With the creation of the Web and Email, people who want others to read their stuff routinely ask high-profile bloggers if they can guest post on their blog. So many of them benightedly send Emails to popular bloggers, saying something like, “I’d like to guest post for your blog.”

Note that they make these requests without having any relationship to the blogger.

And they are absolutely clueless how their requests come off.

This is akin to walking up to a stranger and saying, “Hey, can you promote my stuff on your platform?”

Yes, it comes across that crassly.

Prefacing your “pitch” with, “I think your readers will enjoy what I have to say,” doesn’t help.

And neither does the overused introduction, “Hey, I love your blog” and then on with the pitch.

The bottom line is that this kind of approach not only violates every rule of Email etiquette, but it comes across as feckless, self-serving, and ignorant.

So how do you resolve the problem?

Guest posting is a great way to build your audience. But the real question is: How do you get the attention of A-list bloggers and persuade them to actually want you to guest post for them?

Here are 5 steps and each of them is vitally important:

1. Whenever you write to a blogger or author you don’t know personally, keep your Emails VERY SHORT.

One paragraph containing 4 to 6 sentences is ideal. 99% of the time, long Emails to A-list bloggers and best-selling authors will not be read or responded to. These people are very busy. Long Emails scream, “Ignore this!” So keep that in mind.

2. Attempt to develop a RELATIONSHIP with the blogger or author before you make any requests.

This necessitates that you get familiar with their work.

Writing them and saying, “I really enjoy your blog” or “I love your book” is so vague it smacks of insincerity. Have you actually read their books?

If so, tell them which books you appreciated and why.

If you have taken the time to read their blog, what blog posts have you read? Comment on those.

3. In a follow-up Email, offer them something without asking for anything.

How about inverting the pyramid and offering them something of value instead of asking them for something. Offer to promote their work on  your blog, for instance. Offer to buy a case of their books to hand out to friends and ask if there is a discount. In other words, before you make your self-serving request, give them something.

4. Once you’ve done the former, then peek their interest with something about your work that will benefit them.

Again, this necessitates that you first get to know them and their work, thus understanding how your product could benefit them.

Example:

Let’s say you are writing to a blogger who specializes in productivity. Here’s a good example of how to write to them.

“Dear [name of blogger],

I’ve just uncovered a new finding on the number 1 obstacle to productivity.

Let me know if you’d like to see it.”

You’re doing 3 things here:

1. you are offering them a benefit – a finding that you came across in an area of their interest.
2. you aren’t giving them the link to the finding (which may be on your blog or in your book). Instead, you’re letting them respond if they are interested.
3. you aren’t asking for anything; you’re giving.

Now this is the way to build relationships with A-list bloggers and best-selling authors.

5. Ask them if they would be interested in publishing a guest post by you that relates to a topic they’ve already written on.

Only after you’ve completed steps 1-4, then make the ask. But make sure your guest post is on a topic they’ve written on before, and not something outside of it.

This shows that (1) you are familiar with their blog and niche and (2) you can contribute something valuable to their tribe.

Now if your response to the above is, “That’s too much work!” Then, my friend, forget about trying to promote your resources to people you don’t personally know.

If you choose the lazy, selfish, mindless path, it will not only prove to be ineffective for you, but you’ll quickly lose potential friends who could help you tremendously.

You’ll be viewed as a spammer and a taker. Plain and simple.

If you desire more (and there’s a ton more), the Buzz Seminar Master Course equips you to do the following:

(1) how to promote your resource in ethical, non-spammy ways that build buzz and get results.

(2) how to write Emails by giving you actual templates of Emails that ask for promotions in ethical and effective ways.

(3) how to target the core audience you have created your resource or service for.

(4) what to put in your Email (or blog) headline, other ways to build relationships with A-list bloggers and best-selling authors.

(5) how to write a book from scratch in a short period of time and get it published in the best ways.

(6) how to create a blog, build traffic, and even monetize it.

(7) how to have your book hit a best-seller list, and much more.

In effect, the course teaches authors, musicians, bloggers, writers, creators, business people and artists of every kind how to build buzz for their products and services and to be extremely effective at doing so.

Check out the Buzz Master Course page and read what’s included in the course, including the testimonials.

It’s a game-changer.

The course opens 3 times a year so get on the waiting list so you don’t miss the next time it opens.

 

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