Guest blogging can increase your number of followers and customers. Assuming you have established your blog and published valuable content, you’re in a position to find relatable blogs without being in direct competition. Finding places to guest post about your event can be a challenge, but there are some techniques you can use that will make this endeavor successful for you.
Start with Local Companies
If most of your business is local, start here and then branch out. If you’re a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, you have a ready-made list of potential blogs in the membership roster.
- Team up with local companies in a blog tour or other blog promotion.
- Partner with related industries to guest post.
- Local organizations, such as civic groups, schools and religious organizations might host your guest post for a related event you’re participating in.
- Chamber of Commerce blogs often feature members in blog posts. Inquire about being a guest blogger.
Other Potential Blogging Opportunities
Once you’ve exhausted your local blogging venues, you can turn your attention to blogs related to your industry.
- Seek only quality guest blogging opportunities.
- Make inquires of social media professional relationships.
- Contact suppliers and vendors to inquire about guest blogging.
Your Social Media Connections
Social media is an excellent resource for finding potential blogs that host guest posts. Contact those in your social media realm of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and others with a private inquiry.
Do you interact on social media with industry leaders with active blogs? If so, you have an inroad for asking about a guest post opportunity. These are the first blogs to approach since you’ve established relationships and you are aware of their social media and industry presence.
If you haven’t cultivated these relationships, you’ll need to focus more on your proposal. Play up the unique contribution you can offer their followers.
If you don’t have good results with these, then you can always put the word out with a quick post/tweet that you’re seeking reciprocal guest blogging opportunities. This can be a two-edged sword since some people who contact you might not have a much of a platform and a guest post there won’t advance your goals.
Make a List of Potential Blogs
Create a list of potential guest post blogs. Conduct an Internet search using keywords specific to your industry.
An example keyword search query might be, site: paint and sip “guest post by”. Substitute paint and sip with another keyword or keyword phrase. This type of query will pull up all types of links for you to explore. Play around with other keywords to collect a wide range of potential blogging opportunities.
Use Google Related Link Operator
This query tool allows you to see the websites and blogs that Google views as relative to the website you query. Start with your website. The related link operator will pull up websites relevant to yours. Once you’ve exhausted those websites, conduct a query on other websites to find more possible blogs/websites.
- Use the query related: domain.com
Assessing Potential Blogs for Guest Posts
You want anyone reading your guest post to be able to click on your blog post and be taken to your blog/website. Check to see if the blog uses links that are “outbound” also known as external links. This means that a link from your post will be linked back to your blog or website. If the owner doesn’t use external links, you should skip it as a potential blog post host.
The exception would be a leading industry website that will put your company name on the map. Otherwise, it’s usually in your best interest to have that reciprocal link so Google will pick up your link when related searches are conducted.
Tips for Setting Yourself Apart
You can set yourself apart from other proposals for guest blog posts through the uniqueness you can bring to the host’s blog. Some of those ways include:
- Perhaps your dance troupe or martial arts student won a regional or national award that is newsworthy or one of your artists won a coveted award.
- Your credentials within the industry make you a desirable guest blogger.
- You created a technique that can revolutionize or improve your industry.
- Share tips that improved your students’ performances.
- Fun ideas for your paint and sip class that students loved.
- Escape room tips that can enrich attendees’ experience.
Double Down on Prospective Blogs
While you can use awards and recognition to attract potential hosting blogs, you can use the same approach to contact the awards/recognition organizations and companies. Ask about the opportunity to post on their blog about your company and/or the recipient of their award. This can be an excellent opportunity to make your group/company shine.
If a feature interview has already been done, expand on it with a blog post about the routine or technique specific to the award. Be creative and seize all relevant opportunities to be a guest blogger.
