Last week we did a discussion on why guest bloggers could be important to your blog, as well as why YOU could be important to other bloggers in the role of “guest blogger”. Today I’d like to go over a few pointers on how to choose the RIGHT guest blogger.
** The first thing you want to make very clear to your potential guest blogger is that they MUST be reliable. After all, if you’re counting on them to do a guest post in your absence, you certainly don’t want that spot to be empty because the guest blogger fell down on the job! You could do an initial guest post spot with that person while you’re still in town and available – then give them a deadline to get the post to you (the initial “trial” post) just to be sure they actually follow through with what was agreed upon.
** Ask for a “sample” post from the potential guest blogger. By asking for a sample post, you can evaluate their style of writing as well as being able to check for grammer issues. If their style of writing is similar to yours, or is something you wouldn’t mind adding to your blog, then this part of the screening process has passed.
** Keep in mind that just because you “speak” in a certain way (or write in a specific way), doesn’t mean that guest bloggers can’t be a little “different” in what they write. That little bit of “difference” in writing style or verbage can actually help keep your blog interesting and will be considered “fresh” content.
** There are many blogs that have several contributing writers, so if you’re feeling like you’re being pressured by “needing” to do several posts a day, or several more per week than you can keep up on, perhaps a friend would like to join in with you and do two or more posts per week. By “sharing” the post writing, you can each “do your own thing” for the blog and it could end up being easier on you, the owner of the blog, and something your “guest” can look forward to doing.
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