How to Pitch Your Guest Post – Successfully

This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on my site Aliventures.com.

Maybe you’ve crafted a great guest post … and now you’re stuck. What exactly should you write in your email to the blog owner, when you send them your post?

This email is your “pitch”, and it can feel daunting. When you know you have to grab the attention of a busy blogger – who may have dozens more guest post submission to evaluate – it’s easy to freeze up. You’re convinced that every word needs to count, so you spend hours trying to perfect them.

Relax.

You’re not pitching a book here – or even a magazine article. You don’t need to pour hours into crafting the perfect email. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you can be confident that your post will at least be considered.

Here’s What Most Guest Post Pitches Look Like

If you saw some of the incredibly poor pitches that bloggers get, you’d realise that it’s not hard to stand out as a good writer.

Here’s one I received a couple of weeks ago. (I’ll keep the person in question anonymous.)

Hi Ali,

Ive read your “craft a guest post” article https://www.aliventures.com/craft-a-guest-post-to-be-accepted/ and it’s really insightful. I’m wondering if there’s a chance I could actually write for https://www.aliventures.com/ .

I can do some research and come up with article ideas for your blog if you’d allow.In case you’re interested in seeing my writing style:
(link to an article about cloud storage services)

PS: I am a real person — If you’d ever like to chat just send me a text to my cell number and we can catch up.

Here’s what’s wrong with the pitch:

• The URL of my website is used, not the name of the site. This is a clear giveaway that this email isn’t from a real reader but instead from someone who’s mass-spamming lots of website owners.
• There’s a typo in the third word of the email: “Ive” for “I’ve”. While I’d let this slide in an otherwise good pitch, it’s a bit of a red flag against this one.
• There’s no actual pitch! The person offers to “come up with article ideas”, but they should have included these in the email. Most bloggers are busy and won’t want to do a lot of back and forth with you.

There’s a slightly odd tone to it. The “I’m wondering if there’s a chance I could actually write for [you]” comes across a bit oddly, since this seems very much like a mass-produced email. The “P.S.” seems like something no guest poster should need to say! By reassuring me that the email isn’t sent by a bot, that makes it seem even more likely that a very similar email is being sent to lots of other bloggers.

So what does this guest poster get right?

• They address me by name. Many guest post pitch emails don’t do this, believe it or not.
• They link to a previous example of their writing. If you’re not sending a full post up-front, this is (in my opinion) a must: it lets bloggers see for themselves what you can do.

So, I’m hoping you can see that you don’t have to be a genius at pitching guest posts in order to stand out. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to have a few basic tips in mind…

Five Simple Tips for Crafting a Great Pitch

• Include the blogger’s name, and get it right (double-check the spelling). If you’re pitching to a big blog, check who you should be sending the guest post too – it’s not always the blog owner. You’ll normally find details on their guest post guidelines or submission guidelines.
• Keep your email short and concise. It’s fine to include a line or two about your own experience – e.g. I’m a freelance writer and run my own blog at [link] – but blog owners won’t want long paragraphs explaining your personal background.
• Pitch your post clearly. If you’ve already written it, I think it’s enough to just say “I’ve attached a guest post submission” then give the title. (Obviously, try to make the title as compelling as possible.) If you’re writing for a blog that wants you to pitch before producing the post, include the proposed title plus a few bullet points outlining what you plan to cover.
• Include a couple of links to great posts you’ve already written – these can be on your own blog or other blogs. (If you’re attaching the post itself, you don’t necessarily need to do this.) Try to make your samples as relevant as possible to the blog you’re pitching. Once you’ve built up a guest posting track record, you can mention major sites in your niche that you’ve written for.
• Proof-read your email. You want to create a good first impression – and typos, missing words, or grammatical mistakes all need to be weeded out. If you know that this is a weak area for you, ask a friend to read through your draft email.

Good luck with your guest posting … and do come and comment to let me know how you get on.