How to Use Guest Posts to Grow Your Blog

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: guest posts are the best way to grow your blog. Period. Why? Because you’re tapping into similar markets of people who are likely looking for just what you’re offering.

Guest posting is a very simple yet powerful tool that not many bloggers take advantage of because they’re so focussed on “going it alone”. They somehow think when they collaborate with or promote other bloggers it will take away from them when in actuality it’s empowering for both bloggers involved.

increase brand awareness

Whenever you guest post on another website, you increase your brand awareness. The more sites you post on the more people become familiar with your name, your voice, and what you stand for. You will hopefully hyperlink your blog and respective social media channels so people can find you and become loyal readers. (Plus you always, always want to attach your name to your work – it’s your digital portfolio!)

Once you gain that loyal following, brand partnerships will start to form. Brand recognition and partnerships are the #lifegoals because partnerships = money and money = freedom. You can also use the increase in brand awareness as leverage to develop products or eCourses which is another added income stream.

build your credibility

When you guest post on people’s sites and when you feature guest posts on your own blog you build your credibility. When big time bloggers agree to be on your site, it affirms you’re legit (like I did for BYOSB). People think you’re experienced enough to dish out your content because you had so and so on your blog.

You’re now an official reliable source that readers recognize and brands will come to know. That’s how bloggers get a successful blog… because they’re featured on all these different sites that say ::insert blogger here:: is a style expert and boom, blogger fame.

increase your google ranking

When you guest post on other blogs you get an influx of traffic from that site, which is known as pingbacks. A pingback is anytime another site mentions/links your blog or an article on your blog. When reputable sites link back to you, it rates your blog as a trusted site for Google (aka increases your Google ranking).

This is great news for your blog because it means when someone Googles, “how to have a successful fashion blog” and you have an article with a similar title, you will be on the first page of search results. And as well all know, no one scrolls past the first 4 articles anyway.

Getting on the first page of Google search results doesn’t happen over night. It takes consistency, quality content, and credibility. Once you get more familiar with the blogosphere and marketing in general, you’ll notice trends big time blogs follow like tagging each other and keeping the pingbacks flowing, which you should incorporate into your own blog. For example, The Skinny Confidential mentions Fashionlush who mentions Thrifts and Threads.

This is proof that collaboration goes way further than competition. It’s also my little secret for how I use guest posts to grow my own blog. But featuring people on your blog shouldn’t be something you do just to benefit you, you should also admire your guests. And vice versa, you shouldn’t guest post on anyone’s site just because it’s free publicity for you. You want to stay true to your brand and only collaborate with people who have similar values as you.

Have you ever guest posted? If you’re a fashion blogger, email me for a chance to be featured for Style File Friday!

xx