Many people use guest blogging as a means to drive traffic to their blog or website. It’s an SEO tactic and a traffic generation tactic. However, guest blogging can also help strengthen your brand.
Guest Blogging Helps Position You as an Expert
While guest blogging is all the rage right now and it seems people are swapping guest blogging posts with just about anyone, it’s important to focus on quality. Before asking for a guest blogging opportunity or agreeing to one, ask yourself if the blog in question will help boost your credibility.
Here’s why…presumably you’re going to put a bit of work into writing a top-quality blog post. You’re going to focus on providing value and benefit to readers. If that blog post is then placed on a blog that doesn’t have a good reputation or a blog that really doesn’t fit your target market, then you may be doing yourself a disservice.
Instead, work hard to earn guest blogging opportunities for top rated blogs that fit your niche. You’ll be able to reach people who are actually interested in your information and build your brand. Aim for quality over quantity.
Consistency Is Key
While your guest post content will differ based on the purpose and mission of the blog, it’s also important for your voice and style to remain consistent. Part of building a strong brand is helping your readers recognize you immediately. Your voice and writing style can help make your brand memorable. It boosts awareness.
For example, if you have a no-holds-barred style that likes to stir the pot and create controversy, that same style should remain consistent regardless of where you’re blogging. The look and feel of your blog post will ideally remain consistent, too. If you regularly include text boxes with side notes on your own blog, then include them in your guest posts too. Be consistent.
Don’t Just Stop at Posting
Once you have published a guest post on a notable site, start marketing the heck out of it. Link to it on your social networking sites. Send a snippet and a link to it in your email newsletter. Share a link to it on your own blog too.
Guest blogging can be fun and it can certainly be an effective tool to drive traffic to your site. However, the strongest reason to pursue guest blogging opportunities may be to build your brand.