Becoming friends with popular bloggers is an important goal for all those just starting or wanting to get their blogs into the spotlight. After starting to comment on the blogs you love, you’ve realized guest posting on those very same blogs would help tighten the relationship and also bring you increased exposure and new waves of visitors. So you’ve added a new task on your blogging calendar.

Now that you’ve made up your mind about guest-posting, you’ve come up with a list of popular blogs in your niche and in related fields where it would be great for you to be featured as contributor. And an important question arises: how to convince the blog owner you’d add value to his or her blog through your guest entry?

First, get acquainted with the topics and general style of the blog. Yes, you read the blog almost daily. But have you really asked yourself why exactly you like what you read, how the topics are chosen and how they are related with past entries? Have you thoroughly analyzed the views and style, or have you just enjoyed the reading without realizing what exactly was causing your state of mind? Being thorough will do wonders and lead you to pitching a great post idea.

Second, get to know more about the blog owner’s views and requirements on guest posting. Are there other guest posts on the blog in question? Has he or she ever guest posted on other blogs? Is there a page with guest posting guidelines, an open invitation to submit fresh content or an editorial calendar or a monthly theme of sorts? Once you find the answers to these questions, you should start thinking of topics to cover.

Don’t start writing at once! Instead, think of a short list of possible entries, draft a headline and a paragraph explaining the main idea and the chosen form and then contact the blogger. I know some advise you to just submit your work and let them choose. But what seems like acting against their wishes is actually a time saver: if they don’t like the ideas, you don’t waste time writing it and they don’t waste time reading too much. Plus, if the story sounds interesting but it’s not exactly what they need, they might in turn suggest something better.

When contacting them, remember the old story: make it about them and the potential benefits for their blog, not about you! I know you’ve read this everywhere, but as there are still so many forgetting this important detail, it’s better to point it out.

Bonus Tips

These guidelines should help you close quite a few guest posting deals on top notch blogs out there, but if it’s not enough, here are some bonus one liner tips:

• Blend your personal style with the style of the blog you’re guest posting on;
• When you thing you’re done, proofread and edit again;
• Consider carefully all positive and negative feedback from the blog owner;
• Stick to your deadline unless something really big happens;
• Post-publishing: remember to thank the blogger for welcoming you on the blog;
• Post-publishing: help with post promotion and reply to all comments;
• Post-publishing: get a “portfolio” of guest posts together for your next pitch.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive

Since Alex has been kind enough to allow me to contribute a guest post on his blog, I thought it would be appropriate to write about, well, guest blogging. I believe guest blogging should be a top priority for anyone who is serious about building their online presence. After all, what better opportunity is there to expose your name to a new audience that to post on someone else’s blog?

Finding the Right Blog

I know people like to say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but you want to make sure your guest blog contributes to your overall goal of brand building. For this reason, you should conduct careful research to find a blog suited for your needs. If you’re an offshore welder, you probably wouldn’t get much benefit from posting on a blog about flowers. But that’s common sense, right? So, the first step is to find a blog you can contribute your expertise to.

After discovering a few blogs in your niche, you want to find one that has a following. If you’re going to take the time to create a well crafted guest post, you want to make sure at least a few people are reading it. And with so many fly by night blogs out there, it’s hard to find one with a loyal audience. The best way to determine if a blog has a good following is by checking out the comments. If all of the posts consistently generate a few comments, you’ve probably found a good blog to post on.

Getting to Know the Blogger

Before you jump right in and ask the blogger if you can contribute a guest post, you should settle down and get to know the blog. Study the old posts, and subscribe to the RSS feed. This will help you get a feel for the general theme and tone of the blog.

Furthermore, you should become a regular in the comments section. And, no, saying “good post” after every entry doesn’t count as being a regular. As readers of Blogsessive discovered in a recent post, you need to make your comments stand out. Doing this will get the attention of the author, and you can create a relationship this way. It also helps you get a more intimate feel for the blog’s audience, which will help you craft your post should you become a guest blogger.

Ask the Author

If you wait around long enough and you write enough comments, the blogger might eventually ask you to contribute a guest post. Then again, he might not.

That’s why the best way to land a role as a guest blogger is to come right out and ask for it. As an example, I’ve been a loyal reader here on Blogsessive for a few months now, and I shot an e-mail to Alex asking if he needed someone to contribute a guest post. As luck would have it, he was going to be out of town for a few days, and he needed someone to step in. Now, here I am.

All you have to do is ask. The worst they can say is “no”.

Making the Most of Your Opportunity

Now that you’ve landed a spot as a guest blogger, the real work comes in. You have one chance to impress this new audience with your knowledge, ability, and personality. It really is a lot to tackle. This is why many guest bloggers fall flat on their faces.

Don’t over think your guest post. If you try too hard to be smart and witty, the audience will spot you for the phony you are. Instead, just be yourself. Write a post that shows your knowledge and that fits in with the general theme of the blog.

Another mistake guest authors often make is to give a sales pitch. In their mind, this is their big chance to get on stage in front of a new audience, and they have to make the most of it. Unfortunately, there is no quicker way to lose a reader than to try to pawn your product off on them.

Instead of viewing your guest post as a chance to sell something, think of it as a chance to build your name and reputation. In my opinion, the biggest benefit of guest blogging is you get to extend your network and gain some authority in the process. Authority and respect are things money can’t buy. And, yes, that inbound link you earn from guest blogging is nice too.

About the author

Eric Brantner is a business copywriter that has served clients from virtually every major industry with freelance copywriting services. Make sure to check out his website at EricBrantner.com and his contributions on the SeoNoobs.com blog.

Free PDF eBook: Corporate Blogging Guide by Blogsessive