Just over a week ago I wrote about the advantages of having guest posters on your blog, and I must say I was quite pleased with the response I got. A few of the comments did, however, ask for some information on the negatives of having guest posters, and that’s what this article will mainly be about, although I’ll also touch on some other points.
The first thing I’ll take about is the negatives (or what could be perceived as negative).
It’s not you…
As you’ve probably heard before, everybody is unique. Any popular blog will have regular readers that could be described as ‘fanboys’. They love the blog, but they love the author more, so if you let some one else come and post on your blog, they’re bound to disagree, which could actually damage your blog rather than improving, especially if you post too many guest posts for your readers liking.
Perspective
Like I say, every one is different and a guest poster will bring a new perspective to your blog, as no one will have exactly the same views and thoughts as you. By inviting someone else to post on your blog, you could actually be agreeing to post someone’s article on your blog, you could be agreeing to post up something you don’t feel is “right”.
Obsession
Obsession? From guest posting? Well, yes, it sounds stupid, but if you’re receiving guest post offers on a frequent basis then it can get awfully tempting to just switch off from your blog and just publish guest posts. Whilst this could work, you need to remember who actually owns the blog!
Things to remember
So, there’s the negative side of guest posting from my point of view, but I still think there’s some more I can add to this article. That ‘some more’ is what you should consider and remember when you’re publishing guest posts.
It’s YOUR blog!
Yes, that’s right. You own the blog: you are the king (or queen)! At the end of the day, what you say goes, so if you don’t like the guest post then you don’t have to post. Feel free to turn down guest posts or ask for revisions if the article isn’t up to the standards or ideals you’ve set at your blog.
Ground rules
Before you even begin negotiations, you should consider some of the following things and NOT turn back on your decision.
- Quality – How flexible will you be with the quality of writing? How long should the post be at a minimum? These are just a couple of things you should ask yourself.
- Editing – If the guest posts aren’t up to scratch writing wise, yet they make a good point, will you edit them? If so, how much will you edit them? Or should it all be down to the writer of the guest post?
- Links – How many links will you allow the guest poster to place in the article, and will you place these links at the top of the bottom of the article?
So, guest posting?!
Make sure you have a read of the article about the advantages of guest posting if you haven’t already, otherwise you’ve probably been put off guest posts altogether by now!
What were your views on this article? Have anything to add? Ever had a guest poster on your blog? Please feel free to leave a comment below!
I agree with all the points you have made. I find that it is hard to say no to someone even if they contradict the points that you have made in your blog in the past.
I find that it actually can harm your blog like you said. I remember that the first guest post I had wasn’t of the highest quality yet I published it because I was so excited to have a guest post.
Jake | Web Journey’s last blog post..Becoming the Perfect Commentator
Yeah, I think the fact that people actually want to come to your blog and post is not only a huge indication that your blog is doing well, but it’s also a stimulus to get really excited, which could cloud your judgement a little!
You should establish a fixed frequency of making guest posts on your blog. Say once in a month, or so…in order for your readers to expect when the next one is coming and either look forward to it or ignore it.
Having said that, you rightly mentioned that the blog is yours. No matter what negativity guest posters bring, you will be the one to approve (or let through that negativity) in the end. So if common sense prevails, I don’t think there ought to be much concerns in this area. But yes, guest posting can be tempting…that is something we need to find a solution for
Richael | Domain Marvelous’s last blog post..Domain Registration Length – Does it Matter?
Regarding your first paragraph, whilst this might be a good idea I think it would be tricky to execute. For instance, I don’t think I had a guest post offer for around a month, and then I got three all at once! It all depends on who you can get really, and you can’t take that in to account when planning as you don’t know when people will become availavble!
Most of the negatives aren’t really negatives. Every point can also be a good point, as long as you don’t have guest posters too much.
I had a guest post once on my blog, and it worked out pretty good. It is the top article with google search and it attracted pretty much traffic to my site.
Defend the quality on your blog, make sure the guest posts does agree with what you wrote in the past, and it will work out!
Stefan | StudySuccessful.com’s last blog post..The two types of students
I do agree that most the points can be flipped to be a positive, hence the line saying that these could be perceived as negative!
Well, I guess negative or not really depend on the content of the guess post. Something that can be controlled buy owner of the blog. I wish I has guess post on my blog.
Stock Traders Blog’s last blog post..Top Commentators
I think the key to getting guest posters is having a popular blog that people know about and have readers are willing to contribute to the community. Once you have that, you’ll have a blog thriving on guest posts!
i totally agree with what you shared that at the end of the day, it is your blog. you need most importantly to set the ground rules on your blog and let your blog be ran over by your guest posters.
elmot’s last blog post..From Hate List to Wish List In Driving
Yes, exactly.
You’re the one that bought the domain, you’re the one who posts the content the vast majority of the time, and therefore what you say goes. You shouldn’t be afraid to say no, as at the end of the day it’s you that will suffer if the guest post isn’t that good.
You should also discuss about guest posting for part time bloggers also
Ricky’s last blog post..[How to] Watch Multiple You Tube Video
I feel if you are getting guest posts of good quality there is no harm. Look at TwiTip, over half the posts are guest posts.
Good point, but I suppose it all comes down to what sort of blog you’re running. Without a doubt, TwiTip and other huge blogs like ProBlogger will publish a lot of guest posts as lots of people will want to guest post! On most blogs, however, it wouldn’t work as well in my opinion.
Yeah probably people do not much comment on guest posts of simple blogs. And that’s where simple bloggers make mistake. Good post Simon
I agree with you although I think when you start making ‘Guest Bloggers’ you’ll let people share the same niche unless your blog deals with many subjects at once.
That said, it’s important to highlight on the “ground rules” you mentioned here to be the basic foundation for any guest post. Thank so much for sharing them!
Hicham’s last blog post..Un Homme et Une Femme [part 1]
Very true. I agree with your first thing you mentioned “it’s not you”. if people like your blog or just are a fan of you and you start posting guest posts they might not like it as much.. And when it comes to blogs usually the visitors are “fans” that want to hear from the owner.
Caden Grant’s last blog post..Best Posts On Caden Grant
Yeah – I think it’s all about keeping the balance right between guest posts and normal posts. Too many guest posts and there are some readers that are bound to be put off.
Maybe a good way to evaluate your decisions with guest bloggers is imagine paying them to do what they are doing. If they are not adding value, then why have them?
Rob’s last blog post..Win a Free Copy of Boss Cart – Premium Shopping Cart Software
Very good way of looking at it, thanks Rob!
Haha, I’m a ‘fanboy’ of Teenius! But I also read and enjoy your guest posts. The quality of guest posts definitely increases as your blog becomes more popular. But at the same time, when you have more readers there might be more of an uproar if you publish a guest post.
Nick Tart’s last blog post..I’m Starting an Internet Marketing Service – JJ Entry #19
To be honest, I think that the quality only improves if you have readers who run cool blogs. Personally, I don’t have many contacts/friends where I think their blog isn’t that good… those contacts and friends are usually the people who’ll want to guest post, so you can see how the cycle is a good one
Hey nice overview.. loved the idea
Enk.’s last blog post..30+ Creative Wordpress Login Pages
Your article has a lot of information. I don’t have any guest post on my blog yet. Maybe someday =)
blinkky’s last blog post..Online User Counter For Your Blog
Yeah – just keep advertising and networking and it’s bound to happen!
I’ve done guest posting in the past and it hasn’t produced the results I’ve wanted, but it was a good learning process.
James King’s last blog post..Blog motivation quotes 2
I think bloggers have really high expectations of guest posting. The main benefits of guest posting do not come right away. Pagerank and authority take time and exposure. Then they effect traffic. It is not the other way around very often.
Seth W’s last blog post..Diving into the Blogging Pool
As you stated, one of the negative side of the guest post, is that the guest post has a different attitude over the subject, a different to what readers are used to. In my opinion, bloggers should allow guest posts, but not to many, because than the blog will loose its writing, and subject treating style to which readers are so used to.
These are good points – particularly, it serves as a reminder of how personal a blog should be (unless it is a corporate blog – but even those have a bit of a personal touch) and how important the communication line is with one’s readers.
Anna’s last blog post..What to do if you get “Fired” as an affiliate, by Amazon or anyone else, because of the state you live in