“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do” –Thomas Jefferson

So You Want To Be A Guest Writer!

Being able to write well is a skill.  Having the opportunity to write articles for other blogs and media outlets is an honor. But, how should you approach doing it?

Here are 7 steps that will maximize the effectiveness of your guest articles:

1. Just Write. Every week I write between 4000 to 5000 words.  You probably do the same.  Think about how many e-mails that you write, notes that you take down, instructions that you give… you are a writing machine!  Just like me you have thousands of ideas in your mind.  You just need to get them out and produce results. Don’t worry about how marketable the idea is and how much traffic you will receive to your website… If you have an idea, just write it and send it to your favorite bloggers and newspaper reporters.  Let them judge it.
2. Knowing the Audience Helps. It is important that you know who you’re talking to. Additionally, choose media sources that are relevant to your own passion.
3. Look for hooks. Most bloggers and newspaper reporters run out of things to talk about. Read what they previously wrote add a twist or flesh out facts from their previous articles.  For example, I recently read, in my local paper, how an insurance agent renovated and relocated a building built in 1909.  One sentence, in that half page article, touched on how the agent used city grants totaling $325,000 for the project.  From that one sentence, I created five articles own how regular folks can use city grants to help finance their real estate projects. Then I sent one of those articles to the newspaper reporter.
4. Make guest articles full of great material. Don’t hold back.  When you give great content you’re seen as the expert.  People want to read more from an expert and less from a salesperson. Just make sure it is between 750 and 1,250 words.
5. Make it easy for the blogger or newspaper reporter.  Don’t make it difficult for them to publish your article. Make it as simple as copy and paste.   When I sent an article to a St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper blogger, for example, I pasted my article (with HTML) into the email and a link to my website.
6. Include your bio. Most guest articles include a small link and blurb about the blogger which links to his/her blog. Write this yourself and include it with your guest post. Keep it short!  Remember most people don’t like to read. Take too much space and the host blog might edit it for you. This is something that you don’t want.  So, be concise.
7. Welcome new readers. A little trick I learned from a fellow website owner is to provide a custom welcome message to any new readers who arrives to your website from the host website. If you have a blog, set up a plug-in like WP Greet Box. This way, you can welcome new readers specifically from the host blog and welcome them a board, ask them to subscribe to your RSS feed, sign up for your free report, etc.

Provide great content and make the act of posting your article easy. If your lucky, you may have the opportunity to write additional guest articles to the same website. This will build your credibility and increase your exposure to more readers.

I’m always open to guest articles that over 700 words on this website. If you’ve got an idea, send it over.