Transform Your Guest Post From Time Sink To Traffic Generator

Guest posts help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, but only when you use them strategically.

When I work with clients on website development projects, or when we create a sales page for a course, I’m often asked, “What’s the best way to promote this project?”

Sometimes the best answer involves advertising, such as Facebook ads. Sometimes you’ll do best with teleseminars and webinars. For creating a long-term online presence, one method that’s worked for many business owners is guest blogging.

You’ll find a lot of buzz about guest blogging, along with a lot of misinformation. I’ve had lots of surprises on my own guest blogging journey.

What is guest blogging?

“Guest blogging” means that you write an article — i.e., a blog post — for someone else’s blog. As the guest blogger, you get exposure to a new audience. If you’ve chosen well, you’re gaining entry into a community that’s already established. It’s like being invited to address a lunch meeting of a professional association, but without the face-to-face component.

How does the host benefit?

Your host blogger gets, first and foremost, good content for the blog. Even more important, you as the author help the blog gain publicity with a new audience.

So why use guest blogging rather than, say, Facebook ads?

Unlike advertising and social media, guest blogging allows you to build relationships. You’re more likely to attract targeted traffic from an audience where your name is known. And, as with speaking gigs, you get to establish your expertise by the way you present your topic.

Some businesses rely a great deal on the “you” factor. If you coach clients or create courses, you’ll need to present evidence that you’re an expert — a personable, approachable expert. Guest posting allows you to demonstrate your style as well as your knowledge.

Guest blogging also helps you grow your list. When you publish a guest post, you can include a link back to your own blog. Ideally, you send traffic…