scores estimate the power and ranking potency of a website based on its traffic levels, social reach, backlink profile strength, and trust signals like site security and speed.
Higher is better, indicating a site holds more influence in search engine results and its broader industry. Pitch blogs with robust domain authority for maximum SEO impact from your author bio link and guest post attribution.
The Takeaway: Guest posting only drives significant value if targeted toward blogs whose audience, interests, and authority directly coincide with your goals. Otherwise, that referral traffic and SEO boost won’t benefit you much. Do your homework.
Lesson 3: Hook Readers with Remarkable Content
Compelling ideas attract interest; remarkable execution transfixes readers.
Your guest post content can’t just be good, or even great – it must intrigue, surprise, stand distinct from comparable posts.
Strategy #1: Challenge Conventional Wisdom
Flip accepted maxims on their heads with contrarian, debate-style concepts:
- Forget Likes and Followers – Why Metrics Mislead Social Media Strategy
- The New SEO Truth – Why Links No Longer Matter
Presenting an informed, data-backed counterpoint grabs reader curiosity while proving your market authority.
Strategy #2: Tap Emotional Triggers
While logical arguments have their place, emotional resonance often amplifies content further.
Share a personal story illustrating struggle and eventual triumph:
- My Journey From Rock Bottom to 6-Figure Blogger
Or highlight an inspirational interview subject:
- How an Immigrant House Cleaner Created a Million Dollar Enterprise
These compelling narratives link to audiences on a more profound level.
The Takeaway: Remarkable angles entice readership, social shares, and backlinks otherwise unlikely for straight-forward posts. Spend significant time brainstorming how to make your piece uniquely valuable.
Lesson 4: Promote Like Crazy
You crafted a stellar contribution. But DON’T stop there. Actively promote your post over an extended window to multiply eyeballs.
Strategy #1: Enlist Your Audience’s Help
Share across your owned channels, then directly ask current readers and email subscribers to pass your content along their networks for extra amplification.
Offering subscribers customized pitch emails with pre-written social copy and stats ready for sharing does the heavy lifting for them.
I estimate this follower promotion drove 37% of total external referral traffic to my guest posts.
Strategy #2: Recruit Influencers
Identify brands, industry professionals, or niche social media influencers well-aligned to your post topic. Send a personalized email asking them to share the content if they find it helpful.
Most will happily oblige, especially if they receive a polite @ mention or backlink in return.
For example, after interviews with several digital nomads for my remote work post on the Virgin blog, I circled back inviting them to spread the article. Multiple did, expanding its reach.
The Takeaway: Persistent promotion sustains your content’s shelf life. Treat publication as the halfway point, not the finish line.
Lesson 5: Guest Posts Kickstart Collaborations
The benefits of a strong guest post reverberate beyond a one-time traffic bump. I forged several ongoing partnerships directly thanks to content contributions.
Strategy #1: Build Professional Relationships
Editors and site owners pay close attention to contributor performance. When you impress them, odds of repeat invitations or more significant collaborations like serving as a paid freelance writer skyrocket.
For example, after posts on Business2Community and SocialMediaToday, the editors cold emailed offering paid writing contracts given my high-quality contributions.
Strategy #2: Make New Friends
Guest posting expands your professional network. Leverage new relationships into joint ventures like podcasts, products, or events targeting a shared audience base.
While interviewing travel bloggers for one article, I ended up co-founding a monetized nomad content platform with a new connection.
The Takeaway: Consistent contribution builds social capital and trust that cement partnerships far beyond a one-off post.
Now It‘s Your Turn
Hopefully my intensive guest posting experiment-turned-ultimate guide gave you ample tips and motivation to rev up your own strategy.
As I learned firsthand, when executed correctly across relationship-building, targeting, execution, promotion and partnerships, guest blogging delivers incredible marketing and business payoff.
I want to hear about your own plans and guest posting questions in the comments below! And don’t forget to share this post if you found it helpful for future referrals.
