If you have spent time in the world of blogging, you have no doubt come across the concept of guest blogging. It is a popular trend in the industry right now and many blog owners see a real benefit to letting others pick up the pen.
However, guest blogging isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Sometimes, it can increase – instead of decrease – your work load. Also, if done improperly or too often, it can scare readers off.
How do you know if you should accept guest posts on your site? Take a look at a few of the pros and cons.
Guest Blogging Pros
Here are our top five pros of accepting guest posts.
+Accepting Guest Post Will Free Up Your Time
If someone else is writing the content for your site, you will obviously have a lot more free time. This extra time can be used to do a variety of other things.
Of course, you can always turn that discarded work time into personal time. Or, you can spend those extra moments doing other things for your blog – checking Google Analytics, engaging in marketing efforts, seeking out guest posting opportunities of your own.
By freeing up some time, you can do other things to help your blog grow even more. Meanwhile, the content keeps coming.
+Accepting Guest Posts Will Reduce the Pressure
The posting deadline is creeping closer. You don’t have a single writing idea in mind and there are about a million other things demanding your time. You secretly pray inspiration will strike and you’ll miraculously be given the gift of time.
Or, you can let someone else write for you. It is stressful trying to come up with fresh, clever content on a regular basis. Guest bloggers can provide that content for you when times get tough.
+Accepting Guest Posts Will Offer a New View Point
All of us are probably too familiar with the concept of writer’s block. If we do manage to churn something out in the nick of time, it is probably a topic that has already been covered by numerous other blogs across the net.
Instead, open your doors to guest writers. They can provide opinions and ideas you’ve never thought of. The differing backgrounds of each writer can offer your readers something new and exciting.
+Accepting Guest Posts Will Establish Valuable Relationships
Among other things, guest blogging is a relationship. You get to know a fellow writer and they get to know you. By accepting a guest post from an industry leader, you create a valuable connection. Additionally, they might return the favor and ask you to post on their site – exposing your skills to a new set of readers.
+Accepting Guest Posts Will Drive New Readers to Your Site
Each guest blogger has his or her own social network. After writing a piece for you, the guest blogger is likely to share that content with everyone in those networks. Therefore, you are exposing your blog to new potential readers each time a guest contributes to your site.
Guest Blogging Cons
With all those pros, it can be hard to believe there are any cons! However, there are a few things to consider before opening your blog door to guests.
-Accepting Guest Posts Will Change the Voice of the Blog
The “voice” of a blog is the overall tone and style. You, as a writer, have a very distinctive voice. Similarly, every other writer has their own voice too.
When you accept guest posts, you are exposing your readers to a constant change of voice. They don’t know what to expect when they open an article. Will it be the witty repartee they are used to reading when you write? Or will it be a more stuffy and informative post from someone else?
One way to combat this is to keep writing. Don’t let guest bloggers take over your site. Make sure the majority of the content comes from you. This will provide a bit of consistency and maintain the overall tone.
-Accepting Guest Posts Will Force You to Forfeit Control
As the sole writer, you have had sole ownership of your blog. You have the ultimate say about what gets posted.
When you solicit guest posts, you still have the power to say yea or nay to an article. However, the other writers will say things differently than you would and approach topics with a new viewpoint. You can’t edit every nuance of a guest post. You will drive yourself crazy and anger your guests.
You will have to be willing to let go of some control.
You can, however, hang on as tightly as possible by writing some very clear posting guidelines. Then, you still have control over the quality, length, style, topics, etc.
What do you think? Have you tried accepting guest posts on your site? Did you think it helped or hindered your success? Tell us what you think!
