Guest Blogging: The Importance of Being Versatile
Guest posting is an essential aspect of becoming a reputed member of the blogosphere. The advantages of guest blogging include increasing traffic to both the blog owner’s and guest blogger’s website (if a backlink is credited to the guest author) as well as helping to build a rapport with other bloggers within the same niche.
When guest posting for other blog owners you have to be prepared to adapt your writing style and tone, so the ability to be flexible is a must. In order for the blog owner to accept your submission there are a few aspects of guest posting to bear in mind to enhance your chances of getting published.
Audience Analysis
Analysing certain elements of the blog’s primary audience is necessary to have a high chance of getting your writing published. Understanding the audience may seem an elementary aspect of blogging, yet many writers fail to do this when guest blogging.
Things to consider regarding the audience of the blog you’re guest posting for are:
Audience Nationality – Understanding where the majority of the audience are based can help you to tailor your language accordingly. US English and UK English have different spelling variations, understanding this and adapting your language appropriately will save the webmaster some editing time, therefore making you favourable as a regular contributor.
Main Topic Interests – Many sites have a broad subject horizon, but some posts on the site will probably have been received better than others. To find the most popular subject area view previous posts and note the volume of comments and shares. Use this as a base for your topic idea, add a twist on the topic and even get controversial to spark discussion and shares.
Readers’ Level of Knowledge – You can refer to previous posts on the site to determine what the general level of knowledge the fan base has on your chosen topic. Are they beginners looking for how-to tutorials or are they seasoned experts who enjoy heated debates surrounding the site’s general focus? It’s important not to undermine your reader’s knowledge as this will come across as patronising, but overwhelming them can lead to confusion and disinterest.
Audience analysis is so important when guest blogging, the primary intention of a blog is to gain, sustain and increase readership so your guest blog post will have to appeal to the right people. If you’re ever unsure of the audience of a website, ask the blog owner – they will probably appreciate the fact that you want to entertain their readers and provide relevant information.
Website Analysis
Much the same way that the audience needs analysing, so does the theme of the blog. Blogs generally have a typical house style that must be adhered to when writing. Follow this checklist when guest posting to ensure you’re keeping with the style of the blog:
Level of Formality – This is one of the main reasons why guest posts are rejected by webmasters. Researching the level of formality is essential before you even put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). Is the blog attached to a corporate site? If so it’s more than likely you’ll have to maintain a rather impersonal, formal tone which is more factual or instructional as opposed to opinionated. If it’s a personal blog then there’s likely to be more room for movement in terms of adding personal opinion and in some instances; profanity.
Topic Research – If you have a topic idea that isn’t entirely unique and has been worn out in the blogging niche then it may be worth reconsidering your subject or adding an original twist. Blog owners aren’t interested in publishing generic, worn out topics. Popular guest blog locations will want unique ideas which will get their readers thinking, debating and sharing.
There are other elements of blogs worth inspecting before crafting a piece too. Typical post length is important, are the posts short and sweet or do they generally publish in-depth articles which include thorough explanations and how-to’s?
Guest blogging can be an excellent way to get involved with the online community within your niche. Researching your guest location before writing the piece can really boost the number of guest posts you get published. No one wants to waste hours crafting an immense piece of writing, only to find that it’s just not suitable for the website. If you’re ever unsure of the type of content a website will accept then ask! It shows you’re interested and care about their readership, earning you respect and trust as a writer whilst ensuring you’re writing something appropriate.
