Is guest blogging for you?
Put simply, yes. Nearly every industry can benefit from guest blogging. For example, real estate agents and financial advisors can create large and beneficent networks through guest blogging.
Think of guest blogging as the online version of a Business Network International group. You’ll be engaging in a digital conversation with other industry experts and your target audience, all from one space. experience great business growth through guest blogging.
We know just how powerful guest blogging can be because we’ve helped professionals in both aforementioned industries with their marketing campaigns. And while doing so, we’ve come across plenty of great guest blogs. But we’ve also seen professionals drop the ball when it comes to guest blogging.
We want to share the most common guest blogging mistakes with you so you can avoid them and maximize your return on guest blogging.
What is Guest Blogging?
Guest blogging is a marketing method that is accomplished in one of two ways.
First, you can feature industry experts on your own business blog. This helps draw in new readers and provide a bit of variety to your digital content.
Or, you can reach out to other successful blogs in your industry with a topic idea and write a blog for them. When it’s featured on their site, you’ll reach a new audience that will hopefully follow an included link back to your website, landing page, or contact form.
Either way, guest blogging should help you expand your audience and move leads deeper into your sales funnel. This is done by providing solid and engaging content that leaves readers wanting more.
Guest blogging is ideal for professionals who already have a blog on their own website but even if you don’t, there’s room for guest blogging in your marketing strategy.
Benefits of Guest Blogging
There are several major benefits to guest blogging. If you’re not sure if blogging is worth the effort, check out some of our favorite benefits and see if guest blogging suddenly sounds more appealing.
Boost quantity and quality of traffic
If you submit a guest blog to another website, you’ll be reaching a new audience. As long as they match the criteria for your target audience, this should quickly increase the number of quality visitors to your site.
If you’re having industry experts guest blog on your page, they should be bringing their audience with them. Either way, a guest blog should substantially increase not just the number of people visiting your website, but they should be more likely to become clients.
Improve search engine ranking
Being on the first page of search engine results for your target keyword can have a massive impact on your website traffic. According to Search Engine Watch, the number one spot on Google can earn a website 33% of search engine traffic.
One way to improve your search engine ranking is through guest blogging for other websites. When a link is included back to your website, it proves to Google that your website deserves a little attention. Depending on the keyword you’re trying to rank for, just a few additional links to your page can make a substantial difference.
Develop your authority
In both the real estate and financial advisor industries, trust is incredibly important for keeping and gaining clients. Sharing your knowledge and advice with readers through guest blogs helps instill confidence in your readers and boost brand recognition. Over time, you’ll develop as an authority within your niche and gain more leads and clients.
5 Guest Blogging Mistakes
If you’re ready to make guest blogging a strong piece of your marketing plan, there’s no better time to start than the present. But before you get to writing, make sure you avoid the following guest blogging mistakes.
Not guest blogging at all
The first mistake is easy to spot. By avoiding guest blogging, you’re leaving opportunity on the table. If you’re not sure where to start, take an online blogging course. You can also outsource your guest blogging efforts if you don’t have the time or desire to take it on.
Not making your blogging part of your marketing strategy
We see some professionals embark on a guest blogging marathon only to find out they haven’t built the marketing method into their overall marketing plan. Why is this a problem? Not having a goal with every blog post, including guest blogs, means you can’t track the return on your intellectual and timed investment.
Knowing if you’re trying to reach a new market, increase website traffic by 20%, or improve your search engine ranking will help you make the most of your guest blogging efforts.
Writing to the wrong audience
Guest blogging won’t do you any good if the right people aren’t reading your carefully crafted content. A great way to tell if you’re writing to the right audience is to examine your feedback. Is the type you’re receiving engaging? Critical? Constructive? Or is your feedback minimal at best? The better your engagement, the more likely it is you’re writing to the right audience. But if your posts aren’t generating much discussion, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Blogging about yourself
Your blogging topic certainly matters. Don’t make the mistake of simply putting together a few posts about your business and services. While these seem like obvious topics to new bloggers, these are the exact types of topics that fall on deaf ears.
But if you really have a message to get across, let someone else tell it. In other words, work in the words of another professional into your blog. Let them be the one to provide the message while you offer support.
For example, a financial advisor telling young professionals to increase their 401K contributions might not get the best feedback or engagement. But having someone from within their industry give the same advice will resonate on a deeper level. They’ll be more likely to read, engage with, and share your blog, and then reach out to you for your services.
Ghosting readers
If your guest blog does gather some attention, don’t leave your readers hanging. If they’ve taken the time to comment, make sure you respond. Whether they’re letting you know they enjoyed your blog, are asking in-depth questions, or completely disagree with what you’ve said, respond promptly and professionally.
This does two things. First, it helps humanize your blog space when readers can see there really is an actual person behind the content. Second, it encourages others to engage. When people see a conversation taking place, they’re more likely to listen in and get involved.
If you’re in the real estate or financial advisor industries, guest blogging is a smart marketing method to consider, as long as you avoid guest blogging mistakes. Remember, the worst mistake you can make when it comes to guest blogging is simply not doing it. So, start brainstorming ideas, put together a content plan, and get started.
