As a business owner with a blog, you’re probably wondering the should and shouldn’t do’s of running a blog.
Besides the decisions of when to post, how often to post, how much to post…you may be thinking about incorporating guest bloggers into your rotations.
If you are wondering the pros and cons of this concept – read away…
Why you should have guest bloggers on your site…
Guest blogs can offer a new angle on your subject.
Of course, you want a guest blog to contribute something valuable to your site, though it doesn’t always have to be on the exact same topic.
For instance, if you have a company yoga blog where you normally write posts about yoga practice and tips, you could have a guest blogger contribute a post on anything from positive thinking, healthy eating, cross training exercise, body image to workout clothing.
You want your guest posts to add a nice variety, new perspective and something new that you normally don’t write about.
Guest bloggers are a great way to network.
One thing that can be a natural progression from offering guest blog spots on your company blog, is you can post on other sites as guest blogger.
Just as the guest post on your yoga blog added new insight, you can post about yoga practice on a clean eating blog, a yoga clothing site or one about positive thinking and relaxation. It’s a great way to share thoughts as well as blogs, and by sharing your site, others may be more open to sharing their sites with you, and it can certainly get your name and writing out there.
Readers will follow.
If a popular blogger guest posts on your site, his readers will come to read. What does that mean? More readers on your site.
And if they like what they see, they may stick around, which means more followers. And that often leads to more sharing and…more readers.
Why you shouldn’t have guest bloggers on your site…
They are not the caliber you want.
If you have a guest blog on your company site, you want it to match the caliber of your site , your company, and what you write. If it’s not, your readership could decline.
You need to keep offering posts that meet your readers expectations and match your company’s reputation, or you will have disappointed readers who may leave.
They aren’t covering the material you want.
Let’s go back to the yoga blog.
If you publish a guest post on the joys of fast food eating, your loyal readers may balk. Fast food and yoga just don’t go together and this could be a big turn off to your readers.
Just as they want the same caliber of writing, they want the same genre of thought. Unless, of course, you post something to gain reaction and debate, but that needs to be clear.
You lose your voice.
This probably only happens if you publish too many guest blogs.
If you want your site to be your voice, your ideas, your control, limit the guest blogs. If you want your readers to hear YOU, only publish a few guest blogs now and then. Keep yourself the star or you’ll lose your star status.
Incorporating guest blogs on your site can be a huge plus to your site.
You can gain readership, get your own voice out there more often and add variety to your blog.
But be careful. Be a good editor and make sure the guest post fits your style and level of writing. If not, it can hurt you.
Remember, one of the benefits of blogging is you are in control!