Why Guest Posting Is Just An Illusion
22 Jan
Image by Stevendepolo
If you’re following my twitter account, you’ve probably noticed I’m on a slight guest posting spree at the moment. I had one up recently on Remarkablogger. I just submitted one to The Launch Coach. I’ll now be working on ones for Ittybiz, How To Make My Blog and David Risley.
I always say that you should guest post to accelerate the learning process. I’ve been surprised at the amount of feedback I’ve gotten lately. People have thought that I was more successful then I am and that I was amongst the rank of the blogs I’ve posted on.
In this post, I’m aiming to shatter a lot of the myths surrounding guest posts and give tips on how you can rock your guest post campaign.
Myth 1: Your main incentive to guest post should be traffic
Whenever people learn that I’ve guest posted on Problogger, they always ask about the stats. ‘How many thousands of visits do you get?’ Sometimes you do get a bucketloads of traffic from a post and some people are able to achieve that consistency. That’s awesome. It’s always replicable.
Now, my main priority has always been learning but guest posting does have other benefits. They include:
Building credibility:
Guest posts are awesome for changing how people perceive you. They get a bit of a shock when they realize how down to earth I am and, oddly, that accessibility leads to more product sales.
To learn:
I’ve paid thousands for various courses and, most guest posts are a form of free training. If you screw up, people will tell you. It’s then up to you to figure out how to improve with your next post.
If you've had other benefits from guest posting then share them in the comments.
Myth 2: You can’t make money from a guest post
My feature on Remarkablogger earned me $90 from sales of an ebook – an ebook I created because Dave Navarro challenged me to.
I’ve earned about $2000 on the back of three other guest posts. My posts have also led to me getting a job, going to conferences for free and JV’ing with other bloggers.
Ali Hale and Robb Sutton have sold products by mentioning them in high profile guest posts. Making money is achievable.
This was a shock for me. My original plan was to guest post with the intention of getting paid freelance work. Now, I’ll be using strategic posts to promote my paid products and services.
Myth 3: You have to chase the guest posts
I get asked a lot of questions about guest posting. Many of them center on people being too scared to ask. My previous method was to wait until I became friends with someone and DM them with an offer. Most times it was accepted.
I now wait for someone to ask me for the post. I then ascertain exactly what they want, right down to specific case studies to write about. This takes less effort and also ensures that the post really resonates with the audience. It gives you more time to write killer guest post and they’ll have a bigger impact.
Myth 4: You have to perfect your home base.
Jordan Cooper brought up an interesting point in the comment section of the Remarkablogger post.
“It seems counter-intuitive, but I believe you gain more traction by having your guest posts be the "cream" of your content as opposed to it on your own blog. You're essentially "auditioning" in front of a new audience, so why not try to impress them as much as possible?”
I countered, saying that there is little use auditioning if your home base isn’t up to scratch. He then brought up an interesting concept.
That's the key thing to determine - what's your actual purpose?
Everyone's motive may be completely different when guest posting. Maybe you're not looking to drive traffic to your blog at all... in that case, it could be a great tool to position yourself to be solicited for *other* people's projects. Making a name for yourself can be accomplished in many different ways, not just through your own blog.
This made me realize that it was fine if my blog still needed some work. My purpose for guest posting wasn't to draw attention to my site. If I had waited until my home base was perfect then I would have lost many opportunities.
Over to you
I'm sure many of you have your own experiences with guest posting. I'd love to hear about them in the comments.
Note: Most of this post was written while babysitting my nephew on my knee. Its not up to my usual standard, but I really wanted pump out some content on my own blog.
If you want the kick arse information that I don’t provide elsewhere, sign up for my Blog Networking Tip newsletter. You’ll get the secrets I don’t share on the blog plus exclusive resources and recommendations. It's kinda awesome.
In my eyes, Jade Craven - you are the Guest Post Queen. Well done on this post and I look forward to you guesting for me!
Cheers, Iggy
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Jade:
Re: Myth #3 -- Wouldn't you say, however, that first you have to chase guest posts for a time before you can establish enough of a reputation to then wait for them to come to you?
Glad to have the information because I'm one of those "too scared to ask" people
Why would a "real" blogger want a guest post from Nobody Me, much less come looking for me to get one?
Thanks!
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Ah! I have a post in my drafts about #4. I see a lot of people that save their A material for their own blog, and bring their B material for guest posts.
I like your comparison of guest posts to an audition. Pretty right on. But I wouldn't say that your homebase shouldn't be solid too. I actually got my current full time job when the CEO found a guest post that I wrote, loved it, and followed it to my blog where they could read more. So in my experience, you should bring your A+ game to guest posts, and still make sure your blog isn't slacking as a result. Easy right? =P
I like your style Jade...looking forward to reading more.
David
Community Manager, Scribnia.com
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You're absolutely right, Jade. Everything really boils down to that one question: "What’s your actual purpose?"
All the "experts" will tell you time and time again that guest posting is crucial - which I would agree with... but going around posting willy nilly, anywhere, any blog, etc, it won't have nearly the same effect as if you really focused on the *exact* thing you want to accomplish by doing so.
99% would say "traffic" (which is why, Jade, you've obviously taken a different approach) but really, really think hard... traffic is great, sure... but what are you going to DO WITH IT when you get it? How are you going to position yourself toward a specific goal by having more eyeballs (and potentially influential ones) looking at your content?
We can all sing kumbaya and guest post for the sheer love & joy of it & connecting with people, but having a more strategic outlook at things may be the best way for you to leverage it into actual tangible success.
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Another thing to add to your first point, not only will you build credibility from your peers and learn from the feedback you receive, you'll also build a couple of relevant links that Google'll love. Not the main incentive, but a great 'bonus' nonetheless.
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I must say the title of the post is very misleading.. but in a good sense.
I came over just to see what the hell one could have against Gues Articles and then there it was ... a bunch of tips I needed to follow.
Being a new blogger in the field of design, I have just been overflowing with guest post offers and have been somewhat lazy about them. You probably have got my head set to write them. Atleast I hope so.
Thanks
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Hi Jade,
I enjoy guest posts because it gave me an opportunity to write more opinion posts about blogging. Since my first blog was about study skills I never really had that opportunity.
I have enjoyed seeing your posts pop up on a variety of blogs and I love the way you interact with those bloggers on twitter. You are definately someone to watch!
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I am starting to fall in love with guests posts as a way to provide other people with a platform in addition to their own to get their opinions and viewpoints out. Started a Friday morning guest posting over at stopdoingnothing.com and I will see how it works out. So far I am getting some great input.
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Ainslie -
Thanks! I'm not even aware of how I interact with people on twitter as most of the conversations happen via email or DM. I did like how @notaproblog actually retweeted my content though when I jokingly said he had to retweet it for life.
Tuhin -
I understand if you think the title is misleading. I came up with it in an email where someone actually commented that guest posts do conjure up some kind of illusion. The post took a different path than I was originally intending, but I'm glad you liked it.
I can be lazy about guest posts. I've set up google calenders which helps but I also ask my friends to gently nag me.
Heidi,
Very, very good point. However I had guest post offers before I had a blog. Seriously. Darren Rowse asked me to do one after becoming mates with him on twitter.
I used twitter to create a reputation of being helpful and reliable. When I originally launched, I did a guest post on Problogger and mentioned that I was seeking guest post opportunities. This led to a couple, which I was able to leverage for further opportunities.
I could expand on this topic further if you wanted. Probably in a guest post somewhere
Patrick -
I love getting the input from guest posts. Its one of the reasons I do it so much. I hope you share your experiences online.
Carly,
Thats a good point. I left it out because I've written about it elsewhere but its always useful to remember. Thanks for commenting!
David -
Lol, its not easy being a prolific guest poster while maintaining a standard at your own blog! A good mate DM'ed me this morning pointing out typos in this. I find it very difficult to maintain my writing voice, figuring out what content should be shared and so forth. Your story seems fascinating though - have you written about it online somewhere?
Jordan -
Dude I just woke up and I have to respond to all of that?
I've always been strategic with my guest posts. I've focused on a number of key communities and, even though my intention isn't necessarily traffic, I'm still building my profile while achieving other goals. It works for me but may not work for others.
Iggy -
Thanks mate for your lovely comments as always.
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I'm pretty sure the universe is challenging me to get off my butt with some more guest posts ... everywhere I look lately the issue is being discussed! And from what I've experienced so far, it's a far easier journey than what it initially would appear to be ...
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Agree with Iggy - you are the guest post QUEEN! It's awesome you've had such great success with guest blogging. I'm surprised there is content on this blog at all!
Ripper post, all those myths are perfect. Keep up the good work Jade - power on!
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Hi Jade,
I'm surprised that your surprised on people thinking your a success. In a word your work is great! I RSS'ed as soon as I read your first post.
Driving traffic to your site no matter where it comes from, either from your own site or doing guest posting, over the long run spreads your message virally. I think it really comes down to numbers. Those numbers being how many come to your site and how many years you have been at the game.
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I love the practicality of your posts. I am working on getting out there more this year, and it is invaluable having these sorts of posts to help guide my way.
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Thanks for the tips. I've never guest-posted but it's something I'm looking into.
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So good to read a more honest take on the guest posting bandwagon. I have been ready for a while to start approaching other bloggers, but wanted to get my home base right first. That way lies a lot of waiting and procrastination
So thank you for inspiring me to get the word out, literally.
Also, I'm very grateful for your honesty. Shows you are stronger than you give yourself credit for
Looking forward to buying you a drink in Melbourne soon!
Nat
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Advance warning: I don't drink alcohol or coffee, but would LOVE to catch up when in Melbourne.
Yeah, I try to be honest online. A lot of people come up to me and pay me these huge compliments and it doesn't sit right with me, so I'm driven to write posts to logically explain what goes on behind the scenes.
Can't wait to see some of your guest posts. Its tough to start out with, or it can be. Its all about how you approach it and deal with everything that happens. Its such fun though.
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Thanks for sharing this
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Hi Jade!
I am glad you are guest posting otherwise I might not have got the chance to find out about your blog.
From the moment you sent me a personal email to help me out, I knew you were something!
I really, really appreciate that. I will pump you up as much as I can on theBlogQuest.com.
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