a failed guest post attempt^{12}

i was recently “asked to write a guest post” for a serious blog and then asked to jazz up the submitted post. well that there is a classic example of what should happen. both parties win by publishing guest posts, the supplier, by increasing their weight in the google world and the publisher wins through the inclusion of a wider range of material, strong back-links and exposure. 

the most important part of this sharing process .. is that the poster should have a strong say in the guest posting guidelines, the style, the content and final say on its publication.

but dear reader i can’t help myself, the whole exchange was like some sort of weird dinner time telmarketing call. i can’t really believe i was asked in the first place, i mean i’m not renown for being terribly serious, or that “keenly keen” on writing how to seo, mlm or keywords.

nor am i inclined to provide incredibly, badly written advice on how to “make money blogging”

boom .. lo and behold i get this email.

hello… My guest post guidelines have changed now. can you make this post more interesting by adding more content and some funny conversation etc .. 

so i thought ok, i’ll add some funny and another intro, then i thought bugger it, i asked, if he’s not going to publish my dribbling prose could he please let me know and i’ll publish it myself.

he replied .. You are free to publish somewhere else. Thank you.

the request from the unnamed site, had been for me to spice up my post with more content and some funny conversation. i’ve removed the newly crowned into and stuck with the original one and here’s some funny  ..

q – what is brown and sticky … ?

a – a stick

the horse walked into to bar and the barman asked why the long face .. ?

q – what did the fish say when it swam into the hard concrete wall .. ?

a – dam

now for the serious subject of blogging and my attempt at advice ..

i’ve some information on blogging. so here is an outpouring of humble advice from tbaoo and i’d love to share it with you. it’s not new, it’s all over the place, but it is really important that you grab and apply these simple steps. a few solid “connecting with your market” tips on how to make money with your blog, such as be clever. it’s a simple strategy that most of us bloggers forget, or simply don’t have the time to complete.

what you write:

write some entertaining, educational, informative and above all accurate words that will be easy to read. remain pleasant and be reasonably brief. when an audience finds you, you’ll only have a few seconds to grab their attention.

don’t be surprised, but they may not even read all of your post, so you have to catch them quickly and keep them. their tastes, background and browsing experience will dictate just how much credence they give your humble post. make it sharp, snappy, clear and crisp. remember, if what you offer is good, the reader will be able to tell at their first glance.

post titles:

this is an art, an accident or just an uncomfortable mix up of words. personally i’m always trying to out clever myself. tbaoo can absorb such silliness because that’s the style of my blog. if you want to develop credibility and want serious readers of serious posts, you can’t be flippant with the title choice.

keep them snappy, easily linked to the content, i don’t mean a hyperlink, make sure the reader knows without doubt what the post is about.

layout:

don’t become the grammar police. but do target your language to your intended audience. if you write about skateboards that’ll be one style. corporate executive types wanting marketing tips, that will be a very different style. if you mix it up all over the place make sure that the blog is portioned in such a way that it will make sense. also be sure you have the post broken up with well sized paragraphs, with a space in between and don’t let the reader get lost in the flow. practice taking the point from the previous paragraph and making it the lead-in for the next one.

pictures – graphics:

have some and make sure “above all else” that you credit them, unless you’ve taken/made them of course. make sure they are the right size. if you can wrap the text around them, they look really great. oddly placed items disrupt the flow of the reader.

clutter:

it’s tempting but don’t do it. an empty cupboard is soon filled, remove the cupboard and only have killer widgets and other items on your post. the temptation to join every directory and have a dogs breakfast of stuff all over your sidebar and/or footer is a big no – no.

social media:

learn all about this vital part of your blogging success. it’s such a vital part it i’ve even placed my twitter details here. – @tbaootweets  – you can find heaps of quality material here at the unnamed site make sure that you get involved. have a good look about, this unnamed person will help you as well, if you ask nicely.

easy access allowing comments:

make sure you have a simple, easy to use and rewarding comment system. there are a few available. tbaoo uses and can really recommend commentluv+ – make sure you find a system that suits you, use it and communicate with those who leave a comment for you.

last one – have fun, write and learn and write heaps more as you get better. you’ll make money, create an audience and if you’re really good, make even loads more money. it’s not easy but it can happen.

By tbaoo Category: why ? Tags: how to handle guest posting rejection, no guest post for me, tbaoo has been rejected