Even Google Says So

Guest posting is a practice that’s been around for as long as blogs have graced the web. Bloggers are always looking for a fresh perspective, and as long as your brand matches up with that blogger’s niche, they’ll be happy to hear from you. Back in 2017 amidst an increase in spammy-looking sponsored posts, Google had to issue a reminder that guest posts specifically for the purpose of link building were frowned upon; but they also made sure to clarify that posts designed to bring awareness to your cause or company were still okay.

Benefits of a Guest Post

Writing a guest post isn’t the easiest way to spread the word about your brand. So why take the time or spend the money on guest posts?

• Organic Exposure: This is the #1 reason startups expend resources on guest posts. Sure, a pay-per-click ad will get your brand out there, but how often have you clicked on a social media or search engine ad? The reason to introduce yourself to your target audience through a guest post is authenticity. You’re getting on their level and saying hi, here I am; here’s why you ought to learn more about me.
• Longevity: A pay-per-click ad costs you each time it prompts a click; a guest post remains online in perpetuity and can attract visits over time without costing you anything more than your initial outlay.
• Saturation: Most bloggers share their post through all social media channels available to them. This brings in more initial readers, and it also prompts their followers to share your post far and wide if they find it compelling. This kind of free advertising is priceless.
• Relationships: A solid guest post can allow you to build a long-lasting relationship with bloggers who may be willing to partner with you on a more formal level in order to help promote your brand.

Finding The Perfect Blogger

The web is overflowing with bloggers. When you decide to invest the time and/or money into creating a guest post, you’re naturally going to want to maximize your ROI. This means sifting through the flotsam to find blogs with the precise niche and scope of followers to garner the most brand attention for your buck.

Once you locate these blogs, you’ll need to carefully examine their guest post policies to ensure that the post you create will be acceptable to if not beloved by the blogger.

How do you ensure that you find the right fit and further, that your post won’t step on any toes? You only get one chance to impress the blogger and their followers. A misstep in either the blogger selection process or the post itself could prevent your post from going live. ArticleHub can help.

Creating Engaging Guest Posts

Spreading word of your brand or product through guest posts can be both fun and rewarding, but it’s not without its pitfalls. To create a post that captures attention and doesn’t run afoul of Google’s terms of service, you merely need to express the passion that caused you to bring your products to market in the first place. That doesn’t mean you should write an ad harping on how awesome your product is; rather, you should inform your prospective customers as to why you decided to put all your energy into creating and distributing your product. Describing the underpinnings of your offerings is an authentic way to cause bloggers and consumers alike to feel the energy around your brand.

The trick is to inform and educate without coming across as though you’re tooting your own horn too aggressively. When you post, you’re doing so as a person in the same boat as your target audience rather than a company that wants to sell them something.

• Tell a Story: Most company founders have a compelling backstory of how they ended up at this time and place doing what they’re doing; you just need to translate that into something with which the blog’s readership can identify. Odds are, many of them will be able to commiserate with your situation and will be energized by the fact that you chose to address your circumstances by founding your company or creating a particular product. This casts you and by extension your brand as the “good guys” who went the extra mile.
• Bolster Your Case: As part of your narrative, sprinkle in bites of data that demonstrate why there is such a need for your product. Pretend you’re writing a business plan, but address your would-be customers rather than investors. Why is it that what’s out there already does not adequately address the needs of your market? Why are you in a particularly good position to address these needs? What are some pain points or horror stories experienced by purchasers of products in your niche that missed the mark? What have you done in creating your product to address these shortcomings? What have those you have tried your product for themselves said regarding its effectiveness or performance in these areas?
• Make It Pop: People don’t want to read paragraph after paragraph of pros. To keep them with you to the end, you’ll need to spice things up with headings, lists, pictures and highlights. Search engines are also looking for this kind of markup to determine that your post is not one of those low-quality, link-building posts that their algorithms will flag. The goal is to cause readers to reflexively click on the link at the end to learn more.
• Rein In The Sales Lingo: There’s a fine line between telling your story and selling your product. Bloggers do not want posts stuffed with sales copy. Remember that you’re posting as another blog reader, not someone coming in from the outside trying solely to bring attention to your brand. You’ll want to avoid specifically mentioning your product until close to the end of the post.

Putting It All Together

Guest posting is an time-honored means by which to introduce the web to you and your brand, but it requires attention to detail, some writing chops, and a certain finesse. If you’d rather concentrate on doing what you do best while enjoying the exposure of guest posting through high-authority blogs in your niche, contact ArticleHub today. We’ll work with you to ensure a smooth guest-posting campaign that draws enthusiastic traffic to your site.