By Eden Fried
If you’re a blogger, you wear more than one hat.
Maybe you’re an idea generator, CEO, webmaster, copy editor, marketer, even customer service representative – maybe you wear only a small combination of those hats, or maybe you wear them all.
Whatever your case may be, finding time to do all your daily tasks can be a challenge as a blogger and can often lead to burnout. That’s why reducing the headache of a highly balanced task like content creation can be the joy many bloggers are looking for.
So, what’s the secret? How can you reduce your content generation headaches?
There are no magic pills or parts; Actually it is rather simple.
If you’re looking for an easy way to ramp up your content creation without spending more time, energy, or money doing it, simply host guest bloggers on your site.
It goes without saying that you should try to outsource all of your content generation to guest bloggers. Your voice and original content matter; It is important and should not be ignored. But supplementing your content with a few guest post contributions can be helpful and incredibly beneficial. In fact, hosting guest bloggers can give you a leg up when it comes to running your blog-business.
Here’s why.
Free content
Some bloggers write their own content while others outsource to reputable freelance writers. Whether you’re spending money or doing it yourself at this point, one thing’s for sure… guest posts are free no matter how you spend them. Even if the post needs some loving care from your editorial team, you’ve spent zero dollars worth of time or energy editing the original content — it’s a huge Plus for busy bloggers who can’t get everything done all day.
Greater social reach
Typically, when someone contributes a post to your site, they’ll want to advertise it to their audience by sharing the link through all of their social media networks. What do you mean by this? Means free marketing. When your guest contributor shares a link to your website with their network, they’re exposing you to a whole new audience that might not have found you otherwise. Countless new people will visit your blog because you allow free content to be published on your site
Less writing time
How long does it usually take to create, edit, image and publish a blog post? Even if you pride yourself on being exceptionally fast at curating stellar content, wouldn’t you be interested in spending some time thinking about it? to do Would you happily volunteer to take on that burden for someone else writing and trading costs? Even if you feature guest posts a few times a month, you’ll still save your valuable time, which you can use to tackle other to-do list needs.
More traffic, more opportunities to sell
When you gain traffic from your guest contributor audience, you are uniquely positioned to attract new followers. If their audience likes what they see and gets value from your site, perhaps they’ll sign up for your newsletter or opt-in for a giveaway that allows you to guide them through your sales funnel. Hosting a guest contributor gives you the opportunity to grow your list, build trust with new audiences, and hopefully, make more money.
Cast a wide net with your content
Chances are you’re an expert in whatever you blog regularly. But there are probably things you’re not so good at; You can’t be everything to everyone and you’re probably not an expert per subject (at least not yet). Host a guest contributor who’s an expert on a topic you’re incredibly unfamiliar with and task them with a relevant, compelling post that will provide unique value to your readers. By doing this, you will receive content that you would otherwise not be able to write yourself, from a respected expert in the field. Your readers will thank you later.
You are the boss – decide what you want!
Ultimately, you decide what gets published or rejected on your site. So make sure you clearly outline your expectations by creating editorial guidelines for your contributors. These guidelines will weed out contributors who are not ready to provide you with quality content and properly guide those who are The result? You’ll get top-notch content that fits your site and matches your publishing standards. Remember, guest contributors benefit from publishing on your site, so they’ll be willing (at least they should be) to bend over backwards to provide you with the high-quality content you need.
Consider the following when you create your editorial guidelines:
- Describe the process. If your inbox is regularly clogged, you’ll want to make sure you describe your process for reviewing pitches and publishing posts.
- Example: Please submit your guest post ideas in an email with the subject line “Guest Post Pitch”. Include 2-3 headline ideas with a brief explanation of what you will include in the post. If you don’t hear back from me within 14 days, assume your guest post isn’t a good fit for my site and feel free to pitch your ideas elsewhere. If I accept your pitch, please carefully review the editorial guidelines below to understand the requirements.
- Please provide examples of your best performing blogs. This will show your guest contributors what you expect, what your style/voice is, and how to format their submissions.
- Give a minimum or maximum (or both) word count. Generally blogs perform best when they are between 750 – 1500 words
- Provide a list of categories you cover in your blog If you’re a web host affiliate, a blog about exercise habits won’t fit. Be clear about what you will and will not accept on your blog
- Explain that you retain the rights to the content and that redistribution of the content elsewhere is restricted
- Mention that duplicate content is not allowed as it can damage both your site and their site
- Clearly describe how guest posts should be submitted. Once you’ve accepted a pitch, you’ll want your contributors to understand exactly what they need to do to submit their final article.
- Example: Submit your final piece via Google Docs. At the bottom of your post, include your email (linked to Gravatar), your bio (200 words or less) and links to your website and social media accounts. If you do not have a Gravatar account, please include a headshot.
Concluding thoughts
If you’re a busy blogger, hosting some guest contributions every now and then might be just what you need. Instead of paying a freelance writer to help you, find an avid blogger who is willing to write to get their name published for free. Not only will you help them, but they’ll help you with free content, free marketing, unique content and potentially, if you play your cards right, great exposure to a brand new audience. So, give it a try. Host a guest blogger or two and see for yourself if it’s a good fit for you.
Eden Fried is a blogger and web designer. In early 2016, Eden quit her day job and scrapped plans to attend law school so she could Start her blog and start his freelance career. When Eden does not work for clients or coaching business owners and alone How to Start a Website and Make Money Online, you’ll find him tossing around some weights at the gym or curled up with a good book at home (under the covers). Say “Hi” to Eden Twitter!
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