North x East has a helpful post titled Why Guest Blogging is a Powerful Way to Gain Exposure for Your Blog which makes a good companion piece to some of my own posts from a few months back on Guest blogging:
- Why Guest Bloggers are Great for a Blog
- How to Find a Guest Blogger for Your Blog
- How to Get Guest Blogging Jobs
- How to Be a Good Guest Blogger
Have you been a guest blogger? How did you find the experience? Have you had guest bloggers on your blog? What were the benefits and costs?
My blog is still on the new end (under 6 months) so I haven’t had any guest bloggers. I think that it could be positive to have them at some point, especially if you’re experiencing burnout, or if you’re going on a trip (like you did).
Is it only helpful to be a guest blogger on a blog that is within your own niche?
I had one guest blogger, a young mother who wrote an excellent article on parenthood myths. This is her post: The Eight Myths And Truths of Parenthood. It didn’t cost me anything, as it was the prize of a contest I won. I was happy to host this article on my blog and I can tell you it brought new audience for it.
I’ve been a guest blogger once: this was a very consuming experience, as I tried to give my best and write something of value for that blog (if I only did that for my usual posts, my blog would be a better place).
I’m just about to foray into the world of Guestblogging when I go on my trip around Europe, purely because the reason that I am is that previously I stopped when I went to Portugal, and it’s taken me about a month to recover traffic wise from having three days of nothingness on my blog.
Bloggers and RSSers are a fickle bunch!.
In the past month or so, I have added 5 new writers to two of my blogs. It has really be a great thing to bring in new blood. These new people are sharing views that are fresh and inviting for the readers. Through both of these blogs, my profile has gotten pretty high (each of these two blogs is getting about 40,000 pageviews per day), and it’s gotten hard for me to keep up with being able to meet my reader’s needs by myself. Adding additional bloggers has been the best move I’ve made and I can see the stats for the blogs responding. New readers, more pageviews, etc.
My Long Beach CA real estate blog is almost 6 months old and has had a fair amount of success. A few months into it a fabulous financial adviser/lender/blogger offered to write a how to series, it was a great success. He is now a regular guest author on the blog and has become a very good friend. He has been very well received and we work quite well together.
Oh, did I mention that I am so impressed by his talents that he has become my lender of choice and a valuable team member? The clients adore him!
It has worked out so well that I am now looking around for other interesting, complimentary guest authors, preferably in my local area who can also become valued team members. It works, and it works great!
Over time I would like to add a stager/interior designer, title/escrow person, perhaps a contractor or inspector for an occasional appearance, an appraiser. Qualifications? Must be an interesting writer who can grab the readers attention while providing valuable information.
Yes, I want my blog to be a success.
In the past, I’ve guest blogged on yours truly (ProBlogger) alongside a few other blogs… Shoemoney, for example.
With so many outstanding commitments and so little time though, it’s increasingly hard to blog on my own blog, let alone on others. It is however a powerful way to build your brand, drive traffic to your blog and increase your own readership.
I’ve been using anchor links in a few posts I’ve done to try and rank better for Google search terms, too. Blog owner gets content, blog readers get a fresh outlook, guest blogger gets traffic, branding, linkbacks, etc.
David
Guest bloggers wanted! :)
I need guest bloggers for my blog and this post was very useful for me!!!
Thank you, Daren!
Regards,
William
PS: For guest bloggers – write to : [email protected] ;)
I’ve had guest bloggers on my site also. It’s really a win-win situation. I get some “post relief”, and the guest blogger gets some exposure.
FT
I’ve done quite a bit of guest blogging and it paid of handsomely.
I have had about 4-5 people guest post on my blog so far and I highly recommend it. My readers enjoy reading something a bit different now and then. It also gives me a brake from posting, which gives me more time for things like promotion.
I find it hard to get a Guest to blog on my portuguese blog about blogging.
I have asked 3 people to write me one or 2 posts in 4 days and truth be said, one accepted but didn’t write anything.
So complete failure my first try at guest blogging.
I have a call out on my blog for a guest blogger, simply asking if anyone was interested in writing about certain topics I wanted to cover. Within 4 hours of posting it, I had 2 bloggers offering to help.
I have not done any guest blogging as of yet, I will be looking into it though, thanks for the links!
Thank you Darran,
I am very new around, under 2 months in this blogosphere. It may sound strange to have this idea so early, but, one thing I’ve been pondering these few days is: would it be interesting to have a guest post day per week with posts written by my friends for – (1) to add some fresh air and provide a different perspective for my readers, (2) to add some spice to the blog during the weekend, (3) I’m experimenting with something slight different during the weekend anyway and get some unexpected results, and (4) many friends are experts in their particular field/always have something interesting to say – so why not platform them on my blog (for non-blogger friends this may ignite them to create their own & for bloggers friends, as you said, this may introduce to them some new readers…)?
And here comes your post on guest blogging – which covers the topic so extensively…
Excellent!
Interesting post. I’m currently trying to get someone who is a renowned expert in my little niche, an excellent writer, and who would lend a sense of legitimacy to do this on one of my blogs. He’s not familiar with blogging, although does (with his wife’s help) publish a regular, static website. So far, it’s been a matter of lack of time for him, but I’m still hoping he’ll participate. Even if he just emails me a post, which I can then put up. But I think it’s a matter of education for him, on how blogging software works.
I think if someone can have a guest blogger that’s well known in the field, it can’t do anything but help traffic-wise, and legitimacy-wise.
Definitely agree. Great outbound links, looked through most of them… Guest blogging is an absolute must. It refreshes the content and gives the viewers/readers something new.
My blog http://www.aboutclock.com/blog is new.. so i dont have any guest bloggers.
I’ve been a guest blogger, and I love the opportunity! I’ve found it’s great for exposure, traffic, and a backlink or two. Personally, I’d recommend it to anyone, especially if you can guest post on a larger blog with established traffic.
Darren,
I’ve been thinking about guest blogging for a little while now. We only launched our blog a few weeks ago and it would be a great way for us to get some publicity.
I certainly appreciate the tips on how to get started guest blogging. Perhaps someday I might even use them on you : )
Thanks for a good collection of articles,
– Mason
Well, I’m just all a-tingle with excitement, because my very first guest post (Tips for a Pretty Pest-Free Picnic) just this minute went up on GlamNest, the Lifestyle blog at Glam.com. I’ve written columns for a few magazine-style websites, but never a guest post on another blog — and it’s just amazing to start out with a hefty gig like this one!
In terms of writing the piece, I found it rather intimidating to write for someone else’s blog, so the post probably took about twice as long as usual to put together with all the because I was fussing and obsessing over it quite ridiculously.
But perhaps that “fear factor” will wear off with practice?
It will be extremely interesting to see the effect on my stats, especially in terms of enabling new readers to discover my blog — too bad there’s no accurate way to guage the effect of guest-posting on the credibility as a blogger in a particular niche… I have a suspicion that this might be one of the major benefits of guesting, albeit unmeasurable…
Loved the article by North x East and I remember reading your entries about guest blogging. Haven’t tried it yet, but I think I might try to weasel my way into a guest spot soon.
I must agree with Simmone. Guest blogging brings out the best in me. The two requests I have gotten from Derek Burress and Rosa Say have been some of the best experiences. It is an honor to be thought of in that way – especially as a fairly new persona in the blogging arena.
Well talk about coincidences. You writing about Guest Blogging on the very day of my first Guest Post :-)
Weeks ago Liz Strauss asked me to write one, which not only is a real honor, but also came very unexpected as I had only written a few articles back then.
You will find it by clicking my name above and I would love to hear what you think. Liz won’t mind either I’m sure.
Guest posting is definitely something I will look to do more often. Inviting Guest Bloggers is also on my to do list, but I think it may still be soon early for that although it probably also would depend on who would ask or accept :-)
I just guest blogged on Shoemoney. Skills to Right Some Ills.
Despite the tone of the post (the first line), I was surprised he used it. It occured to me after I submitted it that he could take it the wrong way and get offended or annoyed with me and just tear me a new one with ridicule.
As for his benefits, I probably didn’t do him much good. I should have researched some real workable skills, reworded the comment suggestions to be more interesting and responsive (maybe asking for examples of how his readers have pi**ed off gurus), and just generally try harder to get him some links.
As for my benefits, my blog is pretty bad, so obviously my traffic skyrocketed. I just wish I would make it benefit me. I can’t stand all of this internet technical SEO social network scr.ump.tio.us digg template adsense adwords affiliate jargon, so blogging probably won’t be where I “make it”.
It still can’t hurt to check out what you pros are doing though. Thank you again for sharing all of your knowledge for free Darren. I thought I read somewhere it’s occured to you to just write many ebooks and cash in BIG TIME.
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Guest blogging is good concept, One can not be expert in all topics, thus guest blogger can contribute more than your expectation.
I think that guest blogging is a good thing and can give you a lot of exposure and really want to do it but I don’t even have time to write posts for my own blog. I am a full time student, brother and son so I have a lot more to do.
I sure will get time out for it and start guest blogging because I think that is really important.
Mohammad Afaq
http://afaqtrafficblog.blogspot.com