It’s not uncommon to see bloggers writing for other blogs and websites. I do it myself, for Your Baby Club, Teletext, Indeed and for other bloggers. This is something you’re free to do, and it can bring some benefits back to your blog. For instance, you tap into a different audience, and anyone that likes your writing may visit your blog and become a permanent reader. From here, you obviously have the snowball effect of more readers causing more growth, meaning you could make more money.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t jump into things and start creating posts for loads of other blogs. There are some things you should know before you start doing it. In this post, we’ll go over a few of the main talking points regarding this topic.
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Only write for blogs that match your audience
You might be approached by people that want you to write for their website. They’ve seen your posts and love what you do – should you accept the offer? Well, it largely depends on the blog itself; does it align with your brand and target audience? It doesn’t really make sense to write for a blog that’s absolutely nothing like yours. The target audience is different from your own, their content may be completely different from yours – it’s just a mismatch. What if they create some really edgy and controversial content? By writing on their blog, you’re now associated with their views! Play it safe: only write for blogs that align themselves with yours.
Never write for free
Okay, this sounds harsh, but there’s a logic behind it. Why should you spend valuable time creating content if you get nothing in return? It makes no sense, particularly from a business side of things. Ideally, people should pay you for your writing. You should fire up some invoicing software and make sure they pay you when you’ve finished. However, there are ways of benefiting from guest writing without being paid. For instance, the other blog promises to promote you and show links to your blog in the article. They may also shout you out on social media, telling people to follow your blog. In this sense, you’re technically writing for ‘free’, but you are getting value from it. The shoutouts and exposure can help you get more readers and make more money. Never write for a blog if you get no recognition, no shoutouts, and no money from your work.
Do it sporadically
Lastly, don’t put too much time and effort into writing for other blogs. Your blog should always be your number one priority – don’t waste time writing for others! It can impact your content, meaning you churn out fewer posts for your blog. In the end, you suffer while the other blogs thrive. It is good to write guest posts now and then, particularly if they’re paid or you get promoted. Just make sure you do it sporadically!
The best way to summarise this post is that you should only write for other blogs if you gain something from it, the blog aligns with your brand, and it doesn’t have a negative impact on your blog. If the stars align like this, you can benefit from some guest posts now and then.
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