If a business says “write for us” and you write a copy for their website, then it is called guest posting. Yes, it’s that simple. It is useful for businesses because it lets them boost their online visibility, create backlinks, and generate traffic back to their website also known as referral traffic. Moreover, in a larger sense, guest posting enables businesses to improve their domain authority, get quality leads, and build a reach to a wider market. In this blog, let us find out the top guidelines guest authors should know before submitting.
Why Is It Important to Know Guest Post Guidelines?
It is important to respect the platform at which you are sharing your guest post. Knowing write for us guest post guidelines ensures that the content is relevant for the host’s website. It makes hosts believe that the content is valuable for their audience and can provide a great user experience.
Adhering to such guidelines not only minimizes rejection rate but also builds relationships, which is vital for future submissions. Each business has their own preferences for formatting as well as unique style and tone. If you follow the guidelines, you can also improve your chances of connecting well with the audience and meeting their expectations.
Though each business establishes its own separate guidelines, there are general guidelines you can follow to improve acceptance rate of your content. These can also serve as strategies to lay the foundation for lasting guest posting success.
Top 10 Guest Post Guidelines You Must Know
If you are new to the guest posting business, you can make certain mistakes that can make the host lose trust in your content. Following the below guidelines minimize such mistakes and reduce rate of rejection-
Read Content on the Website- It is beneficial to become a subscriber of the host’s website and regularly visit its blogging page. It is an effective way to get yourself familiar with the tone, formatting, and structure of the content. Studies suggest that most guest post authors started from being regular readers.
Understand Their Specific Rules- Each business follows a certain criteria for their content. Businesses want the content on their website to resonate with their brand and be relevant to the industry. There are authors who share their write for us guest posts without even reading the guidelines and end up getting rejected. It is not only important to read the guidelines but also implement them in your content.
Share Your Best Ideas in the Email- You can use your email to make an impression on your host. In your email pitch, you can share the most effective outline for the content and also the most creative headline ideas. Your host can respond to the email suggesting a few changes before proceeding ahead.
Work Hard on the Content- It is important to realize that if a host accepts your guest post, it does not guarantee publication. If, during the review, some unacceptable mistakes are found, your content might still get rejected. It is important to research well, write as well as you can, and avoid common mistakes in writing.
Be Clear with Payment- Some businesses pay in advance while others on publication. Some even take 4-5 weeks before publishing the content because there are a lot of pending guest posts. Thoroughly review their payment system before agreeing the deal. Moreover, make sure that they have your right payment details and contact information. There are hosts who accept free write for us guest posts as well for which they don’t pay any amount.
Be Clear with the Republishing Rights- Some hosts choose to republish your content on multiple sites that they already own. They can also create new sites and then use your content. Most websites do not use content that has already been used on other websites. You can ask the host where they are posting the content and if they can choose to re-use it.
Avoid Hurrying the Submission- Submit your work only after researching well and reviewing it thoroughly. Most hosts set a deadline which is realistic and achievable. Avoid sharing incomplete or poor quality content before the deadline. Do not share the content without receiving the assignment as hosts sometimes don’t even read any unsolicited work.
Stick to the Given Word Count- Hosts are very particular with the word count as it can create problems during publishing. They will specify the word count during the assignment. It is important to stick to the word count or be as close as possible. For example, some hosts prefer 1200 word count and specify to the writer if they need a longer content.
Be Clear with the Intent of the Guest Post- A few hosts avoid posting content that is specifically created for promotional purposes. If you are an expert and you are starting a podcast or publishing a book, you must be clear with the host beforehand. Many guest posting hosts prefer content that is fresh, unique, and remains valuable for the long-term.
Be Active on the Day Your Guest Posts Goes Alive- It is quite professional to be active on social media platforms or other sites when your guest posts get published. You can respond to questions or engage in the conversation with the readers. In this way, you can drive better engagement for your guest posts that is useful both for you and the host. If you feel that you will not be available on the publishing day, you can ask the host to reschedule the publish.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how you can write guest posts that hosts cannot resist publishing, then this is the right blog for you. The blog explores useful guidelines you can follow to increase the value and quality of the content and make it more suitable for the host. However, it is advisable to read the specific write for us guest post guidelines of the website you are writing the content for to be clear about the tone, style, and word count. Do you want to know how you can use CRM to make your content and marketing strategies better? Check out our website!