If you are here looking for tips to write that one email that will catapult you into guest post rockstardom, then you have heard. Yes, you have listened to the best advice about growing your blog. Undoubtedly, it is through guest posting, building your credibility and shepherding new audiences all the way back to your blog.

But the advice to guest blog might leave you with more questions than answers. How is it to be done? Can one email help you pitch to a successful blog that you are the right writer for them?

Today, we will break down the steps to a great outreach email. Just keep your calendar free for writing all those guest posts once you have mastered these six easy steps.

7 Components of a Successful Outreach Email

1 - Pitch into known turfs

This is important. Do not go after blogs just because they have large audiences. Have you established a rapport with those bloggers before? Have you shown interest by interacting with them in the comments section? Do not plunge into cold waters, seduced by large audience numbers.

Before you reach out to the blogger, interact with them.

Post a comment or two on their site, follow them on Facebook, or re-Tweet one of their Twitter posts.

Then, you will be able to reach out to the base of bloggers with whom you have interacted with before. Refer to your rapport. That is the quickest way to grab attention.

2 - Keep it short

If your outreach email looks like an essay, it is one easy swipe to the close button. It should seem short, sweet and make someone feel like reading at least the first line. Create short paragraphs that have “white space” between them to appear to be simple reading.

Blogs are often one-person operations. You’re most likely interacting with a blog owner who wears several hats throughout the day and has limited time. Remaining on the point in a short email is more effective than rambling on, in most cases.

Remember, this is only the email requesting to be a guest poster. This is not the actual guest post in itself. Many of us would be wise to keep this in mind.

3 - Reel them in with the first two lines

Realistically, the first couple of lines determine the email’s fate. Use them well. You can be a charmer and flatter the blogger whom you are reaching out to.

Don’t make the flattery sound insincere. Talk about why you love their blog, not what you admire about it. This is the difference between sounding a phony and sounding genuine.

You could talk about how their writing on retro fashion inspired you to reuse heirloom fashion in your wardrobe. Or, you could sweep them off their feet by talking about the incisive analysis of developing economies that made you rethink agriculture.

Be genuine, and let your passion shine through the compliments that you pay them.

4 - Lead quickly and lock

Now that your passion is shining through, quickly lead into your area of expertise. Brazenly dazzle them with your achievements on your turf. Talk about your fashion accessories business or your urban gardening blog. Show them your credentials.

By now, the host blogger is weak with desire. He/she wants you to be a guest (poster) on their blog. They can see that you are going to be allies. And who doesn’t need more allies?

5 - Throw them three (topics, that is)

Pitch the blogger three topic ideas for your guest post submission. Three well-researched, intriguing guest post ideas should have them scrambling for the Reply button on this email.

If you send them any less than three ideas, you come off as a one-hit wonder.

If you email them over three suggestions, there is no space for serious consideration. Come away after having given them three excellent and relevant ideas.

Give them the title and the storyline or bullet points of the post, and you should be hearing a response from them in a day or two.

6 - Create an outreach email template that works for you

Draft a post outreach email template that combines the elements listed above.

An effective guest post email template includes:

Keep it real by quickly personalizing this email to suit every outreach attempt.

Remember, this is a cold email template. Guest post outreach is a long-term strategy as you will likely receive many rejections, although most will likely just ignore your emails. The key to success is sending out hundreds of requests to find several bloggers that give you the go-ahead.

Because it does take that much effort to reach all those elusive bloggers, the outreach email template, customized to each blog, is an absolute must.

Feel free to tweak your outreach email template until you find the combination that works the best for you.

7 - Sign off breezily

Keep the sign off casual. Do not load it with seriousness and intimidate them. A breezy and cheerful sign-off, showing that you are looking forward to their content, is the best option.


Conquer the Art of Placing a Guest Post

Are you already writing that guest post outreach email in your mind?

Just be sure to plug in these seven handy tips, and you will be flooded with permissions granted for your guest post. Remember to use your outreach email as an opportunity to build credibility for you as well as reaching new audiences. Above all, guest posting makes strong ally networks. And that is always a good thing.

Now you’re ready to write your guest post. Do you need some advice on creating titles with impact?

guest posting blog headlines

Author Deborah Tayloe

Deborah Tayloe

Deborah is a blogger and freelancer who often writes for EmailMeForm. When she’s not blogging, you’ll probably find Deborah working on DIY projects around her home in North Carolina.

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