Thought leadership is everything these days. Building your reputation as an industry expert means being visible, present and delivering great content in as many places as you can. Writing guest blog posts for a number of sites is one way to do this without spending tons of money on expensive advertising campaigns. It's not easy to get your guest blogs published, however. If you wait to be asked, you could wait a long time. Rather, you can get ahead by pitching your guest post ideas to other blog owners.
Here's how to write a compelling email that will get you that coveted invitation to provide a post.
Create Connections
No one likes cold calling. Try to make contact with the bloggers you like via other channels. Follow and comment on their blogs, connect on Facebook and LinkedIn and retweet their posts. They'll get to know your name and who you are, and by the time you're ready to approach them, they're likely to be following you back. This will make your job easier.
Make it Personal
Editors are known for being picky, and they don't appreciate getting a generic template email that looks like it's gone to a dozen websites. Sending an email that is not personalized is a surefire way to land in the "Deleted" folder. Customizing your email will help to get the recipient's attention. Don't just put their name on it--customize it for the website you are writing to. Read their content and adapt your topic idea to appeal to their audience and to fit with their tone of voice. Look for a new viewpoint on something they've published previously--not opposing, but complementary commentary.
Get to the Point
Editors are busy. Keep the email brief and get directly to the point in a friendly and polite way. Use subheadings, bullet points and numerical lists to break up the email so that you don't hit them with a wall of text. Follow a format such as this:
- Subject line: Tell them why you're contacting them – i.e. to pitch a guest post. Keep your subject line to 70 characters or less with the most important words in the first 40. Otherwise, they might not see it before hitting “Delete.”
- First paragraph: Introduce yourself and tell them why you love their blog enough to want to write for it. A little flattery goes a long way, but don't overdo it.
- Second paragraph: Present your idea for the guest post and refer to an attachment that contains a rough outline. Don't put the specifics in the email body--it will make the email seem too long.
- Third paragraph: Present your credentials. Outline what you bring to the table as an expert on the subject matter. Provide links to your website and guest posts you have previously written.
Wrap it up by thanking them for the time they spent reading your email. Be careful about what's in your signature—especially if you're in a competitive position—so you don't set off alarm bells in the recipient's head.
Wear Their Shoes
No-one likes to be told what's wrong with their website, product or blog—not even if they know it themselves. If you are an expert on the topic and are more knowledgeable than the website owner, telling them so is a recipe for rejection. Read your email out loud before sending it off, and put yourself in the recipient's shoes to see how you'd feel if you got it. After you send your email, give the person a reasonable amount of time to respond before you follow up.
The guest blogging process has many steps, but there are just as many benefits to getting your posts published. By composing a great guest blog email, your chances of acceptance are better.
* Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
