How to find guest blogging opportunities for your Virtual Assistant business.

There are so many awesome guest blogging opportunities out there for Virtual Assistants. However, many Virtual Assistants still aren’t using guest blogging as part of their overall marketing strategy. Not only are they missing out on the numerous benefits it can bring their way, they’re also potentially hiding from potential clients.

There are numerous benefits you can gain from guest blogging. These include building backlinks to your site, gaining traffic, exposure and introducing yourself to a new audience. It’s also great to build your writing experience and showcasing your expertise.

Guest Blogging needs to be part of your overall business Marketing Plan and that’s why we’re going to look at ways you can find guest blogging opportunities in today’s blog. 

[If however, you’d also like some help creating a marketing plan, check out our article on Does a Virtual Assistant Need a Marketing Plan?]

Look at blogs in your ideal niche

Start by looking at other blogs in your niche. Think about those sites your ideal clients go to and follow. Complimentary niches can also work well, just make sure the site is relevant to your audience and is one that would potentially be interested in sharing useful content with their readers.

Don’t be afraid of the big sites, when looking for guest blogging opportunities

When it comes to guest blogging, many first-timers will shy away from the more well-known sites. Yes, it can be difficult to get noticed by them, but if you’re offering useful, relevant and well-written content, they’re just as likely to say yes to your guest blogging request. Look for signs that they do accept guest bloggers; they may have a specific page dedicated to those looking for media and guest blogging opportunities, or they may give you contact information within their frequently asked questions and/or about pages.

Ask your network

You’ll be amazed at how many of your existing contacts would love you to write a guest blog post for them! Think about all the business contacts you already have – other VAs, business friends, LinkedIn contacts – as well as existing and past clients. 

Utilise the power of social media

You can often find guest blogging opportunities posted on different social media sites. Twitter is great for searching – just search by keyword and add ‘guest post’ after it. There’s also the different groups you’re a part of. Many business groups have specific threads for guest blogging opportunities but, if they haven’t, carry out a quick search within the group.

Competitor research 

With so many businesses looking for guest blogging opportunities, it’s understandable that there’s also already a lot of guest blogs out there! This is good news – as it means you can see where others have already published guest blogs and apply to those places yourself! Ubersuggest is a good tool for this. Simply carry out a search of your competitors, see what backlinks they have going to their site, and which ones are from blogs they’ve written.

[If you need help with carrying out your competitor research, check out this article on Staying at the Forefront of the VA Marketplace, as it also includes a download for competitor analysis.]

Ask Google

It’s easy to carry out a Google search for guest blogging opportunities and there’s several searched you can carry out. These include inputting your keyword, followed by each of these:

  • Guest post
  • Guest blog
  • Written by 
  • Guest post guidelines
  • Become a contributor
  • Submit content

Make use of Medium

Although it’s not strictly guest blogging, publishing on Medium is a way to get links back to your site. It also enables you to build your expertise and grow your traffic. Check out Neil Patel’s article on Medium for Marketers, for a breakdown on how to repurpose your content on Medium. 

If in doubt, just ask!

Finally, if you find a site that’s an awesome resource for your ideal clients, just ask if they accept guest blogs. Not all sites advertise guest blogging opportunities and many probably haven’t thought about using them – so email and ask.

Guest blogging opportunities abound if you’re willing to put yourself out there. But it’s essential that you get a good guest blogging strategy in place if you really want to optimise the opportunities available to you. 

If you’d like to read more about guest blogging, check out this blog post on Jeff Bullas’s site: How to Start Guest Blogging When You Are Completely Unknown. Neil Patel also has a great guide on the subject: The Ultimate Guide To Guest Blogging. But my biggest takeaway for today’s blog post is to simply get started. Follow the above advice to find suitable guest blogging opportunities – and then just go for it!