The blogging world is anything but simple. Just because you write a few posts and share them on social media doesn’t ensure you’re going to get readers and, even if you did, readers don’t necessarily pay the bills unless you monetize effectively and with a big enough audience. But that’s not an instantaneous process so what do you do in the meantime?
always make sure to scan social media and other outlets for guest blogging opportunities
Write for someone else. Guest blogging and freelance writing are powerful, practical tools for bloggers at all levels in their career. Whether you need to make a little money or you’re looking for greater visibility, writing for larger entities such as larger blogs or established publications can get you access it’d take you years to build. Sure I can say this but it’s easier said than done. So how do you find these opportunities and how do you use them strategically? Well it can vary based on your position but here are some general tips.
Always Keep an Eye Out for Opportunities
Guest blogging and freelance opportunities are not things that will seek you out when you are early in your career. It’s all about hustle and perseverance. Do you see a site in your niche looking for new writers? Toss your hat in. Have a favorite blog? Pitch them. If you see an opportunity you think you’d be good for, shoot your shot.
Pitching as a writer is a law of averages. You will have rejections. But statistically speaking, if your craft is good if you pitch a thousand places you should get a couple jobs. View every rejection as the journey to that yes and go to town. The best way to get to that yes is to knock on as many doors as possible. Keep your eyes peeled and stay ready to throw yourself at the opportunities as they come.
Synergize
The entire purpose of guest blogging is building your reputation. You want people to see your name and immediately think of you as an authority on what you write about. So it follows that you should try to take on work which is synergistic with your own mission whenever possible.
If you blog about pizza, try and blog about pizza whenever you can on as many reputable websites as you can. Get your name out there.
Never Take on More Than you Can Handle
Though you should be hungry for opportunities and to maximize your productivity, remember to always be realistic. Never take on more than you can. Remember no amount of opportunity outweighs the losses of doing half-hearted work. At best, you piss off a client. At worst, word spreads and your career is DOA. Yes, be hungry but also be cautious and always have a plan of attack.
