5 Benefits of Guest Blogging

The term “guest blogging” refers to writing and publishing posts specifically to be content for someone else. At first, the idea of guest blogging may seem at odds with your content marketing strategy. “Why would I want to build up views for someone else’s blog?” you’re thinking to yourself. Actually, guest blogging is helpful to yourself and your own website as well. Posting and guest blogging on other websites is a great way to garner a bigger following on your own social media accounts, while also gaining credibility and networking opportunities.

#1 Exposure

Guest blogging allows you to get your name and face seen by more people than ever before. Great, high quality content has become even more important as more readers are getting the majority of their news and information online instead of traditional outbound methods like a newspaper. Get yourself out there and get noticed!

#2 Credibility

Google has placed a much heavier emphasis on expert writers recently. Guest blogging is a great way to boost your authority. Any blogger who has been published on sites like HubSpot or Marketing Land will most likely be seen as more credible in their field than someone who has no guest posts at all. Since it can be difficult to get approved as a contributor for top sites in any industry, starting with smaller blogs and using them as a portfolio will start creating the online credibility that will only grow once the author has been published on more popular sites.

#3 Social Media Growth

Naturally, more exposure and more credibility will lead to a boost in social media followers. This is great! If a reader likes the article, they’ll often follow you on Twitter or LinkedIn to see what other content you publish on other websites, which will show them your blog. Beyond growing a following organically, great articles will also get shared a lot via social media channels, leading to improved visibility for bloggers that are constantly writing and publishing great content.

#4 Links

Most websites allow writers to submit a bio and their social media profile URLs to be published alongside the post. These links drive traffic and boost organic search rankings, resulting in better SEO reach for the author’s website. Because the guest blog post provides backlinks, it’s important to provide only high-quality content. Link building is still worthwhile and will definitely help you gain authority in Google’s eyes as well as help your website show up #1 more often.

#5 Networking

Besides outright promotional tweets and sharing of your content, guest blogs also often drive conversation on social media, so be sure to engage. Conversations can also strike up in the comment section of the post, and via email, which could lead to great networking opportunities or even direct sales. People want to work with businesses they feel connected to, especially if they recognize a face to go along with the brand. When you put yourself out there, meet new people, and have stimulating conversations, others will gain confidence in your ability as a writer, as also in your industry.

Being more visible in your online community and getting noticed by others in your industry and potential customers can be beneficial to your career and your brand, a major perk of guest blogging. You may be a little nervous to start attempting creating content for someone else, but as soon as you get started and see real-life benefits, you’ll feel at ease- maybe even excited!

Be sure you don’t forget about your own blog when you get into guest blogging! Marketing data clearly shows that blogging is a critical piece of the inbound marketing methodology and directly correlates to better business results, so it’s crucial to your success. And if you need help, blogging services from a trusted partner can take your content marketing strategy to the next level.

Download our free eBook Beginners Guide to Blogging for Business now and make sure your blog is doing everything it can for your inbound marketing strategy.