There are many people running small personal blogs that are rich with valuable content, entertaining to readers, and simply great places to visit. The problem is that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these writers will never make a living from blogging because they are blogging to an audience of one – themselves.
In my work with an online professional branding firm, I have read hundreds of personal blogs, and I am always shocked when I scroll through 5, 10, or even 30 posts on a blog, all listing the same author. I understand that the owner of the blog has unique opinions and wants to establish a brand for him- or herself with consistent output, but many of these blogs are missing out on readers because they don’t allow guest contributions.
Here are my top 4 reasons why you should invite people to guest blog on your site:
1. Take a Day Off!
No matter how much you enjoy writing or how quickly you can knock out those 500-word posts, there is something to be said for taking a day or two off to allow your mind to rest. By allowing others to contribute to your site, you are maintaining a consistent flow of content without having to write an article 365 days a year. (Remember: you have to experience the world in order to write about it.)
2. Bring a New POV to Your Readers
Your readers frequent your site because they like your writing. They thrive on your perspective, and they come back wanting more original insight. That’s not to say that they won’t appreciate an article from a different point of view – in fact, they want to learn more about ideas that differ from their own.
No one person can be an expert at all things, so invite a guest contributor who has a differently focused niche, and ask him for his opinion on an original topic, or on something that you’ve written. This will create more conversation around the articles, and it will offer additional value to your readers. People love reading civilized intellectual debates.
3. Reach New People
Even the humblest of guest contributors will share his article with his close family and friends, and the proud ones will shout it from the rooftop (Twitter) to their 30,000 followers. Invite guest contributors who have a different circle of influence than yours, and you will automatically reach a different audience than you previously had access to. Think strategically when asking people to contribute: who has an audience you would love to reach? See if they want to write a valuable piece for your site.
4. Ask for the Favor to be Returned
Once you have published a guest contributor’s article on your site and it’s gotten amazing responses from your readers, it’s fairly typical to ask if he’d be interested in having you write an article for his site. The worst that happens is he says no, but if he wants you to write a guest post for his site, it’s once again opening you up to new readers, giving you credibility by having his site endorse you, and benefits your SEO campaign if you link back to your site within the article.
These are just four of many reasons why allowing guest contributors is valuable. Always make sure you’re asking people who can add real value to contribute, not those who just want to write a crappy 250-word post and pack it full of links. Make sure to thank your guest contributor and promote the article to your network. Add value before you ask for anything, and you will see great results for your blog.
Image Credit: j money
10 comments