3 Tips for Writers Interested in Guest Blogging

Whether you are an established blogger or just starting your freelance writing career, guest blogging is a great opportunity to get your work in front of more readers.  Guest blogging can also enhance your credibility and drive traffic to an existing blog…or create an audience for those just starting out.  When considering guest blogging, keep in mind these important points:

Original content

Although we are all influenced and inspired by the writing of others, it is important that you don’t just duplicate something you’ve seen on another blog…or something you have already posted on your own blog for that matter.  You can technically re-purpose your existing content by making it more targeted to the blog you are guest posting on, but a “guest post” is generally original.

In some cases, a blogger might ask to syndicate your content (post something you have already written on their blog).  In this case, offer an excerpt of your original blog, with a link back to the content on your site as well as a bio to display on the guest blog.   Don’t copy the entire article on another blog as this will negatively affect the SEO on your own blog by creating a competing blog.

Payment

If you reach out to a well established blog, your only payment may very well be increased exposure.  If a blogger asks you to write for their blog (whether it’s a one time occasion or a regular gig), you should receive payment. Common industry rates are determined as follows:

• Per Article :  For expert or well-known writers that offer heightened exposure/ traffic to the guest blog, the going rates are upwards of $200 and $2,000. Yet, for the average writer you can expect to receive $5-20 per article.

• Hourly : If are an expert writer, you can offer an hourly price along with your estimated number of hours.  In this case,  the going rate is generally $15-20/hour, which would bring you to about $75-100/article if it took roughly 5 hours to write.

• Contract:  If you plan to contribute regularly to your blog, you’ll want to create a contract.  In this case, writers that are not an industry expert of well-known blogger can expect $50-100 a month (1 post/ week).

Adding Links

If you’re not getting paid for your guest posts, the ability to add affiliate links is a great way to earn value.  With that being said, DO NOT try to add affiliate links to articles you received payment for. Whether you’re getting paid or not, each guest post you write should include a link back to your site, either in an author bio or when your name is clicked.

Guest posting is a great way to gain exposure and make extra money when relevant.  If you’re not getting paid for your guest posts, make sure that the blog you are writing for offers you some for of compensation– traffic to your blog, credibility, etc.