Christine K. Bailey: Published Author & Freelance Writer » Social Media

Guest Blog: 10 STEPS TO GUEST BLOGGING SUCCESS

Christine — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:20:59 +0000

Thanks to Jackie for graciously agreeing to be our guest blogger today! Jackie Dishner writes and speaks from Phoenix, Ariz. She specializes in business, the healing arts and travel. Her first book, BACKROADS & BYWAYS OF ARIZONA, published by Countryman Press, was released at the end of 2009. To learn how you can turn obstacles into opportunities with a spiritual navigation tool developed by Jackie, visit her blog at http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com.

10 STEPS TO GUEST BLOGGING SUCCESS

by Jackie Dishner

In the three years I’ve been blogging regularly, I’ve missed out on the one opportunity that I will be taking more advantage of in 2010, and that is guest blogging. It’s a simple process that ProBlogger (http://www.problogger.net)Â recommends. In fact, anyone with a successful blog (one that earns advertising revenue and attracts hundreds of readers) does it. And anyone who WANTS a successful blog should do it.

If you’re not taking advantage of this opportunity to market yourself on other people’s sites because you don’t know how, here’s how it could work for you, step by step:

STEP 1) Decide you’re going to do it.

STEP 2) Find willing partners. Ask friends, for starters, if they’ll let you guest blog on their site–and offer to let them blog for you. If no takers there, move on to colleagues whom you know well. Whenever possible, you want to post your guest blogs on sites that get a lot of traffic, so you get a lot of readers. So, if nothing else, shoot for the top, provided you have an “in.”

STEP 3) Once you find a willing partner, discuss how you can use YOUR expertise to write about THEIR topic, and vice versa. Share a few ideas that might work well, and pick one. Each of you should end the conversation with a blog topic you’ll write about for the other person’s blog.

STEP 4) Decide on a date you’ll both run the guest posts and begin to announce this on your blog. They do not have to be the same day, but it works well if they are.

STEP 5) Write your post and e-mail it to your partner a few days before it’s scheduled to run. Attach any graphics or photographs you want included with the post and send a bio as well.

STEP 6) You both use the bios to introduce your guest blogger in a paragraph or two before the guest post begins. Don’t forget to use the accompanying photograph. And write an action-oriented headline.

STEP 7) Be sure to include a link back to each other’s blog in the introduction, using this space to let your regular readers know where your work is appearing on that day.

STEP 8) Use the social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, to “advertise” your blog. Encourage readers to post comments with a question at the end of the post.

STEP 9) Include a list of tags so your partner can key them into the appropriate place and search engines can find you.

STEP 10) Repeat these steps with other bloggers on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis, and you should see an uptick in traffic to your blog.

Unsure of what this might look like? Here’s an example of a guest post that ran on my blog last May:Â http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2009/05/believe-in-yourself-if-you-want-others.html

You’ll see I include a photo of my guest blogger and include the introduction before her post begins. I separate the intro from her post with italics. Then, because she didn’t ask a question at the end of her post, I added that in, also using italics. I want my readers to get involved and to share in the dialogue, so I ask questions to give commenters something to respond to about the post. And they do.

Think you might make this a goal of yours in 2010?

Is Your Story Worth Repeating?

Christine — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:45:02 +0000

We’ve been telling stories as a society before we could read and write.Â The petroglyphs scattered across the Southwest are only one set of reminders of our strong desire to share our experiences.

Whether it’s a shared anecdote between strangers, a familiar family tale repeated at the dinner table or a good book passed on to a friend, people connect and re-connect through stories.Â These stories reverberate throughout our collective past and will continue long into the future.

Certainly, the way we share our stories is changing radically — through text messages, on Facebook, via Twitter and through e-Books, Web sites and on YouTube.Â However, our desire to tell them, hear them and share them remains.

Good marketing tells a story, too. It paints a picture of your company and describes the experiences your customers are likely to have.Â The strength of your story is evident in the way your customers flock to you.Â But, it’s also evident in the stories they tell about you.

Are they saying what you want others to hear? If not, what are you doing about it?Â Are you changing your message; crafting a better tale, both internally and externally through customer service training, better Web site content and and more customer-friendly sales and marketing copy?Â Are you telling people not just what they want to hear, but the truth about what it means to do business with you?Â When your customers get to your store or your Web site or call your toll free number (even more, when the arrive at your Facebook fan page, choose to follow you on Twitter or read your blog) do they experience the story you promised?

It’s now more important than ever to deliver on that promise and successfully fulfill your story — excellent customer service, fast response time or quality products — because it’s now easier than ever for your customers to share their stories about you — good and bad — across every media outlet (social & mainstream) they have access to.

Are your customers talking about your company in a positive way?Â Are you?

Take a minute to review your company Web site, marketing materials and media efforts — do they accurately reflect your company’s story and is it one worth repeating?

3 Books to Live By

Christine — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:07:59 +0000

Here are three books that will change your outlook on how you live and work.

Whether you’re an employee at a small non-profit or a wannabe business owner, these three books will help you step outside the proverbial cubicle and make your life your own.Â Each book asks you to answer challenging questions about who you are and what you want for your life.Â Some aspects may seem contradictory, but as with any philosophy, you need to pick the pieces that work for you.

Have you read any of these books?Â If so, let me know what you think?Â If not, be sure to check them out!Â There’s a link to each book in the right hand column of this blog.