10 Tips For a Guest Blogger

All good writers should have a blog. It gives you an outlet to provide real time updates on events ad happenings and it can be a platform that you use to position yourself as someone who’s an author and a resource that others can count on for credible information. Now if you want to give your blog a major traffic boost you should consider guest blogging. By following these guest blogging tips you’ll have a better chance at landing a guest blog spot.

1.  Know the Blog

Don’t pick a blog with the most readers and then hit up the blogger with a request to guest post. Guest blog for one that you read regularly and follow yourself. Consider what it is about the blog that you like and what draws others to it.

2.  Understand the Owner

Ask about guest blogging policies and find out who has guest blogged in the past. The more you know the easier it will be to create content that’s on par with what the readers want to hear about with your own special twist.

3.  Stick to Your Deadline

Seriously, enough said.

4.  Proofread Again, Again & Again

We’re all prone to errors and let’s face it, SpellCheck only catches so much. Do a thorough proofreading and read through for error-free submission.

5.  Post Linking

This doesn’t mean linking to your blog, but instead linking to relevant posts on your guest blog. This demonstrates your familiarity with the blog and shows that you’re a fan and reader yourself.

6.  Promote Your Post

Let everyone know that you’re guest blogging. Use your available social media tools to get the word out with links, tweets and status updates.

7.  Visual Appeal

Take the time to find good graphics and imagery to make your guest blog post a stand out. It shows you care and that you’re willing to go the extra step.

8.  Use SEO

Optimize your guest post. The goal is to make it easier to find on search engines and if that happens, readers will see that you’re the genius behind the writing. Good publicity for you.

9.  Add Value

Truly focus on adding value to the guest blog. Remove the ‘all about me’ factor and make your post the absolute best that it can be.

10.  Sell Yourself

Work out the details on linking back to your own blog and including a snappy byline so that readers know about you and how to find you.

Measure Your Degree of Influence

Knowing what your ROI is on the efforts that you put forth is important because it helps you gauge what’s working and what’s failing. Making subtle adjustments allows you to focus your energy in the right direction and it can produce amazing results. Measurement as it relates to social media is a tricky thing because there isn’t necessarily a direct relationship  between a gaining a new fan or follower and a specific monetary value that impacts a brand’s bottom line. So, instead of trying to equate each brand loyalist to a dollar sign, let’s look at measuring your degree of social media influence by examining other areas. 

Retweets

Twitter users know that retweet (RTs) are one of the most powerful methods of extending their social reach. When you create a tweet that has sticking and sharing power, other tweeps are more likely to pass it along to others in their own networks and those people will pass it on to theirs and so on and so on. In this manner, a RT has the power to exponentially to spread your message and drive traffic back to your profile and your site or blog if you’ve tweeted a link. 

Link

Speaking of links, they are an integral part of your social media presence. Links are easy to shorten and share with others and they’re very easy to look at the type of traffic they’re producing. If you use a link shortener like Bit.ly you review how many clicks a particular link has received. You can also set-up Google Analytics for a particular page via link to get a better understanding of bounce rates, visitor habits and a slew of other data. 

If you actively participate in leaving blog comments you can include a link, as long as it’s relevant to your comment, back to your site or blog post. External links carry more weight and influence in the eyes of Google and therefore will help boost your site’s exposure on the search engine’s results page. The more links you have, the more easily you can be found because you’re viewed as a credible resource. 

Pings

Without getting to technical, pings are essentially communication methods that are used by computer networks that send out alerts when something new occurs. Pings are an effective way to promote your site/blog and you measure site traffic related to a ping to estimate your the level of influence that you have.

5 Reasons Why Authors Need Blogs

Blogging is more popular than ever and despite the fact that the majority of bloggers launch with a bang, many discover that there’s a considerable amount of work and commitment involved to prevent their blogs from fizzling out. If you’re an author, having a blog can be a powerful way to promote yourself and your published work. Here are a few reasons why authors need to jump on the blog bandwagon.

1.  Build a cyber sales channel.

Blogs are actually quite flexible in terms of content and functionality. For example, you can integrate e-commerce so that blog readers can purchase books directly from your site. You can tie-in your blog sales outreach to services like Clickbank and even Amazon.

2.  Connect with your audience.

You audience is much broader than just readers and fans. Through a blog you can meet publishers, literary agents and other authors to exchange information and build a social network to support your book.

3.  Boost book sales.

As an author you have the advantage of never running out of great ideas for blog posts. You can use our book to generate hundreds of topics for posts. Try using an excerpt from you book and expanding upon it, touch on something unique about one of your characters, discuss plot or print out a teaser page to encourage sales. Endless opportunities exist for blogging authors.

4.  Become search engine friendly.

The primary search engines, Google, Yahoo! and Bing, continually crawl the web looking for new content that is regularly updated. Every time you submit a post a search engine bot will come along and index it on the internet. That makes you more searchable and increases your exposure. People will have an easier time finding you and connecting with the material that you’re producing.

5.  Develop conversations with readers.

Blogs aren’t a one-way street. Commenting systems enable readers to share feedback and thoughts and regardless of whether they’re positive or negative, participating in a dialogue is an excellent way to learn how to improve and expand on things that are disliked or favored.

If you don’t have a blog, there’s no time like the present to start one today. Give your fingers a run for the money and start typing.

Press Release Tips

Using a press release to alert the media, bloggers and the search engines about business news and happenings is a fantastic way to drum up some interest and exposure. The thing about press releases is that their content is structured very differently from a blog post or article. By following a few simple guidelines you’ll be able to create a solid press release that can work to your advantage.

For all the authors out there this next mention will sound familiar. Just like a query letter, your press release needs to have a great headline. The purpose is to hook the interest of the reader, but also be succinct and direct at the same time. The headline should summarize what the press release about, but be catchy enough to entice further reading. Important: don’t include jargon or slang in your headline.

When you begin writing the body, or content of your press release, remember to stick to the facts. Press releases should contain a who, what, where, when and why. Additionally, they need to be written in a third-person voice and should be kept free of opinion. Editorializing should be avoided. Think of the release just like a news reporter would approach a story. Personal opinion is pushed aside so that people can make conclusions on their own. This is true with how your present the content in your release.

There are many different press release distribution sites on the Internet. To get a good sense of the style and tone of a release do some browsing on the web. Soon enough you’ll be able to distinguish between good and not so good, plus you’ll get a better understanding of how the components work synergistically to develop an informative piece.

The last part of your press release should be your boilerplate. The boilerplate is standard on every release and once you’ve written yours you will use it on all your releases going forward. It should contain a four to five sentences about who you are, your website and any other relevant information, such as a social media address or blog site. Boilerplates aren’t fancy, they simply summarize who the press release pertains to.

Visit corporate newsrooms to see good press release examples and to get inspired to write your own.

White Papers, eBooks and Reports: Freemiums

One of the more popular business models that websites utilize is the freemium model. The freemium concept is very simple. You basically allow your basic website members to use, or access, certain areas of your website for free, but if they upgrade their membership to a paid version they unlock extra features and areas that were previously off limits. Pretty straightforward.

For authors, the freemium model is a fantastic way to give loyal fans and readers incentive to become paid members of your online site. This can be accomplished by sharing a white paper, ebook or even a report. Knowing what the difference is among each of these will help you develop content accordingly and make it available to win over interested individuals.

A white paper is a great tool that can be used to sell your services. Typically, a white paper contains quite a bit of copy and a few graphics that are assembled in a persuasive way. The purpose of the white paper is to sell your point of view and usually argue from a specific position. Think of a white paper as written form of opinion that uses facts to support what it is you’re boasting about.

Sometimes, people confuse white papers with reports, but they’re not the same. A report is more along the lines of an article. It’s purpose isn’t to sell, but to convey, or educate. For many writers, a white paper or report won’t be as frequently used as an ebook. Ebooks are electronic versions of a book and they can be written on just about anything you can think of.

Now that we have a better understanding on what these three items are we can use them with the freemium website model. Consider creating a white paper, report or ebook that can be downloaded for free to entice your audience to learn more about your written body of work and you as an author. These free ‘teasers’ can demonstrate your experience, credibility and even highlight your accomplishments. All of these things are contributing factors to who you are as an author and why someone would want to read more of what you’ve written.

Once you’ve hooked your reader, turn them into paying fans and site members by providing them with access to content and material that basic members can’t receive. It’s an exclusive way to say thank you for their support.

Blog Comments: social media for website promotion

Blog commenting is super way to build links back to your book’s website and to promote yourself as an author. Furthermore, reading blogs and engaging in feedback is an easy and effective way to generate traffic without needing an expensive advertising campaign. As an author, you’re no doubt proud of the book that you’ve written and in a perfect world you’d love to shout about it in the comment section of each and every blog that you can find. Unfortunately, blog commenting requires some consideration so that you don’t end up causing more harm to you and your book than good.

When you visit someone’s blog, take the time to read it and get to know what the blogger’s content and focus is about. Familiarity will give you better insight when it comes to leaving a more profound comment rather than commenting just for the sake of it. Avoid ambiguous comments like, “This is a great post. Thank you for writing it.” Try to leave something of value. If readers of your book simply stated that your book was a “nice read” it would be frustrating to you as an author. The same thing goes for blog comments. Make each one count.

Don’t shamelessly self-promote you or your book right out of the gate. Instead of appearing as a resource, it looks pretentious and arrogant. Add value to the blog and the conversation of others. Consider sharing other resources that are relevant to the topic of the post versus linking to your book’s website just for the sake of slapping a link into the comment.

Be considerate when you comment. If a blog post is focuses on an opinion or perspective that isn’t in tune with your own you don’t have carte blanche to verbally berate the blogger. It reflects poorly on you and it can generate a whopping size of bad publicity that will make it difficult to recover from as an author. Be a gentleman and a lady and politely agree to disagree or avoid commenting at all. In cyberspace, biting your tongue is more aligned with taking the high road than not.

Blog commenting isn’t an art, it just takes some common sense. Think before you post your comment. Once it’s out, it’s out for good.

Bestselling Books on Podcasts

As a broadcast medium, Podcasting is a wonderful way to share information through digital media files in an audio or video format. If you’re thinking about podcasting, but you aren’t quite sure just where to begin, you might want to read up on the subject. There are quite a few podcasting books available that do a great job on explaining a podcast from start to finish. Here’s a run down on some of the bestsellers that are worth the investment.

Podcasting Bible by Mitch Ratcliffe

Veteran technology writer, Ratcliffe, chose an appropriate name for his publication when he picked the word ‘bible’. It contains 570 pages that are packed with podcast suggestions and details. The book is well-organized into seven sections that focus on specific podcast segments, such as production, equipment, distribution and media integration. In order to learn all the ins and outs of podcasting, this book is highly recommended.

Business Podcasting Bible: Wherever My Market Is…I Am by Paul Colligan and Alex Mandossian

Using your podcast to enhance your business and connect with your audience requires a bit of know how. Fortunately, this book lessens the learning curve through case study models. Reviewing how other businesses use this media gives podcast newbies a chance to borrow ideas and tailor them to fit their needs. A solid book with excellent examples.

Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting by Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass

The authors of this book have been referred to as pioneers in the field of podcasting. They’ve been around podcasting since the beginning and offer a wealth of insight for people that are just getting their feet wet. The book covers a range of topics that help teach readers about setting-up a podcast and marketing a podcast, as well as how to format a podcast. A fantastic book that educates readers on all things podcast-based.

Podcasting Hacks: Tips and Tools for Blogging Out Loud by Jack Herrington

Having the right hardware and software can make or break a podcast. Additionally, knowing how to search and subscribe to podcasts is also key, especially when you’re ready to produce your own.  Whether you’re interested in recording telephone interviews via podcast or concerned about preparing guests for interviews, this book has it all.

One honorable mention that shouldn’t be overlooked is Podcasting for Dummies from the Dummies Series.

Meet me @ the blog around the corner

take a virtual drink…

“So, 3 men walk into a blog…”

“A what?”

“A blog”

“Huh?”

“A blog”

“I don’t get it”

Neither do the big ad agencies

——————————————————

Sometime in the near future “walking into a blog” will make sense. I, for one, spend more time with friends, colleagues, peers, admirers, detractors, acquaintances and strangers discussing, debating, and conversing on blogs than anywhere else. You could say I do a lot of “virtual drinking”.

Of course having spent time in bars, I have come to notice some striking similarities. Walk through the swinging doors into your corner blog and you will encounter some characters. Perhaps you have met a few of these folks too.

The Blogaholic – He’s ubiquitous. Every blog you go to she’s there. He rambles, believing his diatribe invaluable. She shouts it at everyone she sees. The worst is when the Blogaholic owns the Blog.

Mr. Pick Up Line – He hits on everyone, with his spammy comments, hoping the law of averages pays off. One of these times, he figures, his line won’t end up in Askimet.

The Local Gang – Whoa Nellie! These people rule with intimidation. They hang out together. The conversational familiarity, Joint Ventures, work history or what have you point to multiple levels of connection. Lord help you if one hits on your blog with a comment and is rebuffed. The gang is offended. Retaliation ensues, perhaps subtly, perhaps not.

The Politician – He’s the self-styled Mayor of the place. He knows everyone and has a diplomatic manner. He comments on everything but seems to say nothing. You never really know his opinion, because he seems to know just how to side step an argument. His cultivated neutrality however, leaves you wondering.

The Flirt – She’s a wink and a nod kind of girl. Her comments smile at everyone. His stories sound a bit too good to be true. He’s very flash. It’s all window dressing though. They just wanted your attention, a quick hit of traffic. The minute you try to take the conversation to a deeper level, they’re gone.

The Blogtender – He appears on corporate blogs. A paid facilitator, his assures that everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid. He smoothes ruffled feathers, spouts policy, and occasionally tosses out a troublemaker. His number one priority is to make sure you are having a good time, so you will come back.

This is what puts the SOCIAL in Social Media. People are still people after all. And if you are using a blog for marketing then you must understand applied human psychology. It’s the foundation of interaction on the new frontier – the blogosphere.

Recognize your cast of characters. Speak to them. They are your repeat customers, no matter whether they are new to your blog or not. They serve a purpose. Great marketing starts here.

By the way, did I miss anybody you know? Copyright 2009 Leili McKinley