5 benefits of having guest contributors on your blog
Guest blogging gets a lot of attention but what about having people write for you?
There are multiple ways you can bring people on your blog, including interviews (similar to my podcast), allowing guest posts from subject matter experts relevant to your business, and talking about someone's work (with or without their knowledge).
And, similarly to guest blogging yourself, there are quite a few benefits to hosting guest blogs on your website.
The SEO benefits can improve your site visibility
If someone writes an article for you, they’re likely going to want to share that on their own site to provide more value to their audience and improve their perceived credibility.
Your main goal with your website is to get more exposure and views -- it’s your home on the internet, it showcases your services, and you want people to visit it! When other sites link to your site (aka backlinking) it can do wonders for your visibility on Google and other search engines by improving your SEO.
It can be challenging to get high-quality backlinks from relevant sources, especially as a small business, but you can host guest bloggers to expand your reach and grow your reputation as an expert by association.
You’ll also likely be including some outbound links on the page, directing people back to the guest blogger’s site in case they want to learn more. Outbound links can also help your SEO by improving your site’s relevance and providing a better user experience (and it benefits your guest bloggers).
Beyond the SEO benefits, if you’re providing a platform for guest bloggers who have a similar ideal client to you, you have the opportunity to get your brand and blog in front of new eyes.
They'll share your content with their audience on social
Similarly, your guest blogger will likely want to share the post they created across their social media accounts. It gives them credibility, adds value to their audience, and helps them to establish themselves as an expert in their niche.
The win-win, though, is that when they share your website and blog, you’re getting your brand and content in front of new eyes. When you are intentional with collaborative choices in guest blogging, your audiences are likely looking for similar solutions and therefore these eyes can translate into increased traffic to your website, new customers, and new followers.
Consider encouraging the contributor to share the blog post even more by hosting an Instagram or Facebook live conversation with them, or simply tagging them when you share about the blog, to make it even easier for them to post about it.
You'll get the benefit of someone else creating content for you
As a small business owner, it can be especially challenging to put out new content regularly, especially when you get busy working in your business.
Your marketing initiatives (and expectations) should be directly aligned with the resources you have available—your time, money, and energy. These are all limited resources, especially when you’re a solopreneur or have a small team.
Collaborations like guest blogging give you the opportunity to expand your resources when you can’t justify hiring another team member or stretching yourself thin to create more content.
When you add guest blogging to your marketing strategy, you’re creating the opportunity to have a continuous flow of content even when you’re short on resources. This means your website is continuously being updated, you’ll have content to share on social media, and your audience will continue to benefit from consistent, valuable content that they love and can learn from.
When you can continue to create impact and value for your audience, they’re going to keep coming back to you.
Your audience will get a fresh new perspective
External input is valuable! There can be a tendency to want to control all of your content and the voice behind it, especially when you’re a small business but that approach simply isn’t sustainable or beneficial (to you or your audience).
You need to be willing to delegate and share your audience in order to have the bigger impact. We’re more powerful when we collaborate and empower one another.
“There is no such thing as a self-made [person]. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” – George Shinn
Look to work with others in your network who have a similar ideal client but slightly different expertise.
For example if you’re a trainer who specializes in HIIT workouts, maybe your audience would benefit from a yoga instructor sharing some powerful stretches for post-workout.
Or, if you’re a business coach, maybe a relationship coach could provide some perspective on how your audience can nurture their relationships while still building their business.
When you connect with people who are in a similar industry but offer a slightly different perspective, you’re able to diversify your content and add value to your audience, while still speaking to them where they’re at.
Plus, you have the potential to gain the attention of a larger audience of people who are interested in your industry but maybe weren’t searching for your exact service or offering before. For example, stumbling upon your website via the yoga post but then browsing your site and discovering the power of HIIT training.
The more you collaborate, the more eyes you’ll get in front of, and the more people you’ll be able to impact. This will result in greater perceived authority in the marketplace and likely greater business growth.
You'll expand your network of collaborators
Networking is important across all industries and companies. Developing relationships and connections is the best way to organically grow your business.
Long-term, it opens the door for organic referrals, affiliate programs, and future collaborations on paid products or services.
By inviting in guest bloggers you’re growing your network within your niche market, which is a powerful place to be. It allows you to share audiences, discuss strategies, give and receive advice, and establish authority with others in your space.
Have you worked with guest bloggers before?
Consider reaching out to a few people in a related industry this week to see if they’d be willing to write a blog for you!
As long as you ensure the content will provide value for your audience, and that the post will be mutually beneficial, you’ll be setting yourself up for long-term success in your content marketing strategy.