4 critical elements of a successful guest post campaign

Guest posting has matured in a lot of ways.

It’s not just a shady SEO tactic anymore, and fluffy articles packed full of keywords and backlinks just won’t cut it.

This is a good thing. It raises the standard for content and means that writers must focus on value for readers in their guest posts, rather than the proliferation of useless words on a website.

Whatever reason has prompted your guest post campaign, here are a four crucial elements that will help you succeed:

1. Create a strong author profile.

The first step to any successful guest post campaign is to secure a guest post opportunity.

There is a lot to be said about successfully pitching a guest post, but regardless of how or what you are pitching, editors want to know that they are getting content from the right person.

Your author profile should demonstrate:

• You can actually write.
• You are a subject matter expert.
• You have something new or insightful to say.

If you have never been published before, start low and work your way up to the big publications. Nobody does their first guest post on Forbes.

Over time you will be able to build out a strong author profile and use “social-proof” to pitch more successfully!

2. Always lead with value.

You have probably heard it before and it is no secret - the best content wins every time.

There are many considerations to cover when trying to create valuable content, but the real meat of a great guest post is what you write. Use these questions to guide your efforts:

• Does it share something new or interesting?
• Is it easy and enjoyable to read?
• Does it provide insight, advice, or useful instructions?
• Is it something that would be shared with others?

Always think about how you can provide value to your readers and add to the bigger picture.

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3. Avoid being self-promotional in any way.

Readers will smell it from a mile away and your post will leave a bad taste in their mouths.

Of course, you want to get more customers, or promote your new product, or get some backlinks, however there is a time and a place for everything. Allow promotional moments to come naturally, and don’t force it into a piece of content.

When you provide editors with quality content, they will learn to value what you say and be even more excited to work with you down the line.

4. Be persistent and flexible.

Not every pitch that you send out is going to get accepted by an editor or publication; most of them won’t even get a response. However, if you put in a consistent effort and learn how to modify your approach as you deal with rejection, you will start to see some success.

If your articles are not getting accepted, you consider if one of these statements is true:

• Your content ideas are boring.
• Your pitches are poor, or you are pitching the wrong people.
• Your writing isn’t good enough.
• You are aiming too high without the résumé to support your efforts.

Guest posting is competitive and you need to learn to stand out from the crowd. If what you are doing is not working, adjust and experiment until you get it right.

Elijah Masek-Kelly is the Managing Director of Powerful Outreach and is obsessed with words and what they mean. He is a writer in many forms, but he is currently focused on helping small businesses and startups grow by any means possible.

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