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Marketing 101: How To Attract Guest Bloggers To Your Website

So you want free high-quality content? You have come to the right place. We reached out to marketing experts to discover how they manage to attract people to guest post on their website. Here is what they had to say.

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 Become a recognisable brand name

The best way to induce people to guest post on your website or blog is to become a recognizable brand name. When you're in that position, you don't need to do much besides having a clear and visible way to contact your website's editor or chief blogger! People will approach you, day and night, without you needing to smooth-talk anyone and convey why it is worthwhile to be featured on your website.

Contributor: Alon Rajic from Moneytransfercomparison.com

#2 Be a Rockstar

Having a popular page in your niche will always attract other guest who want to collaborate with you. Posting good consistent content means you are serious about your craft and guest bloggers want to know their post will be appreciated and stay for the long term.

Contributor: Andre Albritton from themillennialsnextdoor.com

#3 Open a valuable dialogue first

Before asking someone if they'd like to guest post on your site, open a valuable dialogue about something else with them first.

A concrete example of how to do this is as follows: Say you run a newsletter or blog regularly. Each time you publish, reach out to the people behind any products, articles, or resources that you mention, to tell them that you mentioned their stuff, in case they might want to share your blog, or just know about the mention. You're doing them a bit of a favor by covering their creation, and another favor by letting them know. In the same email, you could mention the blog(s) you run, and tell them that you'd be open to explore collaborations in the future such as guest posts. 

Another opener you could use would be to tell them you've read some of their recent blog posts, and to say something like if you're anything like me, you're constantly looking for ideas on what to blog about, so here are a few titles I thought would work for your blog, based on the stuff I read: X, Y and Z.

Contributor: Jói Sigurdsson founder of crankwheel.com

#4 Keep an eye open on writing Facebook groups for authors

As an author, I keep my eye open on writing Facebook groups for authors who have recently or are about to publish something that will benefit or interest my readers. 

Then I private message the author and ask. Would you like to be a guest on my blog? I let them know that my posts are around 800 words, and I give them a series of questions to select from. 

I also offer a carrot: if there is a question that they would like to be asked but never have been, they can write one themselves and I will definitely select that one. I ask for links on where to buy their book and how interested readers can connect with them. And I give them a generous deadline and ask that they post on their social media when their interview goes live. It’s been a fabulous way to grow my readership and to earn good karma and retweets.

Contributor: Lizbeth Meredith from lameredith.com

#5 Create a form directly on your website

The best way to get people to guest post on your website is by creating a form directly on your website. Start by listing the post requirements and guidelines, then followed by an online submission form where they submit their name, outlet that they are contributing from, guest post pitches, and contact information. 

Here is an example of our guest post submission form.

Contributor: Deborah Sweeney CEO of mycorporation.com

#6 Get your name out there

To get people to guest post on your website, people need to know you exist! Take to any place you can share the word that YOU ARE LOOKING FOR GUEST CONTENT! 

As someone who looks for guest posting opportunities, I have found opportunities on Quora and Reddit threads, Tweets and Facebook posts and comments on other websites. Find a group of people who might be interested and let them know you are open for business! 

While you're at it, why not put a request in HARO, SourceBottle and use the hashtag #journorequest on Twitter to attract attention from other bloggers and writers! 

Contributor: Darcy Cudmore from powerfuloutreach.com

#7 Make it a collaborative effort

Another idea is to pitch topics to other sites in your niche. When you offer to provide content for free, you can ask if they’d like to provide content for your site in exchange. Many site administrators and editors look favorably on this because it becomes a collaborative effort. It turns into a win-win situation.

Contributor: Brandon Chopp from iheartraves.com

#9 Create a set of guidelines for guest posters to adhere to

This should include the kinds of topics you want guest posts about, how long they should be, any specific formatting or style rules you have. Tell people if you want images. Make sure to set high standards as the best guest posters want to focus their time posting on the best possible sites. If you just let anyone post poor quality work, it will turn the better writers off of your site.

Contributor: Mark Webster from authorityhacker.com

#10 Be upfront about your linking rules

Let's face it, most people are guest posting on your site because they want a link. To avoid any disagreements or problems at the last minute, you should be upfront about how you will allow links. Will they be allowed within the content itself or within the author bio? Is anchor text allowed? Are there any sites you don't want to link to (hint: gambling, adult etc are good to avoid).

Contributor: Mark Webster from authorityhacker.com

#11 Add a call to action

Like any marketing technique, you need a firm “call to action” letting the guest poster know the next step to post. If they are confused, there is a reasonable chance they move on our leave your page. You can include your name, telephone number, or e-mail in your online page. Another option is to create a “form” where the potential writer can fill in their e-mail and telephone.

Contributor: Lucas Machado from househeroes.com

#12 Offer something in return

It is most likely that nobody is going to want to write for you for the fun of it (if so, that’s great). Likely, writers will want something in return and it does not always have to be money. The most common scenario is a link. Writers will want a link directed to their original blog or website included in the article to help themselves drive traffic and improve their domain rating. Many sites are picky about this and only allow “no follow” links to be placed. A no-follow link is one that does not work in favor of the website owner. So make sure to offer your guest writers a follow link in exchange for their hard work!

Contributor: Karen Gordon from pro.goodshuffle.com

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Written by Nathaniel Fried

Co-founder of Fupping. Busy churning out content and building an empire.

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