Need some additional exposure that won’t put a crimp in your marketing budget? Try guest blogging. Track down those sites that are similar or complimentary to you and your business and approach them as a guest blogger. Your posts will run on their blog and just may lead to some serious buzz and click-throughs for you.
There is a catch, however as things can get a bit tricky if you do not treat things in a serious and professional manner. What guest blogging can do for you is set you up as a true expert and authority in your industry or niche. In addition, by submitting posts to a reputable, and well visited, blog, such a marketing strategy can only add to your credibility.
The tricky part is that much of this effective strategy has been wasted by marketers. Rather than building and enhancing the reputation of their company and their brand, many are just using these outlets for drivel and spam. Blog owners are constantly searching for new material and can find it difficult to keep up a regular output. This has always provided an opportunity for the savvy marketer to step in and supply some fresh material that will be beneficial to both parties.
Recently, however, mighty Google has taken a swipe at guest blogging and is advising that it no longer be practiced as a primary marketing tool. In a post written by Matt Cutts, he has taken issue with those marketers who are using the guest blogging strategy simply to build links. Cutts considers it a misuse of the strategy and it appears as if Goggle is going to be rather vigilant in the future regarding such tactics. Cutts is Google’s chief of their Webspam contingent.
So, how do you leverage an effective marketing strategy without alienating the search engines, particularly Google? How do you stand above the spammers who are just in it to create links and claw their way to the top of the search rankings?
Concentrate on building your brand. Every guest blogging post you write is a commercial for your business. You must continue to pound away at why your brand is so special and why people need to take advantage of it. Establish yourself as an expert who is on the cutting edge of your industry. Become a trusted source for any news or innovative advances.
Engagement is critical. Establish an immediate rapport with the audience and give them a look at you and your company on a personal level. Describe the benefits of using your product or taking advantage of your service. Show them how you can improve their lives. Make each guest blogging post thoughtful and special. Remember, you are not doing this just to grab some backlinks. You are slowly and methodically building your reputation in an effort to turn your brand into a household name. Name recognition is everything.
Guest blogging, when done right, can become a major tool in your marketing arsenal. It can set you above the competition. It can gain you credibility and name recognition. When all of that is carefully and honestly crafted, the traffic will surely follow.
SearchPro Systems
2024