Content Writing: How to Become A Regular Guest Author

Content writers are akin to journalists these days. Say this to your average journo, however, and he/she would laugh in your face. SEO, PR and Content Marketing companies have been working for years under the assumption that journalists are the beginning and end of all that elusive, high authority google juice that national coverage brings and that their clients are always asking after.

But what if we were to tell you that this doesn’t have to be the case. Sorry to all those budding journalists out there but content writers are just as important and we’re actually evolving.

When you talk about a content writer, what are your initial thoughts? Most will automatically jump to conclusions about mediocre copy, contributors to the ‘churn factory’ where poorly researched subjects are explored in order to add that all-important do-follow link for your client. While this is true a lot of the time (just google ‘top five’ anything and you’ll find pages of the stuff), there are a few of us out there that have tried to level-up.

“Pitching to these sites isn’t easy and expecting it to be will be the first hurdle you fall at.”

Some of us have set our sights higher, aiming to guest post for bigger and better domains which our clients will reap even more benefit from. It’s a risky game though, and one that you have to approach with caution. It means giving your content writers more time to research, inspiring them to write more than the usual ‘top five best..’s and generally encouraging them to think more widely about the context of the content piece they’re linking to or the client they’re representing. In short, they need to be thinking more like a journalist.

This shouldn’t be any great surprise for content marketing companies that are producing relevant and timely pieces. Getting into the mind of a journalist should be one of your first steps of ideation - especially if it’s national coverage you’re chasing. But when it comes to guest posting, it means covering a subject that you’d feel confident pitching, that you’re adamant you could write eloquently about.

Let’s rewind a second, then. You’re ready to up your guest posting game, you’ve got some ground-breaking ideas that subtly include a reference to your client… where do you go from there? The next step will take some mean manual prospecting to make sure your new and creative writing is seen on the right platform by the right people. If you’re in this for the long term, look to sites like The Huffington Post as a shining example. Our Online Content & PR team have worked hard to produce great content and, in doing so, have secured a permanent blog profile on their site. This is invaluable to us and our clients, meaning a great link on a more-than-credible site.

There are plenty of similar sites that have outlets dedicated to regular contributors; The Guardian’s Opinion section, for example, could be a great place for you to write about a unique viewpoint on a niche subject. The great part? Most of these sites actively encourage linking to sources. As they put it, ‘open journalism is all about seamlessly knitting our own reporting with the wider network of information beyond. For this reason, links are an essential part of writing for the web; you should aim to include several in every blog entry’.

“Take the bull by the horns and ensure the press yourself.”

Pitching to these sites isn’t easy and expecting it to be will be the first hurdle you fall at. The better the site, the more people will be clambering for a space on it. Treat your pitch like you do that precious press release you’re outreaching; spend a while thinking about the pitch title, research the site, explain why you want to write about a subject and why it’s relevant. Confidence is key, they’re trusting that you have something valuable to add, so make sure you add it.

Thankfully, it will become easier with each door you knock down and each window you manage to climb though. Once you can refer them to author pages on other credible sites you’ll find they might need less convincing to let you write. Don’t be complacent, though, getting them to even open your email is still the biggest battle you face as you sit checking your Sidekick for opens.

Pitching for guest post opportunities is by no means a new tactic but investing time in writers is definitely worth thinking about. Sure, you could spend hours outreaching and if you’ve got some great contacts at high authority sites, maybe get some decent pickup for your campaign. Or you could take the bull by the horns and ensure the press yourself. Hire ex-journos or those who are passionate about writing, give them the time and resources in which to blossom and benefit from guaranteed coverage for almost everything you put out.