You’ve spent hours working on the perfect guest post for a popular blog. You’ve sweated every detail and finally sent it off to the blogger.
And, after waiting anxiously for a response, you finally got word that your post has been approved!
After you do your little happy dance, it’s time to get back to work.
Getting your guest post published on another blog is a great way to expand your reach and engage new readers, but there are still a number of things you should do leverage this opportunity.
If you want to be a standout guest blogger who has an open invitation to write for other blogs, here are five tips to make the most of your guest post experience:
Create a special landing page to link to in your bio.
Most bloggers allow you to include a link back to your blog in a short bio at the end of your post. Instead of linking to your home page or blog, why not create a special place to welcome readers from the guest’s blog?
I learned this trick from Stanford Smith who created nifty landing pages for when he got published Copyblogger and Problogger. Not only is it a nice touch, it also gives you an opportunity to quickly share your story and provide an easy way for readers to connect with you and subscribe to your blog.
Also, don’t forget to make your hyperlinked text keyword optimized. For instance, for my guest post on Spin Sucks, I placed the link on “Nashville-based marketing and social media strategy firm” instead of on Blue Kite Marketing.
Actively participate in the comment section.
As Gini Dietrich correctly pointed out last week, engaging in the comment section is one of THE most important things you can do once your guest blog post is published.
Not only does it relieve pressure off of the host blogger, but it also shows you’re willing to be an active member of their community.
Besides, readers may have questions for YOU — not the blog owner. It would be bad form to ignore them.
Aggressively promote your post.
Although guest posting is good for you, it can also help the host blogger — especially if you bring your audience over to their place.
Show the blog owner that you’re worth having on their blog by sharing the post through your social networks.
Thank people for sharing.
I’m honored any time someone wants to share my content, so I want to make sure people know that — especially on a guest post.
If you want to stand out as a guest blogger, thank every person who shared your post on social networks. It’s a classy thing to do and they’ll be impressed that you took the time to engage with them. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it really pays off.
Write a killer post for YOUR blog that shows up on the same day.
Jeff Goins is the master of this. Every time he scores a guest post on a popular blog, he writes a complementary piece for his blog.
This does two things — let’s your audience know that you’ve got a guest post somewhere else that they should check out and it also gives new readers who came over from the other blog a familiar topic that will make them eager to subscribe and learn more.
What works for you?
Have you tried any of these? What has worked for you? I’d love to know what guest blogging best practices you’ve seen!
Image credit: AlaskaTeacher
