Guest blogging, simply put, is when a writer writes content for a blog that does not belong to him.
It provides the writer with an opportunity to share his expertise with the followers of the blog owner, thus giving him the chance to increase online traffic to his own blog.
Guest blogging goes a long way in establishing a writer as an authority figure in his niche or domain.
It also serves as a great platform for him to form links with renowned experts in his own field.
There are various other benefits of guest blogging such as building credibility among the target audience, increasing brand awareness, improving SEO ranking, etc.
If writing a guest post is on your mind and you are wondering how to go about it, this blog will surely give you a jumpstart.
The first step towards landing an opportunity to write a guest blog is sending an outreach mail.
Read on to find out what some of the best outreach mails have in common
A Brief Introduction
Starting with your first blog post is tougher than it looks. For starters, you need to figure out a proper structure to your content before you begin.
Introduce yourself and what you do for a living in the most succinct yet impactful manner.
Do not start with how badly you wish to write for the blogger or how long you have been following his blog. That may come across as blatant flattery.
In addition to what you have already mentioned in your basic introduction, add links to your social media profiles or business website for him to go through in case your mail arouses his interest.
But do not give more content than needed in the body of your email.
Context that Matters
Successful guest bloggers cite reasons as to why writing a guest blog would be beneficial to both parties.
Remember, to be able to grab the blogger’s attention, there has to be something in it for him.
If you are thinking of offering to pay the blogger in return for being able to feature your content on his blog, that may not be necessary.
You could catch his attention by mentioning any of your previously published guest blogs and how they helped the blogger reach out to a larger target audience.
Another way could be to use a news hook to highlight an existing issue and explain how your blog could provide a possible solution to the issue.
You can check out our blog on “How to publish and optimize guest blogs” for more insights on this.
There can be other reasons and context to reach out to a blogger or editor and this sketch note captures all of them.
Scan-able Content
If your email is too lengthy or written in a manner that it comes across as a never-ending monologue, you need to re-work it.
Not all bloggers will have the time to go through every intricate detail that you mention in your mail. Therefore, make their work easier by writing content that is easy to skim through and understand.
Use the following techniques to nail your content:
- Break long paragraphs into bullet points or short sentences
- Highlight the most significant points
- Use the bold font wherever special attention is required
Probable Topics or Headlines
The chances of your email getting noticed increase multiple folds if you mention a few headlines or topics that you would be comfortable writing about.
I would highly recommend the Headline Analyzer tool for bloggers to scan the effectiveness and readability of their headlines before sending them.
You could refer to the articles written by the blogger in the past and then build upon the content to justify how your post will be capable of adding value to his blog.
Do not be rigid with a single topic or headline. Give him multiple options to choose from, this would also give him confidence in your knowledge and expertise.
Credible Evidence
Emails that contain evidence are always preferred over those with generic statements.
For example, instead of simply writing “I love your work”, write what you like about the blogger’s work.
If you really are a follower of his writings, you would know what articles he has written in the past. Mention your favorite piece and then go on to share what you liked so much about it.
Also, while making a pitch to contribute a guest blog, give links to the guest blogs that you have previously written.
Make every statement that you make in your email credible.
You can check out our guest blog outreach email template tips for more insights.
Clearly Specified Expectations
The worst kinds of outreach emails are those which are left open-ended. If you want the blogger to respond to your email, clearly specify how you would want him to help you.
Write down your expectations from the blogger clearly. Be it wanting to contribute guest posts just once, or regularly, whatever you wish to do, just make it clear.
Do not leave the blogger wondering what to make out of your email.
Contact Details
Whatever you do, do not let go of an opportunity of the blogger contacting you to know more about your plans of contributing guest posts to his blog.
While it has already been mentioned that you must begin with a brief introduction, leave your contact details towards the closing of your outreach mail.
The blogger always has the option to revert to your mail, however, you may not want to miss the chance of him contacting you personally if need be.
Follow Up Email
Being persistent is the key to success. If the blogger that you wish to write guest blogs for does not respond in the first go, follow up with him by email to get an answer.
Do not treat it like a lost opportunity already.
Quick tip to grab the reader’s eyeball: use a catchy newspaper headline as your subject for your follow-up email.
The intention is to get the blogger intrigued such that he has no option but to open the mail. Definitely worth a shot!
