Dan Alatorre recently invited me to post a guest blog while he vacations with his family in England. I jumped at the opportunity to fill the opening.

Why?

To newbie bloggers, expending the energy to write a post for someone ELSE’S site can seem like a lot of work with little reward.

So, I’m visiting DanAlatorre.com to talk you through it.

Writing a guest post is a great way to build relationships with other bloggers.

Forging strong connections with other bloggers/writers is highly beneficial to everyone involved.

I’m happy to write this post for Dan, because he’s a great friend to my site: Scribbles on Cocktail Napkins. And, as a conscientious guest, I will promote this post on HIS site on Twitter, share it on Facebook, stick around to reply to comments after the piece goes live, and re-blog the link on my own site in a couple of days. Driving traffic to DanAlatorre.com will work to repay him for all the instances where he’s promoted and re-blogged MY posts.

But, contributing a guest blog to someone else’s site is oftentimes more advantageous for the guest than it is to the host. (Sorry Dan.)

As a guest, your work will be showcased to an entirely NEW audience, which in turn will increase your social media influence, and grow the number of people subscribing to your site.

It’s been said that writing a guest blog is FIVE TIMES as valuable as writing a post for yourself. It’s all about product placement. Your post on a peer’s site is a Pepsi commercial in prime time. You have already connected to your audience. If you want your following to grow, it’s important to step out of your own box.

So, how do you land YOUR own guest spot?

Bloggers are always looking for good content to diversify their site. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can submit a post to sites that reflect your niche.

Just remember, you’ll find far more opportunities to write a guest blog by pitching your content as beneficial to the potential HOST than if you phrase your proposal as a favor

Openings to guest blog are everywhere, for those who put in the time to look. On Scribbles, I host a writing challenge where participants vote on one another’s responses to a weekly prompt, and winners are given the opportunity to write a guest post. Check out this link for 500 more ideas on places to syndicate your content.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, when given the opportunity to write for someone else, write WELL.

• Tailor your post to compliment the general theme of the site.
• Closely match the length of your host’s entries.
• Catch those typos.
• Showcase your BEST writerly self to attract followers to YOUR blog.
• Invite readers to participate in a discussion at the bottom of the post.

Remember, it’s not about the traffic ONE guest blog brings to your site.

It’s about the traffic that all your guest blogs bring to your site over the next TEN years. Blogging is a marathon. See that link to Scribbles on Cocktail Napkins a few paragraphs up? When you write a guest blog, insist on adding links to your own work. Over time these backlinks will raise the value of your blog to search engines like Google and Yahoo, making YOUR content easier to find. Popular bloggers Chuck Wendig and Kristen Lamb didn’t reach the number of subscribers they have today overnight. They WORKED for it. You’re going to have to work for it too.

What do YOU think about Guest Blogs?

Hit me up in the comments. While Dan’s away, the cat will play, and I’ll be around ALL DAY to answer your bloggerly questions!

J. A. Allen is a freelance writer, popular blogger, and the author of the upcoming novel, Old Souls. Her website, JAAllenAuthor.com, focuses on common writing struggles and boasts over 12,000 followers with a glowing recommendation by author Anne Rice. As co-host of Writers Off Task with Friends, she interviews emerging and established authors, and discusses methods to overcome various writing difficulties.