How to Get Started with Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is an easy way to expand your professional network and showcase your writing abilities.

​It exposes you and your work to new audiences. The following guidelines are guaranteed to help you become a successful guest blogger.

Content

Originality is key.

​What is the number one rule of blogging? Don't plagiarize. Any content that you submit, including written content and images, must be your own work. It is okay to draw inspiration from other people, but you must be careful not to steal their work. Another important tip is to avoid plagiarizing yourself. If it already exists on one website, don't submit it to another – whether you wrote the post or not.

Write something new.

Readers get tired of seeing the same headlines and titles everyday. Write about something that isn't already well covered, or if it is, write with a unique point of view to make it more interesting. Give your audience a new perspective.

After blogging weekly for over two and a half years here at handshakin.com, our best performing blogs are always the most personal and specific ones (for example, "My car was totalled on it's 2nd trip on Turo) and one of the worst ones was titled "Tips for new freelancers")

Know what you're writing.

Choose a subject that you are familiar with, or learn something new. You, as the author, have an implied level of authority. Your audience should be able to trust that you know what you are talking about. Opinions are more agreeable when they are backed by facts, and facts are more believable when sources are cited.

If you're an expert, request an interview on one of our clients' blogs here.

Style

Keep it simple.

Blog posts should be clutter-free and easy to read. There's no need to whip out your thesaurus; use conversational language that the average reader can understand. Don't overwhelm readers with unnecessary complications, such as a massive number of links. We suggest supplying no more than four links per post. Before submitting to your blog post, please check for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Know your audience

If you are writing for a niche, you can be more creative with your language and style. For example, a blog post written with modern slang may be suitable for a teenage audience, but it probably wouldn't be appropriate for an older audience. When creating a blog post, write in a way that best gets the message across to your particular audience. When in doubt, use simple, direct language.


Writer's Checklist – Here's what you need.

• Your blog post. While there is no specific word limit, successful posts tend to have a minimum of 500 words. Incorporating photos into your post will make it more appealing to readers and help make your post a hit.
  
  
• Your bio. Tell our readers a little about yourself. Feel free to add links to your other work here, but Step Up asks that you submit no more than two.
  
  
• Your headshot. This will make you more personable to readers and give them a glimpse of your personality.
  
  
• Social media links. This is an effective way to allow readers to stay connected with you and up to date on your latest work.

Looking to be featured as a guest expert on one of our client's blogs?  Request an interview here.