Savvy B2B Marketing

Jamie

Over-deliver

As an editor on several blogs, I could go on and on about ways to get your foot in the door (vs. shooting yourself in the foot), but instead I'm going to focus on how to become a regular guest poster. After all, as any good marketer knows, upselling your existing clients is much less costly than trying to land new ones. The same applies to guest blogging. It's good to spread yourself around a little, but when you find a good thing - work it for all its worth. 

The key to getting an invitation to return is all about making the editor's life easy. Trust me. If you can provide me a guest post that:

• Is on-topic, well-organized and doesn't duplicate recent content
• Doesn't need heavy editing
• Includes an accent image (with source information)
• Follows my guest posting guidelines to a "t"
• AND ... is delivered ahead of schedule as pre-formatted HTML that I can just copy and paste 

... baby, you're going to be on the top of my A-list for guest writers.

Think about your editors like clients and provide them with the same great level of service. They will appreciate the extra effort and you'll get the follow-up gig every time. 

Good luck!

Kate

Do Your Homework

When approaching editors to post on their blogs, make sure you are familiar with their style and the general topics covered, then ONLY approach blogs where your voice will add value for that blog's readers. For example, a focused, carefully tended blog is not going to accept your post if it just a blatant attempt at self-promotion that has nothing (or very little) to do with their focus - you're wasting your time and theirs.

But if you have something new and genuine to say, a fresh voice and a new perspective are always appreciated.

Heather

Be original

No creditable blog wants to repost your recycled material simply to up your SEO through link backs.  On Savvy we pride ourselves in the amount of original content we produce.  We work hard to keep our posts fresh and thought provoking.  We do not accept guest posts that have already appeared somewhere else. 

I know that is a hard standard because if you write something great you want it to appear on your own blog also.  We are okay with that.  So long as you indicated it previously appeared on Savvy and that we get to run it first.  Check out our Guest Post Guidelines link below for more details.

Michele

Make the editor's job easy

As someone who has edited hundreds of guest posts over the past year-and-a-half, here are my favorite tips for those who want to submit posts:

• Understand guidelines: Before you send your inquiry, check to see if there are guidelines for the blog – and read them!
• Read other posts: Familiarize yourself with other posts on the site. This is the best way to get a vibe of what readers like – and what editors love to see. 
• Have a suggestion for topic: Send a topic idea or a full post for consideration.
• Proof your post before sending: Even though editors edit, they appreciate a clean post!
• Submit the post in the preferred format: Ask the editor if they want a Word doc, HTML or some other format.
• Adhere to your deadlines: Seems basic, but keep the promises you make – or at the very least let the editor know when something will be late.
• Don’t be promotional: We can small link bait from miles away. A link or two back to your blog is fine, but ask first, and don’t include too many.
• Get feedback: If you want to contribute multiple times, ask the editor for feedback on your post so you can improve the next time. 

Stephanie

Don't Waste Other Bloggers' Time

Since my Savvy Sisters have outlined the key things you should do when seeking a guest post spot, I'll focus on what not to do. Don't approach a blog with the sole focus of geting a link to your own site. When your pitch emphasizes the importance of including a link back to your site, it raises questions as to why a blog would want to take a chance and start the process of vetting your guest post. This is especially true if your proposed link has nothing do with the blog you're approaching.