The Concept ~ Hosting Guest Posters
I know. It's scary to think of inviting someone on your site ~ your platform ~ to talk to your carefully-cultivated readers.
I mean, what are they going to say? How are they going to say it? And why would you invite them in the first place to talk on your blog?
There are many reasons to host a guest poster on your site ~ no matter what type of genealogy blogger you are.
The general reasons for asking someone to guest post on your blog can be:
I know. It's scary to think of inviting someone on your site ~ your platform ~ to talk to your carefully-cultivated readers.
I mean, what are they going to say? How are they going to say it? And why would you invite them in the first place to talk on your blog?
There are many reasons to host a guest poster on your site ~ no matter what type of genealogy blogger you are.
The general reasons for asking someone to guest post on your blog can be:
- To expose their readers to you and your blog and vice versa. Usually when someone guest posts on your blog they announce it on their own blog that day. You know, "I'm not here because I'm blogging over at such-and-such's blog today. Come check it out." And then they link back to their guest post on your blog. Added exposure to your guest poster's audience can increase traffic and exposure to your blog.
- Additionally, if your guest poster has different social media networks other than a blog, they should promote their guest post on your blog through those networks. So, when a guest poster promotes their guest post on your blog on their social media networks, it can increase traffic and exposure to your blog.
- Because they link back to your blog from their blog, they give you what's often called 'link juice'. Basically, Google and other search engines like to rate websites [which includes blogs] higher on their search engine results page when other blogs of good quality or higher authority link back to your blog or website. So, an off-site link to your website or blog can help you out in the search engine result pages.
- When someone guest posts for you, they are more likely to ask you to guest post for them. This mutual guest posting then allows more exposure for you and your blog.
The Break Down
Genealogy Professionals
- Professional Genealogists have to be careful with their blog because it's an integral part of their business. However, if your research specialty is in, say, North Carolina, you might have some readers whose family trees lead them out of your area of expertise. If you professionally know another professional whose specialty is outside of your expertise, asking them to guest post on your blog might be helpful to your readers. Hosting guest posters can provide your readers added value, and that goes a long way in developing your relationship with them.
- Genealogy-related business blogs can be enhanced when asking someone to guest post for them. For example, a genealogy database software site could ask a professional genealogist to guest post on their site about how they use their software in their business. What's better than a testimonial quote from a customer? A testimonial blog post from a professional in the same field.
Genealogical Societies
Guest posting can be such a great way to foster natural traffic to a site, and who better to invite them in than a guest poster? The guest poster will be bringing their audience and in many cases their complete online [and maybe offline] social networks with them to your blog for the day. Let's say a guest poster has on average 3000 visitors to their blog every month, and when they guest post on your blog and promote on their blog, you have the chance to increase your traffic to your society's blog by 3000 visitors. Okay, it's going to be a little lower than that, but still that's not bad. And because your society's blog is SO awesome, a percentage of those are going to take a look around just to see what you have to offer. Then a percentage of those folks will decide to sign up because you have something they need. Hosting a guest poster on a society blog can bring a nice influx of traffic and exposure to your genealogical society.
Cousin Hunters
This is simple. You want to increase your traffic to your site because you just never know who you're related to. The more people who come to your site, the more of a chance you have of catching a cousin. Also, it can also serve as a great way to foster relationships between you and cousins who you've already caught. Oops, I mean found. [Yes, found.] Have you found a 3rd cousin who also blogs? I know I have. And I need to take my own advice. I need to ask them to guest post on my blog. They can bring their part of the family story to my part of the family story, and then we'd be in family story bliss. And then? Perhaps those lurking cousins would stop lurking and join in the family story fun. Hosting a guest poster on your family history blog can foster relationships between cousins already found, and it may increase the amount of those who contact you with their part of the family story.
The Take Away
Hosting a guest poster on your blog can help you to achieve your blogging genealogy goals ~ no matter the type of genealogy blog you have.
Next
Stay tuned because tomorrow I'll go over what to do and what NOT to do when hosting guest posters. [Exciting. I know.]
What say you?
So, have you hosted any guest posters? Why or why not? And if you did, how did it go? Let us all know in comments below.
~Caroline
