How to Write a Perfect Guest Post

Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email
working on laptop

Table of Contents

Everyone, yourself inclusive, knows how important the role of content is in boosting marketing. You create good content already and have built up quite a following of followers who subscribe to your blog posts and share with an even wider audience.

While this feat is admirable, it does not take into consideration certain people who have never heard of you and will probably not if you don’t do something different. How do you intend to reach them where they are and engage them with the many resources your content offers? This gap and much more is what a guest post works to bridge.

What Is a Guest Post?

A guest post can be defined as any original content submitted to a targeted and trustworthy publication that your audience is sure to subscribe to. Everyone wins when a guest post is rightly done. You get to have new readers access your content while you increase your audience base. The publication on the other hand gets to offer new content, insights, ideas and resources to its readership.

This sounds pretty easy if you ignore the fact that no editor will publish any random content. This means that you will not make headway offering mediocre content to editors. You therefore have to pay attention to creating top-notch content that no editor will say no to.

But then, how feasible is this? How can you consistently create good content? Well, the first thing is to know what editors want. This inquisition led my team at Influence & Co. to survey editors of online publications in a learn what they look out for in acceptable guest posts. The results of our research analysis were compiled in “The State of Digital Media 2018.”

Based on this research, you need to consider the following points if you want to submit a perfect guest post that will appeal to editors.

5 Things to Consider Before You Submit a Guest Post

Have a Cogent Reason

Ask yourself why editors want a guest post from you. I earlier mentioned that everybody wins when a guest post is rightly done. For this to happen you need to know your job and do it well. It is not the place of the editor to make you look smart or increase your audience base, that’s for you to do.  An editor is however expected to build up publication and share new and interesting, expert ideas with the target audience.

The truth is, one major reason editors accept guest posts is because of the fresh perspectives it offers. Many editors stated a contributor’s unique perspective and expertise as the determining factor for accepting guest content. So, when you’re considering the kind of content to put out, think about this.  

Will your guest post help to achieve the goal of an editor’s publication?

 It is noteworthy to know that relevance is as important as originality. According to fifty-six percent of editors in our survey, irrelevant content is one problem that they find across-the-board for guest posts that they receive.

So, before you create content for a guest post, read through published posts on guest blogs to find out the editor’s preference so you can pattern yours accordingly. This is not to imply that you imitate the ideas you see on the site, but that you are knowledgeable enough to fit into the mold. The end goal is to submit content that’s unique and relevant.

2. Use a Suitable Content Format

There are different content formats for different audiences. Video content is a favorite on all social media platforms and podcasts are the new rave for audio audiences. Editors are aware of these trends and in response are becoming more creative with the formats in which the publish content. Based on the report, sixty-seven percent of editors plan to publish video content this year; fifty-two percent want to include infographics, while forty percent are open to podcasts.

So, decide on the best format to submit your guest post. Don’t be intimidated by the amazing audio and video content out there thinking you can’t do better. You however do not have to have a perfect voice to do a podcast or have the best videography skills before you can have your video content out there.

Written content is still one of the primary structures for guest post submissions because it is effective on all platforms and functional. However, don’t close your eyes to the possibilities in submitting a guest post in an atypical format.

3. Don’t Make That Guest Post Error

There’s this natural temptation to want to talk about yourself in your guest post but don’t give in to it as it’s the editor or target audience may not find it interesting.  

Seventy-nine percent of editors are of the opinion that excessive promotional content is the biggest problem they face in receiving guest post submissions. Most websites have ads of their own and can do without an additional advertisement.

Editors accept guest posts because they want to be able to offer new and refreshing content to their audience, so don’t make it about you.  

4. The Editor Is Not Your Servant

Yes, an editor’s obvious job is to edit content but no editor looks forward to receiving nonsense as content. This means that you should not expect than an editor will rewrite your submission to make it suitable for publication.

Instead of asking that your editor tidy up your mumbo jumbo content, have it professionally edited before submitting. You can have a staff editor or freelancer do this for you and the editor in charge of the publication time. If you want your post published on time, edit it before sending. Don’t be that guest writer that makes editors cringe.

5. Create A Great Email Pitch

There’s one more important step to take before sending your content to the editor and this step is creating a great email pitch.

You need to create a pitch that will appeal to the editor and get him to read your submission.

Editors are very busy. About seventy-six percent of editors publish between 1 and 10 guest posts weekly, and ninety-four percent intend to maintain or increase their current rate of guest content publishing. This is good news but it also means that you’ll have competition to contend with.  

Since editors don’t have time to peruse every single mail that comes in, you have to make yours stand out.

Your email pitch an editor should be a reflection of the great content that’s attached to it. It should be clearly written in a well-structured and engaging manner. Start with an informative subject line, followed by an amiable greeting, and then continue with a summary of what the content is about.  Let your mail show a considerable respect for the editor’s time. Any editor that sees the effort you put into creating an outstanding pitch is very likely to read the attached content.

Guest blogging provides an opportunity for you to expand your reach and increase your audience. You must however take the editor and the audience represented into consideration when creating your content. If rightly done, it will be a win-win situation for all parties and if otherwise, your post will not get published. So, create amazing content that the editor can work with and finish it off nicely with a pitch that works!

Tags: audience, guest post, market boosting, marketing
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email
Picture of Becky

Becky

group photo

About Otter PR

Rated the #1 PR Firm in the US by Clutch and International Business Times, Otter PR adds a modern spin to traditional PR. As the only Tier-1 PR firm the guarantees coverage every month, and offers month-to-month service, it no wonder that companies like Alibaba, Boomers, and Bitcoin of America trust Otter PR.

Related Posts

Do you want viral media exposure?

Otter PR will get you top-tier media coverage, guaranteed.

How Can We Help?

The amount of publicity they have generated for has been nothing short of impressive. It has dramatically increased new clients by 30% and I have seen my platforms grow 2-fold

Mike Mandell

@lawbymike

Interested in working with Otter PR?

Fill in the form below to book a 15 min no-obligation consulting session.

Download Master List of Sites That Accept Guest Posts

Enter your information to download a PDF containing 500+ links to sites that accept guest posts and contributor opportunities.

We Will Give You Free PR, Seriously.

Leave your name & email. We will send your free PR within 48 hours.

SPIN TO WIN!

  • Try your luck to win a free year of PR services (Value $48,000)
  • Every spinner is a winner!
  • Only 1 spin per person!
Try Your Luck
Never
Remind later
No thanks