Find the right blogs that will accept your pitch
Find the right blogs that will accept your pitch
1. Check in with your current partners, social media followers, and other connections to find new opportunities to publish.
For example, get a list of your Twitter followers along with their site URLs by using a tool called Followerwonk. Go to the Sort Followers tab and click on the Export button to export to a spreadsheet. On the spreadsheet of your followers, there will be a column with their website URLs. Analyze the websites to see if any might represent publishing opportunities.
2. Analyze competitors to find partner and rival guest posts using an SEO tool to find blogs that publish your content.
Use a tool like Ahref, CognitiveSEO, Majestic, SEMrush, or Moz to identify sites with post articles that rank for keywords you wish to target. If you cannot see a way to reach out to the site’s editor directly, contact the authors of any existing posts and ask them how best to reach out to the publishing website.
3. Find your industry groups on Facebook and LinkedIn to find the right guest posting opportunities.
For example, on Facebook there is a popular group, B2B Bloggers Boost Group, for link-builders and content marketers. In this group, you can find guest post opportunities quickly. For example, you can search for groups on LinkedIn that are focused on guest post partnerships. Alternatively, look for Slack channels focused on content marketing or link building, to engage and look for opportunities. You can also seek out communities focussed on building relationships with editors and content managers.
4. Write an informative outreach email to introduce yourself and to give a good reason why you are writing.
You can introduce yourself in one simple sentence that includes a link to your website or LinkedIn profile. Include who you are, your contact information, links to your website, and previous content samples in your email. Use terms specific to your content and posts. Avoid using vague terms such as, high-quality guest post, in-depth, practical, and well-researched. Give a good reason why you are writing, framed in terms of adding value. For example, you can do the following to frame your “why”: Emphasize your expertise and knowledge; You can write that you have tons of experience in what they write about while providing a list of your previous posts to support your claim. Align with their current content goals; You can write, “I noticed on social media you were writing more about SEO lately, and I think I have the perfect piece that can complement these two pieces you already have.” Focus on SEO benefits; You can highlight that you are good at keyword research and your pitch’s organic potential.
5. Link previous work samples to demonstrate that you have the experience needed to guest post.
Share your samples and link your website in your email pitch. Include 3–4 relevant examples showcasing your work. Invest time writing an article on Medium or your own blog if you do not have examples to show.
6. Add a list of topics that are relevant to the blog.
Find topics that will be the right fit by doing the following: Research the blog to understand its target audience and what most articles are about. Pitch topics that have not been recently covered. Learn more about their product and company. For example, what tone of voice do they use and what kind of audience are they trying to appeal to? Browse all blog posts to find those with good social media engagement. Use them to offer something similar and to emphasize that you performed a detailed analysis of their blog.
7. Personalize your outreach email to the person or company you are sending it too.
Research the person and company you are sending your email to before writing your outreach email. Search your target website for post guidelines before asking for this information in your email. Customize your email. You can use an outreach email template, but it should be as unique as possible. Add a few sentences of personalization that show you have done your research. For example, you can say, “Hey {name}, I really enjoyed your latest article on networking, I found #4 especially helpful…” then dive into your ask. Use anchor text, for example, a hyperlinked company name instead of the URL. Or I can use the “P.S.” section of my email to write something like, “I absolutely agree with your recent post about link building where you stressed that you need to earn links. A lot of link builders forget that link earning is not the same as link begging.” Find something that you both can relate to. Browse the editor’s Twitter or LinkedIn feed. If you share professional interest areas, attend the same conferences, or are fans of the same blogs, mention that in your pitch. Mention the content you liked. Highlight the articles that attracted your attention the most on their blog. Emphasize that some of these articles inspired a few topics on the list you added to your pitch. Let them know if you’ve recently shared their content. Include a link to your social media post as proof.
8. Use humor and creativity to build rapport and stand out.
For example, the sender below showcased expertise and personalized with simple language: Example of using creativity and humour to showcased expertise. Use humor and creativity in follow-up emails to make them more bearable. The following is a great example of using humor to grab an editor’s attention through a follow-up email: Example of using creativity and humor in a follow-up email to stand out.
9. Use different channels for following up on your outreach email.
For example, you can connect and follow up using LinkedIn or Twitter. Share a recent post from their blog on Twitter or LinkedIn, depending on which social media platforms the editor is most active on. While doing so, tag the editor and company. Once the editor has reacted to this SMM shout-out, send a follow-up email as soon as possible. When following up, keep your email short and simple. Do not send more than one to two follow-ups.