Blog posts and articles are an essential part of your content marketing strategy – you won’t be surprised to hear that from me! So it’s a natural next step to take the impact of your content to even greater heights by getting it published by other platforms, whether that’s online and or in print. This tactic—often referred to as guest posting, or contributing to industry publications—can bring a host of benefits, including increasing your brand’s reach, credibility, and customers. So here’s my guide for getting published by others – why you should do think about it, when the right time might be, and how to start identifying the best places to benefit from your expert insights…
Why Publish Your Content with Other Businesses?
More Reach and Visibility
Having your content published on external sites or in print publications exposes your brand to new audiences. The readership of these outlets is often different from your existing customer base, meaning you can tap into new markets – ones that also buy in to what your host is offering as well. This expanded reach can lead to increased traffic to your website, more social media followers, and ultimately more customers or clients.
More Credibility and Authority
When your content is featured on respected platforms within your industry, it can enhance your reputation in a big way. Being published by a trusted source can position you as an expert in your field, which builds trust with your audience – and this credibility is crucial for turning potential leads into loyal customers, especially in industries where expertise is highly valued.
More Backlinks for SEO
I LOVE this one. A key benefit of guest posting or publishing on other websites is the opportunity to earn high-quality backlinks – links from other websites to your own. These are a critical factor in how search engines such as Google rank your site. When you’re featured on authoritative websites, you’re building valuable links that can improve your SEO performance – which means your site overall will rank higher in search results when people are looking for what you offer. Google is also impressed by the authority of the websites that link to you, so the higher-profile the better.
Relationship Building and Networking
Collaborating with other businesses for content publication also helps build strong relationships with others in your line of work and similar. These relationships can lead to more opportunities down the line, including collaborations, speaking engagements, or joint ventures. Networking through content sharing is a subtle but effective way to grow your influence within your industry.
When Should You Think About Guest Publishing?
Here are a few signs that it’s time to explore and expand:
– You’ve established a good content routine: if you’re already consistently publishing high-quality content on your own blog and seeing steady engagement, it’s a good time to reach out to other platforms. Your established content will serve as a portfolio of your expertise to link back to for further reading.
– You want to grow your audience quickly: if you’re looking to increase your brand’s visibility, promote something new or break into new markets, guest posting can be a significant boost.
– You’re ready to position yourself as an Industry Thought Leader: I do find this a rather pompous title, but it matters! Guest posting gives you a chance to show what you know, and that your thoughts can spark ideas and inspiration in others. It’s your opportunity to offer innovative ideas that can shape how your specialism evolves.
Finding the Right Outlets
Finding the right outlets to publish your content can be a challenge, but with some research and strategy, you can find the perfect platforms for your articles. Here’s how:
- Identify industry publications: start by making a list of well-known publications, blogs and websites within your industry. Look at where your competitors are being featured, and review the content they publish to see if it aligns with your expertise, or complements it in some way.
- Evaluate their audiences: make that the publication’s audience is in line with your target demographic. For example, if you run a B2B software company, look for business or tech-focused outlets with a readership that would benefit from your knowledge, and who might want to take advantage of your services.
- Check the submission guidelines: many publications have them. Read them over them carefully to make sure your content fits their requirements, including word count, style, and subject matter.
Strategies for Success
So you’ve heard the Why, When and Where – now’s your chance to learn about the How, from someone who used to make publication decisions like this all the time – me!
I used to work on the Features Desk of a semi-national newspaper, and there was a constant stream of press releases and articles coming in all the time. Part of my job was to choose the ones that would make a good feature, and edit them up for printing – and there were several criteria they needed to meet to be successful!
This month’s masterclass is a focused session on how to research, write and submit an article for publication – and have the best chance of being accepted. It’s on Tuesday 12 November at 10am, and like all my masterclasses, it’s online and recorded, so you can watch it back at any time. Click here for more details, and to book your ticket (if you’re not a Writin Club member, you can attend as a one-off): Next Masterclass- Getting Published by Others
