The Golden Rules of Guest Posting + 56 Printable Kitchen Labels for Foodies

The Golden Rules of Guest Posting

Written by: Anyonita Green on 7/11/2103

Welcome to the Blogging Crash Course! 

Helping you grow your blog into the powerhouse you know it can be!

Last week, we looked at how to optimize photos for Pinterest. This week, we're changing direction and talking about guest posting.

We're going to quickly cover a wide range of topics under the umbrella of guest posting and look at the benefits of it from the guest's point of view and the host's point of view.

We'll also talk about the etiquette of guest posting and how to turn readers of your guest post into repeat visitors to your blog. Finally, we'll explore the options of charging for guest posts on your blog.

But before we jump in, I've got a freebie for you! These labels can be printed on normal paper and fastened to whatever receptacle you use for storing the appropriate herbs and spices with Mod Podge or they can be printed on sticker paper.

Just click the image to download the PDFs; print them out and use them to organize your kitchen! I've used all of the herbs and spices I have on my own spice rack to populate this list, so by no means is this exhaustive. More herbs and spices will be added as well as other kitchen cupboard staples.

Update: This freebie is no longer available for download. 

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Guest posting is the opportunity to contribute a post on a blog other than your own. It can be beneficial for blogs that have fallen into the trap of delivering monotonous and repetitious content. Guest posting is also beneficial for providing link backs to blogs and for gaining exposure.

Let's take a look at six Golden Rules of Guest Posting:

1. Do it as often as you can and on as many blogs as you can.
   Within reason, of course. The point here is that guest posting on a number of blogs is always going to help you more than it's going to hurt you ... if you do it correctly. If each post is unique, well-written and interesting, you will benefit. Your post will be seen by a new set of readers, potentially encouraging them to follow you socially. Your blog will also benefit from invaluable backlinks placed in your guest post, pointing readers as well as search engines, to your domain.
   
   You might be wondering how to find guest posting opportunities. The best way I've found is to simply look for guest posting policies on the blogs I frequent. Many bloggers have guest posting policies explicitly on their sites. If you participate in any weekly link parties, asking the hosts of those parties would also be an option. Alternatively, I accept guest posts, so if you're interested, email me. 
2. Share something good; something that will get attention.It's simple, really. Sharing crappy, unimpressive posts signifies that you don't have respect for your host or your host's regular readers. Sharing crappy, unimpressive posts won't benefit you and they won't benefit your host.
   
   Remember, the point of guest posting from a guest's point of view, is to reach out to a new audience and drive more traffic to your blog. While from the host's point of view, they may be looking to provide their readers with something a bit different from their usual posts or need someone to help keep up their blog going during an absence. Either way, as a guest, it's important to respect the host and the host's readers.
3. Take advantage of the opportunity.Put your heart into your post and present yourself and your blog as well as possible. Remember that you're potentially reaching a whole new set of bloggers; entice them and charm them. No one wants to follow you back to your blog if you've posted crap!
   
   Don't be afraid to share a bit more about your blog than the content of your post as well. I'm not suggesting you recap your blog's greatest hits, but including a few links to similar posts wouldn't be a bad idea and can help to show the scope of your blog.
   
   Sharing a post on another blog doesn't exonerate you from posting it on your own blog. In fact, I repost all of my guest posts on my blog at least a month after they've appeared elsewhere. If you know you would like to post a guest post on your own blog, try to save a few of the images so that your readers have something fresh to look forward to. Also, take time to rewrite the introduction (for recipes) or most of the post, as copied content doesn't fare well for SEO intents and purposes.
4. Be involved.On a guest post, the comments left on your host's site are half yours. Opt to receive an email whenever a comment is left on your guest post. Respond to them just as you would on your own blog. Engage with the readers--that's how you make bloggy friends! Invite the bloggers leaving comments to participate in your link party (if you have one) or link them to a relevant entry they may find interesting based on their comment. Or simply visit their blog and have a genuine read and look around and develop a friendship. This is the best way to turn a casual reader into a repeat visitor! 
5. Be grateful.
   Thank your host and offer them the chance to guest post on your blog. On the day that your guest post is live, consider including a teaser on your own blog perhaps with a photo and a short description about the post along with a link to the blog where it will appear. Showing your readers that you are guest posting will hopefully send them to the host's site and increase their traffic. It may also open the door for you to have more guest posting opportunities or even receive guest posts, if that's what you'd like. 
6. Amplify your post.
   Sharing a teaser of your post on your blog also counts towards amplifying the post and helping to promote it by driving traffic to your host's blog. Other ways to amplify a post include pinning an image from the post as well as sharing links and keywords on Facebook, Twitter and G+.

Before I wrap this up, I'd like to share an email query I received a few months ago about charging for guest posts that you might find interesting.

Paula, from Sincerely, Paula, writes:

Hello! I have a quick question for you regarding guest posters.  What is your take on being charged to guest post on a blog, or charging to put a guest post on your blog? 

I've accepted a bunch of guest posters on my blog for free, but just had one request for a guest post where they'd be willing to pay.  This got me wondering, should I be charging guest posters? I tried Googling this, but didn't find what I was looking for, and I figured you might be the perfect person to ask this question to as you accept them on your blog and contribute to others.

Thanks for any advice you may have :)

My response:

Hi Paula,

This is a very good question! Personally, unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer! (Isn't that always the case?!) Let me explain:

On Anyonita Nibbles, I never charge for other bloggers to submit guest posts. I only accept recipes or food-related posts that other bloggers have written. They've already done the hard work in coming up with the recipe/researching it and documenting it and writing about it. Why should they have to pay as well?!

I also do not pay someone to allow me to guest post on their blog. I don't agree with this practice and I think it's a bit strange. Why should I pay someone to post something that I could post for free on my own blog or a number of other, equally good blogs for free? If it's a case of wanting to tap into a specific blogger's readership, the best way to go about it is by contacting the blogger's readers directly. Visit their blogs and leave comments and strike up a relationship. You'll never know if their readers skim over the guest posts and you'll never really know how many people actually look at it! Is it really worth paying someone $10 or $20 without any guaranteed results?

The only payment I receive on my blog for posts is for sponsored posts from established businesses or corporations. We'll discuss what the business is looking for and how I might be able to help them achieve their goals. If I don't get paid in cash for my corporate sponsorships, I get paid in samples or reimbursements.

For me, blogging started out as a hobby and I know I'd never want to pay someone to feature my recipes and food writing, so I've not wanted to do the same. Ultimately, it's down to your opinion and what you think is best. But if you were to charge someone to guest post, how would you be able to demonstrate that fee? Could you guarantee that their post would be viewed x amount of times? Could you guarantee that any accompanying photos would be pinned by people other than yourself? 

The best approach to take would be to think about what someone would want back from you after they've given you payment. Surely they'd want something in return and most likely, it's exposure leading to clear results. Other bloggers are going to want more followers, more of their content pinned and more likes. Especially after paying to post.  If this can't be promised, then I think it's best to avoid.

What do you think? Do you charge for guest posts or are you willing to pay to guest post? Be sure to stop by again next week, when I'll be beginning a series on link parties, starting off with a tutorial!