Writing is one of those activities that only get better with practice. Maybe you are a fair enough writer for your online content or blog, but you can always improve. Writing about a variety of topics for others gets those creative muscles working again.
Many writers have written on a number of topics and in a number of media before they decided on the one they liked. If your business is writing, then in the interest of expanding your skills, guest blogging is a great way to do that.
Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is when you write blog posts for others. It’s like being a guest on a late night talk show but with less name-calling and bad jokes. Blog owners won’t just choose anyone for their guest spots, so you must have done something right if they are asking you.
Now, it’s time for you to impress by writing what they need with your voice. If you are writing on a topic that you don’t have much experience with, you’ll need to start from scratch.
1.   Do your homework. If you are running a general gardening website and another business owner asks you to blog for them on daffodils, you may have some work to do to become thoroughly familiar with that flower.
2.   Follow any instructions to the letter. The blog owner may give you the blog post titles. Within their word count and the context of the title, deliver a product that will meet and, dare we say, exceed their expectations. If you have questions, ask them before you get started.
3.   Read past blog posts for hints on style. Of course you are a fan of the blog for which you are writing. You like the posts, but now you will reread them to see how they layout their information and get to the point in such a short piece.
4.   Write a rough draft. You probably stopped that a while ago for your own website. You are so acquainted with the material that you don’t have to. But, for someone else, write without editing and then go back and fix it until it is the way you want it to be.
If you are used to writing longer pieces of content or reports, a blog post is a nice change of pace. The tone is usually more conversational and fun but with an emphasis on the facts. It is a new style but one you may want to adopt to create your own blog for your business.
Good guest post writing tips. You definitely do want to put a little extra effort into writing a guest post. Quality writing will improve your credibility and help land more guest post writing jobs. If you rush a guest post, don’t be surprised if they turn you down for future guest posts.
Don’t be too worried about matching the blogs style exactly. Part of the reason bloggers use guest posts is to bring a new voice & style to the blog. So don’t be afraid to bring your own personality to a guest post.