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How to Stop Doing Outreach Wrong! What Sites Really Want

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When a site gets to be a particular size, they start getting overwhelmed with requests to guest post from people doing outreach wrong.

How to Stop Doing Outreach Wrong What Sites Really Want

Requests from subject matter experts who can write original, comprehensive content on topics they really know are fantastic. Small businesses sharing their knowledge and experience are great.

Please do pitch if you have expertise to share!

Unfortunately, most requests come from freelance writers paid to submit mediocre content just to get a link. This falls into all the people doing outreach wrong!

Companies, please stop wasting your money paying people to submit bad content. No one reads it, links to it or shares it so it has no SEO value anyway!Click To Tweet

Do you really want your brand associated with inaccurate, poorly written content? If you want to do outreach, have someone on your team write something worth reading and hire someone to pitch that! Or just send it yourselves.

I’ve been recommending quality over quantity since at least 2011: Quantity Equals Failure. Success Focuses on Quality!

Ask – Don’t Tell

Telling a site owner you are going to publish on their site is just wrong. You are asking for a favor from them. If your content is excellent, you may also be doing them a favor.

But even then, you are asking them to spend time getting your content ready to publish. And asking them to review your content to see if it fits on their site.

So please choose relevant sites and be polite. Site owners are busy so sometimes good pitches don’t get answered and it isn’t because of the pitch.

But if sites ignore your pitches, look at them and make sure you are asking — not telling. Maybe this is a cultural difference in language usage?

I’m not sure, but I get messages like these all the time:

  • ” I need to publish on your site.” (Probably not content that site really wants.)
  • “Here is the article. Please review. So, how much days it would take?” (This is likely to need a lot of editing.)
  • “Hi , can i know the exact publishing date?” (No, because I don’t know.)

Did You Read and Conform to the Site’s Guidelines?

There is a good reason sites have guidelines. They benefit you by giving you a better idea what that site requires for your content to be published.

Look on the home page and the major pages for a site’s guidelines. Here, they’re found in the footer clearly labeled GrowMap Guest Blogging Guidelines.

Almost everywhere online, you can use Ctrl-F (control key on your keyboard + the “F” key) to get a search box. Put “guidelines” or “write for us” or “guest blogging” or “guest posting” in that search box to find them.

If the site specifies a 700 word minimum and your content is less than that, it should be obvious that it won’t be published until you add to that content.

Site owners do not want their hard work to be nullified by getting their site penalized.Click To Tweet

That is why some will tell you outright they don’t allow links to sales pages. Others will just remove those links when they publish your content.

How to Get Your Content to Go Live Quickly

Did you know that great content that is ready to publish is likely to move to the top of the queue? Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be great if it is publication ready.

This is what that means (details for some of these below):

  1. Text already edited into American English
  2. Saved as a draft in WordPress
  3. Proofread to fix any typos or grammatical errors
  4. Images scaled and compressed
  5. SEO fields completed (if you have access)
  6. Top image created, uploaded and set as featured image
  7. Categories selected (1-2)
  8. Tags selected (some sites prefer you not do this)

1) Already written in American English and proofread.

UK or Australian English can be edited quickly. English as written in most other countries takes a lot of editing. Sometimes, it can’t even be deciphered.

So if you learned English somewhere else, if you want your content to go live quickly, ask an American friend to edit it first. Or offer to pay for editing. It usually costs $15-$25.

2) Request contributor access and save it as a draft instead of submitting it as a Word Doc.

Here are your options:

  1. Write your content in WordPress (WP) on this site.
  2. Or you can write it on any WP site running Classic Editor (not Gutenberg)
    • Switch to the “Text” tab
    • Copy the HTML from the “Text” tab
    • Paste the HTML into the “Text” tab of a new post here
    • Write in Word
      • Copy the content from your Word Doc
      • Paste it into Textfixer
      • Click “Convert Word to HTML
      • Paste the HTML into the “Text” tab here.

DO NOT write your content in other popular cloud services unless you have a premium account with CoSchedule to remove the broken code or know how to edit HTML and are willing to spend the time to do it.

This site does NOT accept content written in other tools!

This is because we do not want to spend time fixing the HTML errors.

4) How to submit images

By default, WP contributor access does not allow you to upload images. Images do make your content more compelling and we encourage them here.

  • Image sources

Not all sites do because far too many people are still stealing images. You cannot just take any image you find and use it! You must have to have permission to use someone else’s images and provide attribution.

Or get them from a free image source, such as:

  1. Pixabay
  2. Pexels
  3. Unsplash

To find more free sources and understand why you cannot steal images, read 43+ Free Blog Images Sources: Where to Get Royalty Free Photos.

  • Image Optimization (scaled and compressed)

Getting images optimized for upload takes time. The more images in the content, the longer it takes. Before they can be uploaded to the WP database, they should be resized for width and compressed.

Open a post on the site you wish to be published on in FireFox. Right click, view image info and you will see the width. (Or just ask the site editor if you are in contact. Image width on this site is 880.)

    1. How to Reduce Images Using GIMP (Free program for any OS)
    2. Compress the images using Tinypng or Compressjpg or Compresspng or similar.
    3. SEO the image: Image SEO: How to Write Powerful Alt Image Tags

5) SEO Fields

If you can see the SEO fields and know how to use them, fill them in. (Some sites may prefer you not do this. On those, you probably can’t see them, anyway.)

6) Top Image Created

Look at the content the site publishes. If all their images are similar, they may have a graphic artist who creates them. You don’t need to do anything.

On this site, images are created for each post. There is no one template. If you know how to use Canva (tutorials at that link) or similar and want to create the top image, for this site they are 880×440.

Look through other posts and get ideas from them about what to put on your featured image. (If you don’t know how, don’t worry about this. I will add the featured image for you.)

7) Categories

You may choose 1-2 categories you feel suit your content best. If you’re not sure, you can choose more than that or none and I’ll change the categories before publishing.

DO NOT ADD NEW CATEGORIES HERE OR ANYWHERE ELSE!

8) Tags

Some sites don’t want you to choose tags yourself. You can choose them here as I haven’t optimized them, yet. All of us need to optimize our tags, but most sites haven’t.

Do Follow Up, But Don’t Hound

This site usually has 15-20+ posts pending. It gets really depressing when post after post after post has problems that keep it from getting published.

How often you can follow up depends on the site. Some don’t tell you anything and you’re just submitting into a black hole. Patience is a virtue.

Other sites may tell you how many posts are ahead of yours. If your is publication ready, it may jump up many spots as other content has issues that keep it from publishing.

If yours is the content that has problems, it will keep getting pushed down until those problems can be resolved. So do follow up to find out what they are. Then fix them to get back on track.

Why Your Content Doesn’t Go Live

One of the major challenges editors have is lack of comprehension. Even though I explain the problems with the content, the writer may not understand what I mean.

They have a particular difficulty understanding what a “sales page” is. If the site is offering something for sale on that page, it is a sales page. If I tell you it is a sales page, you just have to believe me.

That content will not be published until that link is removed or replaced with a highly relevant link to content providing value to my readers.

If I ask you for the source of the images and who gave you permission to republish them and you don’t answer, the content stays in limbo.

Images that appear to be stock photos may be replaced with other images so that the content can go live.

Sadly, there are far more pending submissions in the “problem with content” status than any other status. (But the good news is that is because content without problems gets published and is no longer pending.

What Else Might Assist You

The key thing is to keep in mind that you are asking a favor and phrase what you say according. And I don’t know about other Americans, but personally, please don’t call me “Dear”.

This is a cultural thing. In America, terms of endearment (like dear, honey, sweetie, etc.) are only used between people who know each other very well — not strangers you’re asking for favors.

Small businesses can increase their visibility and sales by sharing their experience and knowledge in content on relevant sites. Please stop hiring offshore writers to produce valueless content no one wants to read, link to or share! Click To Tweet

 

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Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap
Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist who mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.
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Comments

  1. Thanks for sending this to me Gail. A really good read. And the last point you make about the use of “Dear” as a form of address is really interesting to me. It is commonly used here in the UK but it is very formal and conversely used as a way to address strangers. I would rarely, if ever use it in an email but it’s useful to keep even small things like this in mind when reaching out. Thanks again.
    Rob Dodsworth would love you to read ..The George Hotel WeddingMy Profile

    Reply

    • Hi Rob,

      Thanks for sharing that. Maybe that is how the custom started in India. I’ve never had anyone refer to me as “dear” who wasn’t from India or used sarcastically. “Yes, deeeaaarr.”

      I’ve never heard any collaborator or friend from the UK or AUS or NZ call anyone they weren’t married to “dear” in any context.

      I delete comments and emails and messages on Skype, LinkedIn and Facebook every day where strangers have referred to me as dear.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Do Not Let Your Images Blow Up Your BlogMy Profile

      Reply

  3. Outreaching for guest post/backlinks is no easier. Websites with Good DA and PA these days receive almost 50 or 100+ emails every day requesting for guest posting and all. So, it’s no easier. However, if you approach website owners in a friendly and professional way, you can score a backlink through guest posts from the target website. Overall, you will have to be more professional when outreaching for guest posting opportunities and backlinks.
    Thank you so much, Gail, for sharing this helpful content.
    RAVI Kr. Jha would love you to read ..Why Employer Branding Is Important for Your Company’s Hiring Success?My Profile

    Reply

  5. Hi Gail Gardner,

    Firstly I would like to thank you for this article it’s very informative for a person like me as I am an SEO. This article provides me a very rich information about image optimization, SEO tags and other things which i was missing. Thanks, Gail again

    Reply

  8. Gail,

    You have nailed the topic. Email personalization is more critical. Getting hundreds of emails a day, ours may be just one among those if it non-personalized.
    Above all, as a stranger requesting a favor is less likely to get it. So, being a friend helps. Ultimately, with no proper research or groundwork, guest posting never gets you the expected results.
    Thanks for your valuable suggestions for successful guest blogging.
    Sathish Arumugam would love you to read ..Does Black Friday Deals Are Really Worth It?My Profile

    Reply

  10. Hi Gail,

    The irony of guest posting is that most of the newbies or guest bloggers use cold email method to find the guest posting opportunities. They do not even care about reading if the site accepting guest posts or not.

    Sometimes they do not even read the terms and requirements.

    Cold emailing is the reason why more than 50% guest post requesting emails just end into trash box.

    Thanks for giving clarity about the process.
    Gaurav Kumar would love you to read ..4 Ways Good Writing Skills are Beneficial for Your CareerMy Profile

    Reply

    • Hi Gaurav,

      Yes, I delete tons of guest post requests because they are so bad. If someone wants to guest here, they can easily find the guidelines. And I am very easy to find online everywhere and in Skype.

      It is very challenging when businesses hire people whose ability to understand the meaning of replies is so limited. Often, even after explaining something several ways, they still just don’t comprehend what I’m telling them.

      Meanwhile, excellent writers with experience to share are either not making the time or are afraid of rejection. So they don’t even ask.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..What Google Tag Manager Is and How It Can Help Your WebsiteMy Profile

      Reply

  11. Hi Gail, Very useful blog post. You have listed some of the best ways to speedup the outreach process and avoid unnessacery mistakes while doing outreach. When many newbie online marketers make the mistake of not reading the Site guidelines, even if they have read the site guide they completely ignore the guidelines and contact the site owner. I agree with you, not crediting the image sources and still using image is something that newbie online marketers do. Avoid these things will save a lot for both the party involved. Thanks Gail.
    Sajan Kota would love you to read ..How to Hide a Specific Post in WordPressMy Profile

    Reply

    • Hello Sajan,

      I am fortunate that I do get some great contributed content from experts. But I also get a mountain of requests I just ignore because they’re so bad. I couldn’t reply to them all if that was the only thing I do all day.

      Yes, it is a little surprising that so many writers — even those that write full time — still do not realize they can’t just “borrow” any image they see online. Maybe they’ll use the link I provided and learn to use Canva to make their own.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Watch and Learn – Digital Marketing Industry Trends You Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2020My Profile

      Reply

  12. Thank you so much. This information is really detail and well said. We should share this post in social media. So the new and upcoming bloggers wont abuse and be a spammy to other site in order to rank their personal sites.

    Thank yoy mrs. Gail well i learned a bit from you.

    Reply

    • Hi Citra,

      What site owners need to understand is that only content that has at least one incoming link can rank. They need to be focusing on writing exceptional content that people want to share, link to and comment on.

      One great piece of content is far better than even dozens of average posts. It will do more for their website’s ranking and their visibility and credibility.

      Unless a site makes money off of advertising, they don’t need to publish daily. They could just publish a great post once a week and promote that better and end up with the same traffic and better rankings.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..What is Outsourced Accounting? How It Can Benefit Your BusinessMy Profile

      Reply

  13. That’s a very useful guide to start with Outreaching for Guest posting. Thanks, Gail for sharing the insights. When I started with Outreaching and got my first positive reply (CMSWire)- it was like winning a marathon. and after that, I never looked back. It’s about presenting the right fit of content and then creating compelling content as per the platform guidelines. Something similar I followed here on Growmap and thanks to Gail for considering my request and I will look forward to contributing more.

    Thank you, Gail.👍
    -Rajat Chauhan

    Reply

    • Hi Matt,

      Your comment reminds me that I should write or find a post on how to do pitches and add that. The key for me to consider someone is that there be a real person doing the pitching.

      The emails I ignore come from a first name, usually gmail, no social accounts, no title, no way to vet them at all. Give the site a reason to want to publish your content.

      The best pitches have 2-3 examples of published work, enough information that I can look them up online (ideally on LinkedIn), the reason they want to submit content and a few suggested topics or titles.

      Pitches like that are very likely to get answered.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Twitter Best Practices: How to Use Twitter Effectively ~ Make Twitter Work for YOUMy Profile

      Reply

  17. Hey Gali Gardner, you have covered all the essential points that will help in my blog section and also on guest posting. Well-written article and informative. Kindly write some more essential topics regarding link building. There are some more people looking for current scenarios about link building.

    Reply

  18. Hi,
    This is such a great article, you clarify everything with step by step procedure and well written article,here you share your great experience with us , here all the points are very important but Ask-Don’t tell point is very important point, but still this is very great article, and it is really a very helpful article.
    So please keep it on.
    tkies would love you to read ..B2B Travel Portal Development | Tkies Software ServicesMy Profile

    Reply

    • Hi Tkies,

      It is always a good idea not to rub people the wrong way. Telling them that you “need” to publish on their site is a bad idea. So it telling them you are going to as though the owner has to do what you say.

      Those two things and being called “dear” and 3 things I recommend people doing outreach not do. I’m not sure how many others get irritated by these specific three things, but I suspect it isn’t only me.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Bloggers Hiring Bloggers: Kinds of Work You Outsource or Get Hired to DoMy Profile

      Reply

  20. This post is down to earth, interesting-to-read and helpful. I like the way you gave general hints on the dos and donts of pitching; and personalised the story to give ‘Growmap suitors’ the guidelines, so as to review their guestposts before pitching. Thanks Gail.

    Reply

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