8 Questions to consider Before you Guest Blog

Posted by AriesGDIM / Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah in Blogging, Branding, Internet Marketing | 8 comments

Before you guest blog you may want to consider the following:

1. Do you have time to create more content?
2. Does their website/blog contain relevant material?
3. Does the blog allow for backlinks to your own site?
4. Does the website/blog have a decent amount of traffic?
5. Is the site comparable or better than your own blog?
6. What type of reputation does the blog owner or blog have?
7. What is the age of the blog and amount of content?
8. If their site is monetized are they offering revenue sharing?

In the past few months I have received several requests to guest blog on other peoples blog sites.  Guest blogging is a great way to increase brand recognition by introducing you to users you may not have had exposure to before.

The first time I was asked to guest blog I was totally wowed by the fact that someone thought my content was so good that they wanted me to share some of it with their readers.  The dilemma was when would I find time to write for someone else.  I already write on 4 of my own blogs, design ads, logos, business cards, flyers, letterhead, websites as well as print orders for my clients.  Needless to say the request fell by the wayside and I never acted on it.

As more requests came my way I decided to give guest blogging more consideration.  I actually began to research the people and the blogs that were asking me to guest post and found that although guest blogging has tremendous benefits, it can also have its downfalls.  The following are a more detailed explanation of points you should consider before you guest blog.

Do you have time to create more content?

Writing quality posts takes a great deal of time.  Most of my blogs take a minimum of 3 hours to write.

1. I research other blogs for backlinks
   

   Do you have time to blog for someone else?

2. I research my content to ensure what I am sharing is valid
3. I search my own blogs to anchor text to my own content
4. I create and research relevant images to put in my posts
5. I write the blog then proof it several times before posting them

This is not a an easy task especially when you consider that when you blog you are sharing your content for free with no compensation outside of affiliate links if you monetize your blog at all.

Does their website contain relevant material?

One of the benefits of guest blogging is writing for a site that has relevant content to your own.  This will provide you with valuable backlinks to your own website which will increase your search engine ranking.  It is important to keep your brand focus narrow.  In my case I write about social media marketing, blogging, online branding tips, etc, therefore, it would not be a good idea to guest blog on a site that sells furniture.  If the content on the blog is NOT relevant, you will be hurting your brand as well your search engine ranking.

Does the blog allow for backlinks to your own website?

Guest blogging is supposed to benefit you and your brand.  If you have a website or blog and the company asking you to write a guest blog does not allow you to link back to your own site you may want to rethink this.  Relevant backlinks are a benefit to you as well as the site you are guest posting on.  If you cannot provide backlinks to your site the only one benefiting from your content on their website is the other guy.  I would steer clear of companies who make this a stipulation for guest posting.

Does the website have a decent amount of traffic?

If the website you are posting for does not have a decent amount of traffic how can guest blogging on their site benefit you? Answer is… it doesn’t.  One of the pitches I hear often is, “Blogging on my site will get you brand exposure.”  Now if you are a newbie to the game or don’t have your own blog this could definitely be true but if you have been blogging for a few months and have been building a good amount of traffic, chances are, people may be approaching you because you have the exposure and traffic they want.

Is the site comparable or better than your own blog?

Although many would not agree, website aesthetics does matter.  If you are going to guest post on a blog make sure it doesn’t look like something that could have been put together in 1990.  Is the site cluttered or seem to be unfocused? Are their ads distracting or make the site look spammy?  Think about how you would determine the credibility of a blog? What makes you or other users continually visit a website?  These are qualities you want to see on a site you plan to guest blog on.

What type of reputation does the blog owner or blog have?

Before you guest post on a blog you should research the reputation of blog owner and the blog itself.  Check out their Internet footprint by doing a Google search and seeing what you find.  Look them up on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and see what they and their users are talking about.  Are they the type of people or company you want to associate with your brand?  This is important because if the blog owner is known for being a porn star… You might want to rethink that… I’m just saying You do not want your brand to be linked back to any type of negativity that could hurt how your clients, users, and potential clients view you or your company.  Association can be good when the relationship is beneficial and it could kill your brand if it isn’t.

Blog age or amount of content

I was invited to guest blog on a website that had only 4 posts.  It was obvious to me that they were hoping I could help them add content and build their traffic.  When you guest blog it should benefit you not the website your blogging on.  Often blogs are started without much forethought and planning.  It is hard to keep a good blog going and frequently bloggers run out of things to write about.  Why spend time writing original content for a blog that will get no traffic and could possible be shut down by the end of the year?  That would be a total waste your time.

Is their site monetized?

This is my biggest pet peeve so I left this point for last.  There is nothing wrong with monetizing your site.  We bloggers write great content for the benefit of our users and are not compensated; therefore monetizing your blog can compensate you residually for the life of your blog.

When a company or person asks you to guest blog on their site and they do NOT offer you affiliate revenue sharing or compensate you, their goal is to:

1. Use your content to increase traffic to their website
2. Use your content as a way to increase their affiliate marketing income

Your content is valuable so remember this.  If the company asking you to blog is not one of the big wigs in your industry and their blog is monetized they should offer you affiliate revenue sharing as an incentive as a thank you for helping them by blogging on their site.

Do not get me wrong there are several benefits to guest blogging, increased brand exposure is one of them.  I wrote this blog to help you determine when you should and should not write a guest post for another blog.  The goal in blogging is to build brand recognition and traffic to your own site.  If the blog you are considering guest posting on cannot do this for you…. don’t do it.

Aries – Graphic Design & Internet Marketing / AriesGDIM

Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah

Creative Marketing Director

317.345.4182

Tami@ariesgdim.com

AriesGDIM.com / AriesGraphicDesign.com

@ariesgdim – Twitter

Google+ AriesGDIM

 

 

© 2011, AriesGDIM / Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah. All rights reserved. Copying and reblogging (reposting) this blog or the use of the blog post images are NOT permitted without direct permission of AriesGDIM..

Related Links

• 8 Tips for Building your Personal Brand on the Internet
• How do you Write Search Engine Optimized Blog Posts?
• How Does Facebook Determine Friend Suggestions or “Friends You May Know?”
• Why Flat Fee Graphic Design Company’s Suck