Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
in

Marketing 101: What Makes A Guest Post Good?

Guest posting, when done right, can provide huge benefits for both the guest poster and host website. That being said, it can spell disaster for both if not executed correctly. We reached out to marketing experts and industry leaders to find out what makes a guest post good.

In the spirit of this post, Fupping accepts guest posts, so if you are interested in contributing, head on over to our guest post guidelines and submit a pitch.

This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com and other Amazon websites.

#1 Provide Valuable Action Tips

1. Relevance (to both parties). This is the main one because it's what makes sure each side reaches their target audience and provides value with that guest post.

2. Actionable tips. At least one actionable tips should be directly related to the writer and the outlet, to drive leads for both sides.

3. Reliable sources. These add to the credibility of both the writer and publisher.

Contributors: Rachel Andrea Go from RGO - Rachel Andrea Go

#2 Originality

I can sum it up in two words: Originality and data. Depending on the audience and quality of the outlet a very defined original article with data that supports it can not only help the outlet create a deeper connection with their audience but can also help brand the guest poster. Smaller outlets with fewer restrictions seem to not do as well. I see a guest post as an investment and choosing the right outlet is like choosing the right investment.

Contributors: Jonathan Alonso from Marketing Geek

#3 Readability

A good guest post should include detailed steps, images and proper formatting such as H2 tags, bulleted lists where needed and structured content. You need something that is readable and enhancing as to increase the time spent by users on your website. If you are accepting guests posts on your site, only take posts that are in your niche and check on Copyscape for copied content or you will get hit hard by Google for duplicate content.

Contributors: Ben Stanford from Red Cedar

#4 Mutual Contribution And Relationship

Writing a guest post is all about mutual contribution and relationship! The key is to remember how this is benefiting the audience of the guest poster as well as the audience of the outlet. This can be done simply by keeping in line with the following 3 elements:

1. Connect the outlet audience and guest poster audience how do they relate?

2. Use familiar vocabulary to the outlet audience, while staying true to the guest poster’s voice.

3. Guest posting is all about giving so content should be valuable information to the outlet audience and not an advertisement of guest poster’s business/content.

The key is for them to appreciate your knowledge enough to click on your bio links.

Contributors: Zully Hernandez from Foodie Zoolee

#5 Valuable Information

A good guest post delivers valuable information that MY audience is interested in reading and is well written. I don't mind trading links and giving credit, but if the post reads like a commercial for the writer's site, forget it. Deliver something of value above all. Content is still king.

It also helps if it is not on a topic that I have already covered, or is about something that directly competes with my business model (I teach online classes on cannabis cooking). I guess it never hurts to try, but I often get pitched these too.

Contributors: Cheri Sicard from Cannabis Cheri

#6 Showcase Your Expertise

Write about what you know and are experienced in. A guest post isn’t an opportunity to wing it or “fake it till you make it”. This is where you want to showcase your expertise and strut your stuff, from the clickable headline right down to the final call to action. That’s why your guest post should ALWAYS be your best work.

Contributors: Lisa-May Huby from Tiny Online Businesses

#7 Read And Follow The Guidelines

From a blog creation standpoint, every outlet will have their own guidelines of what they’re looking for in terms of length, graphics, links and so on. Make it easy on who you’re pitching by actually READING the guidelines and FOLLOWING them.

For instance, certain blogs in the copywriting space have a huge list of qualifying criteria to meet before you even email them. And that’s because they’ve built a solid reputation with their content and have incredibly (but necessary) high standards. When you demonstrate that you’ve actually spent the time and due diligence reading and following their instructions, the chances of your pitch being accepted get much, much better.

Contributors: Lisa-May Huby from Tiny Online Businesses

#8 Research

Do Your Research: Find out what's trending, audience behaviors and blogger history to ensure a solid partnership. Pitching a fantastic piece can lead to naught if there is no relevance for all parties involved.

Play with Perspective: Having a good grasp of an outlets current content allows you to be creative within their style. If they have a series on a particular topic, expand the topic or offer a completely different perspective on the same topic. This is your chance to show your value as a guest blogger within the context of an outlets current brand.

Contributors: Nate Masterson from Maple Holistics

#9 Choose Your Topic Wisely

Choose the topic of your guest post wisely. It should be relevant to your audience, something they want to read about. Come up with unique ideas that are able to stand out from the staggering amount of content that is posted online every day.

Next, come the titles and subtitles. These should describe your content well but should be catchy and attention grabbing at the same time.

The backbone of a successful guest post will always remain high quality content that is genuine and natural. But for SEO purposes, you need to follow current trends in the content and keyword search. Use a keyword research tool to find out what competitors are ranking for, then create robust content using these keywords organically. Using a research tool is by far the easiest way to decide what type of content to produce.

Contributors: Hamna Amjad from Ridester

This post was created with our nice and easy submission form. Create your post!

Written by Ben Skute

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.