I’ve recently launched a platform called BlogSynergy which allows you to find host blogs who are looking for guest bloggers, in addition to allowing you to advertise your blog to look for guest writers. I was a fan of guest blogging long before I created BlogSynergy, and the platform is designed to make it as easy as possible to get involved with guest blogging.

In this article, I give a concrete example of what guest blogging is about, followed by 10 great reasons why you should be guest blogging.

Example – Home Renovation and DIY Blog

You run a blog about home renovations and do-it-yourself (DIY) tips. You write great articles, but sometimes you just can’t think of something to write about. To ensure you don’t lose any visitors, you look to find a guest writer in an area related to your own.

You find a writer who writes a detailed article about something related to DIY solar-panel installation. Because they’re an expert in solar-panels and plumbing, you get a very informative article for your readers. So your regular readers get some variety, you get a break from writing fresh and interesting content, and the writer gets to build their reputation.

It’s pretty common for the writer to get a couple of links back to their website in return. The writer’s website might be their company website, or it might be a blog. Therefore the writer gets a few visitors and a backlink to their website. No money changes hands, and everyone benefits.

Now on to a few more great reasons why guest blogging is so great.

1. Free, fresh and interesting content

The primary benefit for the host blog is that they get fresh content for their website. Anyone who runs a blog knows that its hard work coming up with unique and interesting content on a regular basis. Therefore guest blogging helps you reduce your workload a little.

2. It’s a great link building technique

One of the core ways of improving your rankings in the search engines is with relevant links from quality websites. Since links, quality and relevance are fundamental to guest blogging, you cover all of those requirements at the outset.

3. You find others in your community

Since you’re engaging with other readers and blog owners, you can expand your community of friends and contacts around your subject matter. This can lead to support, ideas and potentially further guest blogging opportunities.

4. Writers can tackle a different topic or writing style

With any blog, your readers will be used to a certain style of writing, and therefore expect articles in a certain way. By guest blogging, you can write about slightly different topics you wouldn’t usually cover on your own blog, or adopt a style you wouldn’t usually take. This can be a great opportunity to experiment with a new technique or give yourself some variety.

5. Build your reputation

When you pay for someone’s services or products, you usually do so because you trust that business or person. By guest blogging, you can build your reputation in that community, boosting the profile of your own personal brand and/or that of your business. If you or your company is well known, it’s usually the case that its more trusted.

6. Increased visitor traffic

Since the writer get a couple of links back to their website, they’re usually gain some extra visitors too, particularly if the article was really interesting. Additionally, I encourage the writer to advertise the article they wrote on social media, so that the host blog gets some extra visitors too.

7. Future potential reciprocation

Once you’ve written for a guest blog, you might want to offer people the opportunity to write a guest article for you too. You can ask the owner of the blog you wrote for, as well as other readers of that host blog. Either way, it’s pretty simple to advertise that you’re after guest articles too.

8. Engage with new people

Once you’ve written your article, respond to the comments and feedback you get on the guest article. Very few people actually leave comments and feedback, so appreciate them. You can get involved in interesting conversations, do more networking and possibly earn some business from it. People are more likely to visit the website of someone they engage with, as they want to learn more about you or what you do.

9. Build your reputation without a blog

Guest blogging allows you to engage with a community without needing a blog or website. Sure, having a website or blog may help, but you can just as easily promote your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter profile instead of a website. Running a blog is hard work, but that doesn’t mean you need to run one to take advantage of guest blogging opportunities.

10. Grow your résumé or CV

If you’re applying for a job that involves writing, editing or similar work, then you can build some relevant experience by writing guest articles. You can then add examples of your work to your résumé (Curriculum Vitae in the UK). Your prospective boss can then also gauge the quality of your work by looking at the feedback that the article has generated.

Any more?

Those are my 10 great reasons for guest blogging. Have anything else to add?

If you want to get started with guest blogging, please sign up to BlogSynergy. BlogSynergy is currently free whilst its in beta (and there will be a free basic account in the future too).

Whilst I’ve been promoting EnviroGadget.com, I’ve been contacting other green bloggers asking them if they would like me to write a guest article for their site. In return, I gained backlinks to my sites. You could do the same if you wish!

To help you promote your own green blog, below is a list of eco-friendly blogs who welcome guest posts. Please feel free to contact these individuals via their blogs. If you don’t know what guest blogging is, I suggest you read this article on why guest blogging is a good idea.

1. Eco Money Girl
2. Eco Office Girls – article must be related to green business.
3. Green Home Hints
4. Green Living on a Budget
5. Green Student U – article must be student related.
6. Greenest Site Ever – article must be humorous and green related.
7. Reclaimed Home
8. The Green Routine
9. Travel Eco
10. Eco Tips for Life
11. Urban Green Girl
12. What Can One Person Do
13. Eco Friendly WAHM (Work at home Mum)
14. The New Green House
15. Nature Repurposed
16. Condo Blues
17. Green Gigs (Green Jobs)
18. NEW!  Blog and Smog
19. NEW!  Tread Softly on the earth

If you would like your blog to appear in the list above, please contact me. I’m sure I’ll be interested in writing a guest post for your blog too.