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January 31, 2022 Content Chat Recap: Why Brands Should Partner with Guest Authors

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“I found your website really interesting and awesome. I am a blogger and want to write something for you. All I ask is for two backlinks and to become a recognized thought leader for your company.”

Most marketers have received a cold message similar to this (OK, probably not that last part). Some marketers receive these messages daily. Understandably, these low-quality, spam requests discourage marketers from partnering with outside “writers.” But there are many cases where it could be advantageous for a brand to partner with guest authors, as long as that author is a reputable member of your community.

In this #ContentChat recap, we explain why brands should partner with guest authors and how to manage a guest author program. Read the full recap below to learn about the potential brand benefits of guest-authored content, when a blog is ready for guest content, and our solutions to the common challenges of working with guest authors.

Q1: Why should brands partner with guest bloggers? What are the advantages of guest-authored content?

Guest authors can provide a variety of benefits for brands, including expanded content reach, boosts to engagement, strengthened SEO, and validation of your thought leadership strategy.

Guest authors can also support a healthy content cadence for your blog (especially if your team is short on resources).

It’s important to note that “guest bloggers” have become associated with spam and low-quality content. We do not recommend engaging with individuals that clearly will not provide valuable content for your community.

Q2: When is a blog “ready” to accept guest bloggers? What elements should be in place before accepting contributed content for your site?

Your blog should have a defined voice before accepting guest content. Your team also needs to know what type of content topics would be best addressed by outside experts.

Guest-authored content programs can take a significant amount of time to manage. You will likely receive many off-the-mark pitches that require refinement and coordination.

Establish clear writer’s guidelines before accepting guest submissions. This can potentially reduce the amount of low-quality pitches that you receive.

Q3: How can brands effectively field and review guest blogger proposals?

Create comprehensive blogger guidelines and post them on your website as a blog post, dedicated web page, or downloadable asset. Promote these guidelines on your social media channels and explain what type of content you are looking for.

After you receive a viable content idea, agree on the general direction of the piece. Then, use track changes and leave comments to provide feedback on the draft post (once received).

Be conscious to not over-edit the content. Your writer should still have their unique voice, just fit within your brand’s guidelines.

Shane recommends reading other blogs in your industry to see how they handle guest submissions and what sort of guest content they post.

Q4: What should marketers prepare for when editing guest-authored content?

Every guest submission you receive will require some degree of editing. Some posts will be completely off the mark.

Don’t feel pressured to publish a subpar post, especially if the original content pitch is of a higher quality than the post itself. In some cases, writers use template pitches to appropriately convey an idea but then outsource the content creation.

To reinforce Melanie’s point: find a balance between your editorial guidelines and the writer’s unique style.

Editing cycles can spiral out of control if there are too many editors. Ideally, have just one or two team members review a piece of guest content, and use your brand guidelines to inform what changes you should suggest.

Q5: What are the common challenges you’ve faced when managing a guest content program and how did you overcome them?

There must be some “what’s in it for me” for your guest author. Allow a follow link to related content within the post and a link back to the author’s site in their bio (to a reasonable extent).

Time management is a common challenge of guest content programs. However, remember that it can get easier to work with individual writers over time as you develop the relationship and establish trust in the partnership.

Some guest authors can be demanding in how the content is promoted. Ensure that your blogger guidelines clearly explain the full process, including planned distribution.

Develop trust within your team about your guest content program. Brand leaders must give their content team the freedom to engage with guest authors and develop the program without hitting internal roadblocks at every step of the way.

Q6: Do you have examples of some solid guest blogger guidelines? Feel free to share your own, too!

Check out these example guest blogger guidelines to inspire yours.

Q7: For those of you who are currently/are going to accept guest blog posts, what are some of the topics you are looking for pitches around?

Melanie explains what type of content her clients are looking for, and stay tuned for Erika’s guidelines.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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