Webinar: The Magic of Guest Blogging (Alexis Grant)
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Transcript of Webinar: The Magic of Guest Blogging (Alexis Grant)
The Magic of Guest Blogging
How to get your posts published on high-traffic blogs
Alexis Grantalexisgrant.com
#alexiswebinar
alexisgrant.com
What We’ll Learn Today
Two components of guest posting: Your pitch – what to say in that email Writing the post – what to include so editors
say YES to your submission
PLUS… One technique that works for me (go ahead,
steal it!) Q&A
alexisgrant.com
Why I’m Qualified to Teach You
See pitches from both sides:
Guest post for a variety of popular sites, including Mashable, Lifehacker, Problogger and Copyblogger
As Brazen Careerist’s blog editor, review at least 30 pitches each week
alexisgrant.com
alexisgrant.com
Gain credibility Reach new eyes Drive traffic to your blog Boost your SEO Leads to other opportunities Make money
Why Bother?
alexisgrant.com
How to Choose Blogs to Pitch
Which blogs does your target reader enjoy? Look on Facebook or Twitter or just ask
Google “top 10 blogs on [niche]” or simply “top 100 blogs”
Use sites like alexa.com
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What to Say in Your
Pitch Email
(hint: don’t beg)
alexisgrant.com
Pitch Tip #1
Address it to the right person
Which means, of course, that you have to find them.
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Pitch Tip #2
Say you’ve read the blog, like it and understand
its audience (flattery doesn’t hurt)
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Pitch Tip #3
Explain what you want to write about
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Pitch Tip #4
Tell why readers of this particular blog will care
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Pitch Tip #5
Say why you’re the right person to write it
(plus links to your work)
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Pitch Tip #6
Keep it SHORT
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Why I Delete Most Pitches
Not addressed to me Too long and rambling Fails to tell me why it matters to my readers Not even about the topics we care about
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Huge opportunity for YOU
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Most pitches are terrible, which means…
Great Example A
Hi XXX,
I am sure you get pitched on guest posts on a daily basis so I’ll keep this short. I am a long time reader of your blog and have been meaning to contribute – but I held back because I didn’t have a great idea that I think you’ll love.
Well, now I do. I stumbled upon an interesting topic on 5 Problems Turned Into Solutions:
How To Make Career Setbacks Work For You. Would you be interested in a guest post about the topic?
And if you need it, here is a sample of my writing: [link here]
I look forward to your reply and I can't wait to get started! Cheers,XXX PS: I read your article entitled, “Hey, Have You Seen This? Job Applicant Explains How He Got
a Job He Wasn’t Qualified For” and it was really encouraging. Hard work really is the key to success.
Shows he reads my blog ----
Anticipates what I want----
Keeps it short & respects my time ----
Great Example B
Hi Alexis!
I'm XXX from The Do-It-Yourself Degree. My website teaches students how to earn a bachelor's degree in 1 year by taking exams instead of classes. Exams cost $80-$200 apiece, versus $3,000+ for a class. Total cost of graduation: around $5,000. Essentially, you can "test out" of your degree (while still earning the credential) and jump-start your career with zero debt.
I'd love to write a concise overview of the process for Brazen Life's readers. Degree-by-examination is the ultimate education hack, but I can tell you (based on many conversations with students) that most people have never heard of it!
Let me know if you're interested, and I'll send over a draft for review.
Cheers!
- XXX
PS: I wrote a guest post for I Will Teach You To Be Rich last month that became a pretty big hit. Check it out!
Gives himself social credibility ----
Shows why it’s unique ----
Explains his mission concisely ----
Now for the actual writing…
5 Tips for Writing Guest Posts That Will Make Editors Say
YES!
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Writing Tip #1
Write an awesome intro (don’t bury the lead)
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Writing Tip #2
Write in the “YOU” voice, not the “I” voice
(and write TO the reader, not ABOUT the reader)
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Writing Tip #3
Offer a headline, even if the editor doesn’t ask for one
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Writing Tip #4
Follow the blog’s guidelines perfectly
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Writing Tip #5
When in doubt… create a list
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Top Brazen Life Posts in 2012
A System That Works for Me
Google Doc Strategy Blog Topic What I want to promo Editor Approached? Response? Submitted? Ran? Outcome
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#alexiswebinarhttp://facebook.com/writeralexisgrant
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QUESTIONS?