By Mickie Kennedy
So you heard that one terrific way to attract new traffic to your site can be to drop a few well-written articles on other popular websites or blogs. Seems pretty straightforward, right? You write an article full of useful advice, a potential new client or fan reads it, surfs over to your webpage, lands in your funnel and — boom! — your follower base expands.
At first glance, guest articles on online websites seem very similar to guest blog posts. However, while similar in quality content, they differ in how they are written, the editing process, and their place on the website.
So before you go sending off a dozen emails to leading blogs in your space, check out these rules and tips.
Guest Articles
Guest articles are usually more formally written for an online publication like a magazine. They also have a more formal review process. Most likely, you will be working with an editor who may have significant changes for your submitted work. In addition, a guest article may have a permanent place on the website or a link from the main page to your content.
Guest Blog Posts
A blog post is slightly different in that it is more informal. You are still presenting quality information, however, the review process is usually, but not always less stringent. The blog creator or their staff may have a few changes or might want to write an introduction for your post. In addition on a blog post, as new posts are added, your post will fall down on the page. Your work will still be incorporated on the website, but it will not have a permanent position. So for example, you couldn’t just send someone to the main blog URL and expect it to be there.
Best Practices for Guest Writing of Any Kind
To write for both of these, however, you will still be following quality writing guidelines. Things to keep in mind while writing either a guest article or a guest blog post:
- The headline needs to reel people in. You want to keep it short, interesting and factual. It should be between 60-80 characters ideally, so that it’s easily readable in search engine listings.
- Know your audience. Do they respond to anecdotes or do they like ‘just the facts.’ Don’t be afraid to ask the blogger or editor for any guidelines or to give feedback on the piece.
- Another important feature of guest blog posts is the call to action. This is especially important if you are trying to get your product in front of a different audience. You want them to be able to go to your website and either by your product or sign up with your service, so make sure they know who you are and what you want from them.
Remember that in either situation, you want to send quality work to these websites. Refrain from using too many links or veering off topic in your posts.
Have questions about writing guest posts? Ask us in the comments.
