How not to write a guest blog post

7 PR tips to make the most of your guest blogging opportunities

Your CEO has been invited to be a guest blogger or write an opinion piece for an influential, widely read website in your industry, and your entire organization is very excited. This is an opportunity to get your company’s name in front of a lot of potential customers and influential newsmakers. So don’t blow it.

There are numerous misconceptions about writing a guest post. Get it wrong and you may achieve the opposite of your goals and make your company appear out of touch and useless. Additionally, you probably will not be given another chance. Before you begin writing, keep these points in mind:

Point 1: Don’t make it a long, written advertisement for your company. Writing a guest blog is supposed to position you as a thought-leader, not serve as a boring sales pitch. Your name and company information is typically listed in the bio at the end of the piece, so there’s no need to keep mentioning it throughout the blog. If the article is interesting, readers will be captivated to the end and make note of the author. This brings us to…

Point 2: Be interesting. Include attention-grabbing facts and figures or new information that will add value for the reader. If you do this correctly, your readers will view you and your company as a go-to source for the topic, leading them to come back for more or seek you out for additional updates.

Point 3: Create original content. Rehashing an old press release that didn’t attract attention the first time around is not a wise decision. You should also avoid rewriting a previous guest blog for another site.

Point 4: Don’t use guest blogging occasions as an excuse for link building. Write your blog post with a focus on engaging and educating the reader. Inundating the blog with keywords and messy links all over the place distracts from the content and ultimately does a disservice to your message and your company. If this is your only reason for accepting an invitation to guest blog, you should probably pass.

Consequences for this behavior are high, as Google’s enforcers have begun cracking down on those who try to benefit from the practice. Thankfully, they also list guidelines to help those who are unsure. Take the time to write the best article you can. If a few links come naturally from that, great, but even if they don’t, you still have a great article to fall back on.

Point 5: Once it has been published, of course you will want to share and remarket it if allowed. However, remember to target your list of recipients instead of spamming everyone.

Point 6: Don’t get so caught up in the thrill of guest blogging that you forget to research the website. You don’t want audiences to associate your name or brand with sites that are questionable or that are on Google’s warning list.

Point 7: You don’t have to juggle all of this information on your own; don’t forget that you can hire a PR firm to handle it for you. At Axia, we are experts in developing compelling, memorable content to lead and connect with your target audiences. We will help you contribute fresh ideas and unique insights to the conversation, and we’ll work to position you as a thought-leader in your industry, gaining recognition among your peers and customers. Register now for our  60-Second Impact program for more tools and tips to grow your business.

Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter at @axiapr.