Looking For Regular Guest Bloggers?

[Kat Zand]

Hi All:

I had questions and thought it would make for a good dialogue to share with others.

What does it take to get talented pet bloggers to become regular guest bloggers on another site? I don’t mean just posting one or two articles, but posting something say once a week?

For those of you that guest blog, what are you looking for?

Is it for link value and referral traffic to your site? What criteria do you use in picking a site to guest blog on?

Is it some sort of compensation for your time? If so, what do you think a fee for an article would need to be?

I would appreciate some feedback and input as to what makes for a really attractive guest blog opportunity.

And when would guest blogging regularly for a site be attractive?

Since everyone has limited time, you need to choose to post a blog on your site vs. on another site.

Wondering when it makes sense?

Also, where do folks look to find guest blogging opportunities?

I’ve been thinking about the idea of having some regular pet bloggers guest blogging on our site http://petslady.com and this feedback would be helpful in creating the right conditions to make that a good thing.

Thanks for your thoughts and feedback,

Kat

http://petslady.com

[Allen]

I’ve used http://www.myblogguest.com a few times.  There isn’t a specific category for pets so when something is posted you have to act on it quickly to get it.  Most of the posts are basic information but have been good for the moment I needed them.    

Would be cool if we could form a group on Blogpaws of “guest bloggers!”

[Caren]

Hi Kat!

I regularly feature guest bloggers on both of my blogs. In many instances they contact me, but some of come through corresponding with them on Twitter and through friendships with other bloggers in my niche

I will often use them if I am going to be away or, if they are more knowledgeable on a topic that I am less knowledgeable about. I prefer asking the expert and letting them showcase their expertise, rather than my poring through Wikipedia and regurgitating what I discovered.

I have also used them when featuring an artist. People LOVE talking about themselves, they are all over it! 

.

If were to be a “regular” guest blogger to me the incentive speaking candidly would be compensation.

As to what would be “fair” would be decided depending on the amount of work involved.

Caren Gittleman Cat Chat

andDakota’s Den

[Caren]

there is a group….you are in it 🙂

Allen Pearson’s Photos said:

I’ve used http://www.myblogguest.com a few times.  There isn’t a specific category for pets so when something is posted you have to act on it quickly to get it.  Most of the posts are basic information but have been good for the moment I needed them.    

Would be cool if we could form a group on Blogpaws of “guest bloggers!”

[Kat Zand]

Thanks so much Caren for the insights and feedback.

Curious in terms of compensation. .. do you think there is some industry standard? Or do people give a % of ads from the article or what?

Or would it be standard writer rates more or less? I would think less than writers for hire who write on the site’s terms vs. a guest blogger who posts on what they want and gets links back to their site?

Kat

http://petslady.com

Caren Osrin Gittleman said:

Hi Kat!

I regularly feature guest bloggers on both of my blogs. In many instances they contact me, but some of come through corresponding with them on Twitter and through friendships with other bloggers in my niche

I will often use them if I am going to be away or, if they are more knowledgeable on a topic that I am less knowledgeable about. I prefer asking the expert and letting them showcase their expertise, rather than my poring through Wikipedia and regurgitating what I discovered.

I have also used them when featuring an artist. People LOVE talking about themselves, they are all over it! 

.

If were to be a “regular” guest blogger to me the incentive speaking candidly would be compensation.

As to what would be “fair” would be decided depending on the amount of work involved.

Caren Gittleman Cat Chat

andDakota’s Den

[Caren]

For THAT I am probably the WORST person to ask lol.

I don’t pay anyone for guest blogging on either of my blogs, and thus far I haven’t been paid to guest blog on theirs. I know there are others who are though!!

Caren Osrin Gittleman said:

there is a group….you are in it 🙂

Allen Pearson’s Photos said:

I’ve used http://www.myblogguest.com a few times.  There isn’t a specific category for pets so when something is posted you have to act on it quickly to get it.  Most of the posts are basic information but have been good for the moment I needed them.    

Would be cool if we could form a group on Blogpaws of “guest bloggers!”

[Kat Zand]

Thanks so much for the info. Maybe someone who knows about this can share info.

Kat

http://petslady.com

[Allen]

Hi-

I feature several guest bloggers from http://www.myblogguest.com and do not pay them.  I “bid” on the post stating “post for free” and within a certain time period.  I allow a link in their byline but no links in the content of the post. 

Allen Pearson

http://www.allenpearsonsphotos.com

[Allen]

So how do I get a guest blogger ??

Caren Osrin Gittleman said:

there is a group….you are in it 🙂

Allen Pearson’s Photos said:

I’ve used http://www.myblogguest.com a few times.  There isn’t a specific category for pets so when something is posted you have to act on it quickly to get it.  Most of the posts are basic information but have been good for the moment I needed them.    

Would be cool if we could form a group on Blogpaws of “guest bloggers!”

[Dawn]

Ask!  Just post what you are interested in for your blog- dog posts, cat posts, iguana posts, any subjects you’d like to share on your blog. 

Allen Pearson’s Photos said:

So how do I get a guest blogger ??

Caren Osrin Gittleman said:

there is a group….you are in it 🙂

Allen Pearson’s Photos said:

I’ve used http://www.myblogguest.com a few times.  There isn’t a specific category for pets so when something is posted you have to act on it quickly to get it.  Most of the posts are basic information but have been good for the moment I needed them.    

Would be cool if we could form a group on Blogpaws of “guest bloggers!”

[Dawn]

Kat,

It sounds like you are looking more for what I think of as contributing bloggers, kind of like a columnist in a magazine or newspaper. 

For me, writing an occasional guest post to put on another blog, i’d be happy with the exposure and backlink. But for regular posts, I think I would want some compensation because that is time taken away from my own blog. Some different ways I’ve seen compensation online are a flat fee, revenue sharing usually based on number of views, then writer receives all or percentage of the ad revenue or a combination.  

Here’s the Problogger Job board. You might get some ideas on compensation there.

[Kat Zand]

Hey Dawn:

Thanks so much for your very helpful post. Appreciate the insights.

Kat

http://petslady.com

Dawn Miklich said:

Kat,

It sounds like you are looking more for what I think of as contributing bloggers, kind of like a columnist in a magazine or newspaper. 

For me, writing an occasional guest post to put on another blog, i’d be happy with the exposure and backlink. But for regular posts, I think I would want some compensation because that is time taken away from my own blog. Some different ways I’ve seen compensation online are a flat fee, revenue sharing usually based on number of views, then writer receives all or percentage of the ad revenue or a combination.  

Here’s the Problogger Job board. You might get some ideas on compensation there.

[Caren]

Dawn thank you for putting into coherent words what I was thinking 🙂

Dawn Miklich said:

Kat,

It sounds like you are looking more for what I think of as contributing bloggers, kind of like a columnist in a magazine or newspaper. 

For me, writing an occasional guest post to put on another blog, i’d be happy with the exposure and backlink. But for regular posts, I think I would want some compensation because that is time taken away from my own blog. Some different ways I’ve seen compensation online are a flat fee, revenue sharing usually based on number of views, then writer receives all or percentage of the ad revenue or a combination.  

Here’s the Problogger Job board. You might get some ideas on compensation there.

[Kat Zand]

You guys have all been so helpful. Thank you for helping me understand the space better. I had assumptions , but it is great to get real life experience and feedback.

Kat

http://petslady.com

[Karen]

I have two blogs, so the occasional guest blog on another site with a link back to mine would be great.  

When I’ve asked writers around here about being a regular contributor, they usually wanted a flat fee for each post.  In asking what they’d charge, prices usually ran in the $20-$30 range for each depending on length of post.

I would love to have guests do the occasional post on either of my blogs.  It’s nice to have different points of view from time to time.  The blog I launched a couple of months ago, Fully Feline, has a section for Charity/Good Works.  If someone has been working with a “cats only” charity and would be willing to write a post for my blog, that would be great!

[Caren]

For me it would depend.

If I am friends with someone and have an established relationship the link to me and vice versa is fine.

If I were to be approached by a total stranger (I was recently and they wanted regular blog posts) then that is MY TIME and as Yvonne so adeptly beat into our heads, we deserve to be paid for it.

I have a cat blog and a dog blog, I prefer to write with a humorous edge and if anyone is interested I am available. As I said if you are a fellow blogger and we are “friends” or “colleagues” I wouldn’t require pay, if your site is making money then yep….I would, to add to Karen’s point for me it would be more like between $25-$50 depending on the requirements of the post.

[Tracy Dion]

Hi! My name is Tracy Dion and I am the author of CatCentric.org.

On October 1st, CatCentric will celebrate its first anniversary (‘though I’ve been advising cat owners for over five years). To mark what is, to me, a very momentous occasion, I would love to guest write on other blog rolls to talk about the site, how it began, why it’s so important to me, why all cat owners need to know about it (go bold or go home, right?!), etc. If this is something you would be interested in hosting, please contact me through whichever venue you’re most comfortable: Facebook, email, twitter, here.

CatCentric’s focus is all things related to cat care, health and behavior, with a strong emphasis on feline nutrition and a secondary emphasis on behavior. If you have some expertise in this arena, or have a favorite topic you like to discuss that’s related to the site, I welcome guest blogging requests. Just give me a shout-out and we can discuss.

It’s good to be here, among like-minded pet lovers and writers!  :-}

Tracy

[Jodi]

I’m a regular contributor on two blogs. I initially took them on for the exsposure and the referral traffic. I’ll be honest, I get a lot of comments on my guest posts, but almost no referral traffic and most readers seem to think it is the blog owner writing the recipes and writing the posts. I’ve been considering giving my resignation, as there doesn’t seem to be much unit for me.

Guest posting, especially on a regular basis is a big time commitment, so I would say there needs to be a return on that investment, whether it be that you actively promote not just their guest posts, but also posts on their own blog so that there is a significant amount of referral traffic or by paying them.

[Dawn]

Thanks for sharing your experience Jodi. Return of investment is really important. How to posts like you do can take a while to put together so I would definitely want there to be a a benefit that makes it worth my time.

Jodi Chick said:

I’m a regular contributor on two blogs. I initially took them on for the exsposure and the referral traffic. I’ll be honest, I get a lot of comments on my guest posts, but almost no referral traffic and most readers seem to think it is the blog owner writing the recipes and writing the posts. I’ve been considering giving my resignation, as there doesn’t seem to be much unit for me.

Guest posting, especially on a regular basis is a big time commitment, so I would say there needs to be a return on that investment, whether it be that you actively promote not just their guest posts, but also posts on their own blog so that there is a significant amount of referral traffic or by paying them.

[Author]

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