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Would you like to generate new readers for your blog and bring some excitement into it? Perhaps you could help a newbie blogger?
We generally read selected blogs because we know what to expect from our favorite writers. It’s a nice change of pace to read a guest post and see a new perspective on the content or to read a totally different viewpoint than the blog host. Along the way I’ve begun to hear this argument, “Should a guest blogger be paid or not?” There are strong proponents for each. Let’s explore both sides of the debate.
Imagine you are just starting out and your blog is only a few weeks old. You haven’t snagged many visitors to your blog besides close friends and relatives. You try posting a question to your audience and receive zilch in response. It’s time to gain more exposure for your blog. One of the best ways to accomplish that is to write a guest blog. If you write well, you may find the opportunity to write a guest post for a more popular blog. Here are several reasons why guest blogging should be part of your approach from the very beginning.
A blog host might not consider giving you a link, but would be enthusiastic for you to write a guest post. Logically you’ll ask “What’s in it for them?” The blog host gains variety in content, new ideas, and a break from their writing schedule.
When you provide the blog host a short break from writing, you are giving him help and it’s a great way to make an impression in the blogging world. If you have a reputation of being helpful, it will build blogging relationships and establish connections. Think of the ripple-on-the-pond effect, it’s a healthy long-term tactic.
If you write a post for another blog, with a link back to your own, it will likely increase traffic, even if temporarily. Your name and your blog appear before a new audience and this helps to establish your brand. Not everyone in this group of readers will click on your link, but they may notice your name. The next time you create a guest post for another blog, they may find your name there and it will start to sound familiar. The reader will think “I’ve seen this person before!”
A wondrous possible consequence when you write a guest post for a popular blogger is that they will reciprocate and write one for you. Don’t rely on that to happen but absolutely extend the invitation. If you’re fortunate, the guest blogger will link to the guest post from their own blog, sending more of their readers to you.
Here’s some perspective from Lorelle Van Fossen:
Before I get into the issues of deciding when to pay guest bloggers, let me address the cultural definition of “guest.”
Do you charge a “guest” in your home for their visit? Do you expect compensation when a guest spends the night or two? A guest on your blog is no different.
Guests often like to pitch in, help with cleaning, fixing meals, and even offering to contribute by paying for groceries and such. But blatant compensation for the visit is considered poor manners in much of the world. A guest is a guest because they are treated differently from the rest of the family. They are like royalty in your home, treated with honor. You share your home, food, and anything you can with them.
This is how a guest blogger should be on a blog – if the visit is occasional. If the visit turns into a long-term stay, or is repeated enough that they turn into renters or boarders, then the situation changes and compensation of some sort is expected.
There are several things to consider when blogging for someone else.
From your position as blogger host ask yourself these questions:
You have to decide what your time is worth.
If the value of the guest blog is lower than your perceived expenses, it’s time to either decline the guest blog offer or ask to be paid.
If your guest post is a one time deal or only occasional, then you probably don’t need to pay the guest blogger. If the guest writer appears on a regular basis, then they have become a scheduled contributor to your blog and should be paid.
Now we have returned to the original question, to pay or not to pay a guest blogger? The answer is both “yes” and “no.”
The drawback with a guest who posts for free is that they work on their own schedule and are concerned with their own agenda. They want to gain some exposure for their own blog, and you need to make sure their goals and philosophy will work for your blog. They might not be as reliable as someone paid to write. A guest who posts for pay can be depended on to post on a regular basis, produce quality work and generally do not have an agenda to promote. They are more interested in pleasing the employer. They are professionals, and you’ll know what to expect. The downside is that this can be expensive.
The answer is, use both paid and un-paid bloggers! Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too. There is a need for paid bloggers, and a need for unpaid bloggers. Many people are willing to write and not be paid—because all they really want is the chance to gain some experience. Since neither viewpoint is mutually exclusive, why not enjoy the best of both worlds?
Here are some additional resources for further study on this topic:
Tags: Blogging
Janice Robeson is the receptionist at WinePress Publishing and also handles copyright registration and outgoing mail/shipping. She enjoys becoming acquainted with each WinePress author and hearing their particular story.
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I think if most blogs are relevant to the article or site, it should be given the recognition to the author. I think your advice and tips are great and love the arguement as to if you would ask a guest in your home to pay. That in itself is one of the most convincing things I have seen written to date.