These days, everyone from business owners to teenagers to grandmas have blogs. Blogs are a great way to communicate, and they are a huge part of social media. They are also the foundation for search engine optimization (SEO), marketing, and advertising.
However, it can be difficult to create content all by yourself all the time. That’s where guest blogging comes in. Guest blogging is when you let someone else write for you. Many blogs specify their requirements, which can cover the following areas:
- Topics
- Length
- Style
- Formatting
- Links
- Article submission
However, not all guest bloggers actually go over or follow these requirements. This is when guest blogging goes wrong. So, to keep guest blogging alive, here are the don’ts of guest blogging.
Don’t Go Off-Topic
If you are asked to write about a specific topic or one of three or five topics, then don’t decide all on your own to go off-topic. This can get your article thrown out without being read, and any future articles you send to that blog, in particular, are likely to just be ignored.
So, stay on topic. This shows you know what the blog is about and what its readers enjoy reading, which is something you should also take into consideration when choosing a good, relevant topic for a particular blog.
Don’t Write Too Little or Too Much
Writing underneath or above the specified word count can also get your article thrown out. Even a really stellar article if too short or too long might not get published.
It’s all about readability, and too short is not readable enough while too long is readable but not from beginning to end. So, writing the right amount of words is something you should do.
Don’t Use The Wrong Style
Every blog has its own style, but most blogs follow similar ones. You should almost always write in the first or second person.
This lets the reader feel connected to what they are reading, and it’s more like a conversation, which is easier to process than an essay. However, it’s important to speak politely and formally.
Cursing or making offensive remarks should be done sparingly and always with humor or the understanding of the audience. Businesses, in particular, should use a more professional, polite tone.
Don’t Create a Block of Words
Break up text with headers and even bold or italics. Images, numbered lists and bullets are also ways to get better, readable formatting.
Don’t Overlink
Many blogs have a limit on the number of outbound and self-serving links your article can include, so be sure to know and stick to this limit.
Write using your own authority and expertise, which is always better than just quoting someone else. This lends itself to originality and avoids the problems with plagiarism, as well.
Don’t Just Send It
After you’ve written your guest blog post, don’t just send it to any email address that you see on the site. Send it in the right document type, and be sure to follow any other submission requirements, as well.
Zane Schwarzlose is an SEO Specialist at Fahrenheit Marketing, an Internet marketing firm in Austin, Texas. Zane enjoys guest blogging, as long as it’s done correctly.
