How to Rock a Guest Post

Writing a guest post can be such a great way to grow your own blog’s following {just one of the many perks of guest posting}. But there are some “rules” that you want to follow to really rock your guest post.

1. Know the audience and niche of the blogger for which you’re writing

To really rock a guest post, you want to be familiar with the primary audience of the blogger for which you’re writing. If it is high school homeschooling, then obviously the sensory bin you just did with your preschooler last week would probably not be the best fit. If you’ve been following the blog for a while you may already know the primary audience. If you’re unsure, read a few posts. Look at the giveaways offered.

Still unsure? Simply ask the blogger. You want your material to resonate with the audience.

You also want to know the bloggers’ niche. What is her main topic? What does she seem passionate about? It will be best if you think creatively and fit your post within that niche.

2. Be true to your niche

Now that you know the blogger’s audience and niche, you want to find a topic that also resonates with your audience and niche. Here’s why. Let’s say you write a killer post about parenting. I mean, you really rock it. The audience is going to naturally want to hear more of what you have to say about parenting. So they click on your link, ready to find all the nuggets of wisdom you have to offer. But what they find is that your blog has nothing to do with parenting. It’s not too likely that you’ll find many people wanting to follow along if you don’t have much more to offer them in that department.

Now, am I saying you can never venture out of your own niche? Absolutely not. But I have found that I gain more readers when I stick to this “rule”. {For example, in my last guest post, I gained over 50 new Facebook followers alone in a couple of hours.}

3. Provide specific links to your blog

When your audience and niche line up, links to your blog will come naturally in your writing. Most bloggers want you to do this {and you do, too}. These links help improve your SEO, which is a coveted thing in the world of blogging. Now, you most certainly don’t want to overdo this one, but if you have example posts that would better explain what you’re trying to say; by all means, do it!

4. Provide social media promotion images

Make it easy for your post to be shared on social media by including a vertical pinnable image to be pinned on Pinterest and a horizontal promotion image to be used on Facebook. These images should be engaging and include compelling text {the title of the post at minimum}. The goal of these images is to make someone want to click through to read your post.

5. Put a face with the name

Provide a short bio with a headshot for the bottom of your guest post. Include your favorite social media links right there. For the most part, readers are “lazy” {I’m right there along with them}. The less work you make them do, the more likely they are to find you.

6. Write up a teaser on your own blog

Write up a quick blurb on your blog with a “To Read More” link where your readers can click over to your guest post. BUT DON’T STOP THERE! It is also helpful to have a “New to My Blog?” section on your teaser post as well. List some of your resources that would appeal to the other blogger’s readers {popular posts, free printables, etc.}. When those readers come over, they can easily see that you have much to offer as well. Oh, and don’t forget to include your social media links again on that teaser post…for those “lazy” readers. 😉

By doing these things, your guest post should really ROCK!

What are some other tips you have for rocking a guest post?  

This pos was originally written in 2013 by Becky Spence for HomeschoolBlogging.com. It was updated, edited, and re-published in 2018 by Heather Bowen, HomeschoolBlogging.com owner.

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