It’s list-building 101. Right? But it’s not enough to feature your work just anywhere. Guest posting is an art. And finding the right outlets to pitch to feature your work is the key element of a successful guest post.
Just like everything else, it’s all about creating relationships and making connections.
First: what is guest posting?
Guest posting means you conceive of, pitch and write an article for another website or publication in order to provide valuable information to a new audience, raise your profile and position yourself as an expert in your space.
Second: what makes an outlet a worthwhile pursuit.
If a website, or even print publication, is speaking to the same audience you want to speak to, that’s the kind of outlet where you want to place your content.
Here are some key ways to find guest post outlets that will be open to your ideas and articles. Follow these tips and the resulting list of outlets will also be of-service to your audience — a new population of ears that needs to hear from you.
Make a list of the following:
What do you read? Think about your favorite publications. Write them down. Visit those sites and check for links to any other like-minded publications. Start building a “reading list” in your browser so that you can consistently read these sites and become acquainted with their content. This familiarity is key when pitching an outlet.
What do your clients read? Think about profiling your ideal client. What does she read? You can also ask. Start adding those sites to your reading list, too.
Follow footsteps: We all know what our colleagues are up to — thank you social media — check out where they’ve been featured. Add the sites to your reading list. And again, ask around. Collaboration is key to success in entrepreneurship in this day and age so ask for help identifying great sites to pitch for your niche. Ask for info and be prepared to share as you become an expert in this kind of outreach, too.
Right in your own backyard: Think about your niche and look at whether associations or alumni organizations with which your aligned or associated have any publications. Also, check for local publications or newsletters that go to members of any community organizations you’re a part of. (Your local Y, your gym, your religious institution)
If you’re willing, share an awesome site you’ve found in the comments below. If your list, for now, only serves as some great reading, that’s enough.
If you’re interested in more expansive tutorials, please be sure to sign up below to get on the list. I’ll be launch an extensive tutorial on writing for your business with a special feature on guest posting. This course is fierce. It will totally help illuminate all the things you question when it comes to writing about yourself, about your business and more. Get on the list to be the first to get the info.
