This article covers the advantages and risks when allowing others to contribute to your blog. Every blogger knows that a lot of hard work goes into it and you can’t just publish any old article. Having contributors can either be a major advantage or it can all go pear-shaped – depending on how well you manage the situation.

The Qualities of a Guest Blogger

Let’s start by looking at what exactly you want in a guest blogger.

Firstly, you want someone who is knowledgeable about the subject at hand. Your guest blogger should have an intimate understanding of the topics you cover in your blog. A guest blogger should also be able to write well. You don’t want to spend hours editing – you could have written an article yourself if this is the case. Lastly, guest bloggers must have a good grasp on writing for the web. They should understand the difference between reading an article online and in print and should be able to portray this understanding in the way that they write.

Why Guest Blog?

Guest blogging is one of the ways in which a writer can gain more exposure. This is usually done by including a bio at the end of an article which includes links to social media profiles and related blogs or websites.

It’s important to note that guest bloggers are usually less established than the company that they wish to write for. This doesn’t, however, mean that they’re less knowledgeable – it only means that they’ve been active on the blogosphere for a shorter period. This is exactly why they want to contribute to your blog. Top bloggers often won’t guest post for smaller blogs, because they already have the exposure they need.

*Tip: Make sure that the guest blogger only gives you permission to publish his/her article. You don’t want the same article on your competitor’s sites as well.

The Advantages

Guest blogging offers two main advantages:

• You save time because you don’t have to spend hours writing and editing articles. Blog posts should be published consistently and as often as possible, which can become laborious if you’re a small team. Contributors can lighten the work load, and if you really like them, why not ask them to contribute regularly.
• Guest bloggers can add a different perspective to your blog by bringing in new ideas and fresh thinking – if they’re good, of course. This means that your blog stays interesting.
• Although you work hard to have an article prepared and ready to go up on every publishing day, sometimes it’s just not possible. We all know how difficult it is to write a proper article when the rest of your work starts piling up. Whatever the reasons, a guest post can be a good plan b on days like these.

*Tip: Make sure that your guest bloggers understand that their articles might not be published as soon as you receive it. The article might not fit in with your publishing schedule at the time so will only be published at a later stage.

• Also, it’s free blog content.

The Risks

Although there are a few disadvantages to allowing guest posts on your blog, they can be avoided if you are completely honest and very clear about what exactly your expectations are.

• To attract guest bloggers you will have to mention it on your blog. The problem is that you won’t only attract bloggers who write well and whose work you can’t wait to publish. This means that you will have to say ‘no’ to some people. If the general standard of someone’s work is low, you will have to reject them. Set a standard and stick to it.
• Language can be a big issue. Writing in a second or third language tends to be difficult for most, and yet they still persevere. This is not a problem if you can edit to make sense of the piece and if the writer is indeed knowledgeable about the topic. If the message gets lost in translation, however, it’s not worth spending too much time on.
• The biggest fear when it comes to guest blogging is plagiarism and the liability you (as the blog owner) carry. This is why the aforementioned bio is important. Make it clear that the piece is a guest post, include the author’s name and give credit where credit is due.
• Fact checking fits in with the above point. You will have to double check all facts, figures and sources mentioned in the guest post. Even though you didn’t write it, you have a responsibility as the publisher to ensure that everything on your blog is factually correct.

*Tip: When receiving a guest article make sure that it isn’t filled with spammy links.

Engaging

How you engage with your potential guest bloggers is important. You should lay down the ground rules so as to not create unrealistic expectations. A writer might assume that there is a spot on your blog just for him; he stays up all night writing, only for you to not be impressed and shoot him down.

Tip: Make sure to look at examples of their written work – it will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Guest blogging can work very well if managed properly and by keeping the above in mind you should have no problem choosing the best writer for the job.

Check out our guest blog posts on the Jeff Bullas Blog HERE.

Find out more about how to contribute to the Ideas blog HERE.

Sound Idea Digital is a full service digital marketing agency that specialises in content marketing | www.soundidea.co.za | SoundIdeaDMA | info@soundidea.co.za

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