How to Grow by Leveraging Other People's Audiences Through Guest Posts

A guide to a tested guest posting strategy that works.

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Photo by Joe Ciciarelli on Unsplash

Despite the best efforts of some greedy corporations, the web still isn’t a zero-sum game. There are always ways to grow an audience collaborating with other creators.

I recently dusted off an old technique from the dawn of blogging: guest posting. I published 3 articles in other people’s publications over two months and got between 50 and 100 subscribers.

And it’s not a fluke of luck. Bloggers started using guest posting to expand their audience in the early 2000s.

People have been asking me how I did it. So, there you go.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• how to find good guest posting candidates,

• how to pitch your guest post,

• how to write a guest post that brings subscribers.

Where do I publish?

The first question people I got about guest posts has been: how do I find the right sites accepting them?

Your purpose is to publish a valuable article on another publication, be seen by a new audience, and turn part of that audience into your audience.

So, you don’t just need sites that accept guest posts. We also need sites read by your target audience, aka people you can help.

I always start with the low-hanging fruit: creators I already know. For example, all my guest posts on Substack appeared on publications of authors I previously messaged directly.

But you may not know the right creators. And your friends will run out, eventually. The next best tool is the humble search:

• go to Google, or to your platform’s search engine,

• type in the keywords describing your topics,

• create a list of interesting sites,

• try to include both small and large sites. The latter have greater potential, but may not even answer your emails.

But don’t limit yourself to broad keywords, like mindfulness or meditation. Search also for more specific keywords, the ones you would use for a single article, not to describe your entire niche. For example, “mindful eating” or “mindfulness for stress relief”. You’ll find many more candidates this way.

Add all the interesting candidates to a list.

Do they take guest posts?

Not every site publishes guest posts, of course. How do you find out?

If you're lucky, you'll see different author names in the bylines of their articles. This means they probably accept guest posts.

In absence of this clear sign, search on Google for phrases like:

• sitename guest post,

• sitename submission guidelines.

If a site doesn't seem to accept guest posts, don't despair. The author might not have thought of it. You can still pitch via email. And this is our next step.

Pitching your guest post

It all comes down to writing a pitch email or direct message. But remember: show you care about their time, be clear and concise, explaining everything in your first message.

If the site has its own submission guidelines, just follow them. Otherwise, your message should include:

• a brief introduction to yourself and what you write about,

• a word of appreciation for their publication or a specific article,

• the guest post proposal and why it might interest their audience,

• 1-3 article ideas, with a couple sentences each to explain what they’re about,

• your openness to cover other topics they may need.

It’s easier if you write to a friend. Just skip the first two points.

So, your message can look like this:

Hi name,

I’m a fellow online writer and I found your site. It looks like we share many interests.

I write about topic. In particular, I focus on uniqueness.

My site is still young, so I’m working to reach a wider audience. Would you be interested in a guest post?

I have several ideas that could help your readers:

idea 1 - benefits,

idea 2 - benefits,

idea 3 - benefits.

If you have specific topics you want me to cover, feel free to share them. I’d be thrilled to contribute.

Thank you for considering my proposal. Looking forward to your response!

Bye!

The last point is crucial. It shows you’re ready to do the best for their audience. Besides, they probably know what their audience like better than you.

For example, when I contacted Walter Rhein, he replied:

I obviously accepted his idea. When you follow their lead, working together is easier.

How to find GOOD guest post ideas

This is easier than you think. To get the best results, you need to pitch sites with a similar or overlapping audience. So, you probably already have article ideas that may help them.

Select article ideas at the intersection of your and their audience.

For example, I write for creators in general. My best guest post so far has been the one I wrote for David McIlroy. His publication is dedicated specifically to writers, so there is a clear overlap.

I saw that some of his most successful articles are about growing on Substack. So, I pitched him the report about my first 60 days on Substack. He immediately accepted.

David’s two most-read articles

That article brought me 30 subscribers just on the day it was published and kept my growth rate higher than the previous average for weeks:

Time to write

Remember: write the best article possible, as if you were going to publish it on your blog or newsletter.

You’d probably gravitate towards sites with an audience very similar to yours. But spend 30-60 minutes to understand the audience's peculiarities.

Notice recurring keywords, concepts, problems, and ambitions. Weave them into your guest post to make it resonate more.

For example, I wrote a guest post for Maya Sayvanova about SEO. She helps solopreneurs, so, instead of targeting it to content creators in general, I made sure to mention solopreneurs a few times.

Don’t forget this!

After 13+ years as a content creator, I still get carried away by writing and helping, and forget about my ROI.

In the last 4 guest posts I sent, I forgot to include a CTA! I had to get back to the site owners and ask:

The main goal of your guest post is to earn new readers. So, always add a CTA at the end.

The best action is to subscribe to your email list or newsletter. This maximizes the chance they will read your future articles. If you just direct them to your home page or social profile, you have no direct way to reach out to them.

Set realistic expectations

Some guest posts brought me dozens of new subscribers on the release day, and more over time. Others less than ten.

This is the fate of every piece of content you create. The outcome is never 100% under your control. Too many external factors conspire against you.

So, don’t expect a home run each time. Even when you submit to a publication with a million readers.

Instead, make guest posting a habit. Take time to reach out to other sites and write at least one guest post every month. You’ll establish a good stream of new, targeted, subscribers.

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