Four Steps to Follow When Guest Blogging
Perform Research
Take your time to learn how to perform advanced searches on Google. This will give you an edge over the other 99% that are just typing in "Guest Blogging" into a Google search and focusing on the main sites that broker guest blogging opportunities. Create a list of 50+ topics that are related to your expertise or industry that you can perform searches on. Browse the first 100 web page results for each search. There are some great opportunities hidden deeper than the first couple of pages of Google results. Identify any blog owners and webmasters that are within a 50 mile radius of where you live and set up a lunch to meet them personally.
Prepare your Work
Your first impression will determine whether or not you will have a long term guest blogging opportunity or be discarded all together. Take your time on the first blog and make it unique, interesting, and visually stunning. You should go through a ten step improvement process. When you have completed the first version ask yourself, "what can I add or do to make this blog the best post ever." Repeat this nine more times. You will be amazed at the quality difference between your first and tenth draft.
Outreach
You want to start by building a base template that will cover the basics that can be repeated for any prospect. For each blog opportunity, you want to build out on your template to add a personal touch. Identify one of there most popular posts and compliment them on it. Take some time to review the blog owner's social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Identify common interests to build a connection with the first contact. Finally, se a signature block image with a picture of you smiling.
Test and Manage your Projects
All advertising campaigns go through a multi-variant testing to find the highest converting landing page. A guest blogging campaign is no different than an advertising campaign in regards to testing and analytics. On your emails you will have different core templates for the body that rotate out different subject lines. You will want to keep track of the opens, replies, and conversions. This will allow you to identify the body and subject link that has the highest success rate.
