How to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities: Easy to Follow Guide by Khanyi Molomo
Originally published on www.bloggingpro.com
Blogging: How To
So, the question of how to find guest blogging opportunities has led you here.
This probably means you want to get more eyes on your blog or website. Or maybe you’re looking for a way to bring in more qualified leads.
Whatever the case may be, you’ve come to the right place. 📌
Guest blogging is one of the most powerful online marketing tools. However, it does have a few challenges. For starters, finding the right blogs to pitch to can be a headache. Then there’s the hurdle of actually getting your post accepted. And if your post is accepted, there’s still the task of promoting it and trying to drive traffic back to your own website.
It’s definitely not easy. But luckily, 😎 you won’t have to figure it all out by yourself. Keep reading to learn our top tips on finding the best guest blogging opportunities and making valuable connections along the way.
How to find guest blogging opportunities in four steps
Step 1: Use search engines ⚙️
Our first step in answering how to find guest blogging opportunities is turning to the biggest search engine – Google.
How do you begin?
Well, the good news is that websites that accept guest posts usually have a page detailing the guidelines for guest blogging. This means that you just need the right search terms to help you find them.
During this step, it’s also essential to focus on your niche. Remember that you want your blog posted on the most relevant blog or website, and your niche can help you achieve this.
🏁 To get started, head straight to Google. Input your niche in the search bar, followed by any one of the following terms:
“write for us”
“guest post”
“contributor guidelines”
“guest blogging”
“contribute to our site”
“guest article”
“become a contributor”
“guest post opportunities”
“become an author”
“accepting guest posts”
“become a guest contributor”
Below, we searched for “marketing + write for us.”
You can then create your own spreadsheet and list all the blogs and websites that accept guest authors in your niches.
Step 2: Check out your competitors 🤼♂️
The second step in learning how to find guest blogging opportunities is to start targeting the websites or blogs that your competitors have guest posted on.
For this step, you can use an SEO tool like Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker or SEMRush’s Backlink Analytics.
This will help you see any recent links your competitor has gained from guest blogs.
⭐ Here’s why this step is so great:
- Your competitors get to do the hard work of finding guest blogging opportunities, and you just add them to your spreadsheet.
- You’ll find some of the most relevant guest posting opportunities.
- If they accepted a post from your close competitor, why can’t they accept yours? (This can be a real confidence booster).
- Not all guest post backlinks offer the same value. If your competitor targeted that website or blog, there’s a good chance that this will offer a quality backlink, which can help your SEO ratings.
Step 3: Network with other bloggers 📡
While on your quest to answer how to find guest blogging opportunities, don’t forget that there are people who’ve done this before you. So, they can provide you with some great, first-hand tips from their experiences.
You can find these people online by joining blogging groups, forums, or social media groups.
For example, Facebook has around 2.96 billion monthly users, and 1.8 billion of these people use Facebook Groups [1, 2].
To find relevant groups, simply search for them and request to become a member.
Many of these groups are free to join and offer great communities where members constantly exchange information.
👉 Once you’ve been admitted to a group, you can go ahead, introduce yourself and ask for guest blogging recommendations from the community.
Step 4: Identify target websites/blogs 🎯
The above steps help you identify guest posting opportunities. But not all are created equal.
For your guest blogging strategy to give you good results, you need to identify the right sites or blogs for you and the brand you’re trying to build.
There are a couple of things to note as you finalize your list of potential guest blogging opportunities:
Firstly, you want to focus only on blogs in your niche
There are many websites and blogs that allow all niche writers to guest post. The problem with opting for these online platforms is that it becomes challenging to track the success of your blog.
For example, you might end up getting a few likes and shares on your post’s engagement and think that it’s because the blog topic wasn’t great. However, the reason may be that only a few members understood the topic. To make it easier to track true audience engagement, it’s best to focus on your niche.
Secondly, don’t forget the audience
In addition to niching down when looking for opportunities, you want to prioritize blogs and sites with an audience similar to yours. That way, you can be sure that your content will resonate with their readers.
You can do this by researching their previous blog posts. Ask yourself if this is the type of content your audience would enjoy. Could you see yourself writing a blog post on this topic? If yes, then you probably have similar audiences.
How to get guest blogging opportunities: Your pitch
The above steps will help you on your journey of finding quality guest blogging opportunities. But your job is far from over because you still need to create the perfect pitch – one that will stand out from the rest.
📍 Where do you begin?
First, study the guest blogging guidelines 📙
After putting in the hard work to find these opportunities, it would be a shame to lose them just because you didn’t follow the rules.
So, for this step, navigate to a page on the website you’re interested in pitching to, that has a title like “contributor guidelines,” “guest blogging rules,” or something along those lines.
You want to ensure that you read these guidelines carefully and follow them perfectly.
At this stage, you may notice that some blogs are only interested in your pitch (i.e., idea and outline for the post), while others prefer you to write a full blog so they can assess if it’s a good fit for them.
Some guidelines may also include the type of content the editors are currently looking for. Take note of all this important information.
Second, personalize your pitch ⚡
If you’ve found a great blog to pitch to, you’re not the only one.
Listen, many bloggers are looking for how to find guest blogging opportunities.
This is not to discourage you.
However, we do want you to understand that you need to stand out from the crowd. And one of the best ways to help your pitch stand out is by personalizing it to the recipient.
Personalization starts with addressing the editor or content manager by name. For example, “Hi Paul” is much better than a generic “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Next, you want to do your research on the blog or website you’re pitching to. Take a look at their recent posts, their audience, and their writing style. Then, use this information to tailor your pitch to fit their needs and interests.
For example, you can reference a recent article or topic that caught your attention. Or, if you see they often write about travel, mention a recent trip you took and how it could relate to their audience.
Showing that you’ve done your homework can go a long way in getting your pitch noticed.
Third, provide topic ideas 💡
No matter how much time and research has gone into your pitch, sometimes it just doesn’t hit the mark.
So, to increase your chances of getting published, instead of pitching one blog idea, how about two or three?
This is great for multiple reasons; it allows the editor to pick and choose a topic they prefer and lets them know that you’ve taken the time to think about their blog and what topics may resonate well with them. What’s more, if they like more than one idea, they might offer an opportunity to submit more than one blog post. Just don’t forget about step one if you’re going to do this. In other words, make sure there is nothing in the pitch guidelines about only submitting one topic idea at a time.
Fourth, showcase your experience and expertise 👨💻
Trying to land a guest blog on a health publication and have ten years of experience in the health sector? Mention that.
Have you styled a few fairly known people and are pitching to a style blog? Don’t forget to highlight that.
Has a reputable site published any of your blog posts? Add this information to your pitch.
Basically, don’t be shy to show off your knowledge and experience. After all, the goal is to prove to the editor or content manager that if they approve your pitch, you will produce an informative and quality piece, and what better way to do that than by showcasing your skills and expertise?
Additional tips to find guest blogging opportunities
So, you’ve pitched your guest post, they love it, and now you’re in the process of writing. Here are a few tips to help maximize your chances of getting published:
- Write quality content. Like any other content you publish, quality is the key to success. It may seem tempting to create a quick article and get it out there, but that’s not the way to go. When guest posting, you should try to create amazing blog content that resonates with the reader and ticks all the boxes regarding research, relevance, and readability.
- Promote your guest post. You’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting a brilliant guest post, and now it’s time to spread the word! To maximize the reach and impact of your post, don’t be shy about promoting it across your social media channels. Share a teaser quote or two, tag the host blog or website, and encourage your followers to check it out. You might even consider sending a quick email blast to your email list or including a link in your email signature. Remember, the more eyes you can get on your post, the more likely it is to spark conversations, attract new readers, and help you grow your brand.
- Track traffic and engagement. By monitoring the number of views, shares, and comments, you can better understand how your content resonates with readers. Plus, if certain topics or writing styles generate more engagement, you can use that information to improve your future posts.
Now you know everything about how to find guest blogging opportunities 🚀
We hope you’ve learned a lot about how to find guest blogging opportunities.
We also hope you use the above tips to help you create a pitch that will help you stand out.
All the best to you on your guest blogging journey!
If you’re looking for additional external writing opportunities outside of your own blog, check out our roundup of the best sites to write and get paid.
