Content marketing generally tends to refer to the process of publishing content on your own website so that you create ways to people to find your brand (through Google) and so that you can build trust and authority.
But content marketing is really any kind of marketing that involves content and that includes ‘guest posting’.
Guest posting works the exact same way as content marketing on your own site, the only difference is that you’re gaining exposure via another creator’s channel rather than your own. The aim is still to show that you have knowledge and can provide value however and it is still to build trust with your audience via a ‘free sample’.
The advantage here is that guest posting allows you to start afresh with a new audience and you also get a quick ‘boost’ in your authority because you are getting the seal of approval from a blogger that that audience trusts.
The Power of Content Marketing + Guest Posting
Anyone can guest post, but if you have already been investing energy into content marketing, then you will likely find that you are much more effective at this. That’s because guest blogging works best when you have fantastic content to share with the other blog. Not only will this increase your chances of actually getting published on the blog you’re targeting, but it will also help you to make the best first impression on that audience.
At the same time, having great content on your own site is very important. Remember, when someone publishes your content on their site, this is essentially their seal of approval. If your website is low quality, then this association is going to hurt their reputation and their brand. If you want to get onto the top blogs, then you need to ensure that the content on your own site is every bit as good as that found on those top blogs.
How to Get Other Blogs to Work With You
Even if you are the best content marketer in the world though, you might still find it is a struggle to get new creators to work with you.
There are many ways you can get around this obstacle but one of the most important is to build a relationship with the blogger before you contact them. People don’t like being contacted out of the blue with no prior interaction, so how can you get them to sit up and listen?
One option is to try mentioning that blogger for free in one of your posts. If they see this, then it will help to demonstrate that you have similar audiences and similar approaches.
Another method is to try and strike up a conversation about something else. Try sending a message to say ‘hi’ or just to ask them questions. If they sell a service, you could even try hiring them for that service.
Either way, you are now creating an interaction so that when your name shows up in their inbox, they know who you are!
