This document provides guidance on guest blogging for startups. It outlines the benefits of guest blogging, which include free impressions to build an audience and awareness of a brand. It discusses what types of content publishers want, such as relevant content that establishes a relationship. The document also details how to approach each step of the guest blogging process, including creating effective headlines and content, identifying the right audience, planning distribution strategies, and considering how blogging will increase brand awareness. The overall message is that guest blogging can provide many hidden long-term benefits for startups through collaborative marketing and growing an engaged audience.

1. BOOTSTRAPPER’S GUIDE
TO GUEST BLOGGING
By @DavidSmooke
SmartRecruiters’ Director, Content & Social Media

2. Startup… like, Right Now!
“We’re Already Doing It.”

3. #LeanContent
Free(-ish) Impressions Are a Startup’s Best Friend.

4. Why Me? Why, You.
• 1st Marketing Hire,
@SmartRecruiters (no budget)
• Moved Publications from
monthly to daily
• SmartRecruiters Blog: 225+
authors, 150,000+ monthly
pageviews, & I’ve written on
50+ Quality Blogs
• I challenged myself, “Can I
publish someone else everyday
on our blog, and guest post
once a week on another blog?”
Ultimately, not the long-term
solution,* but useful mindset
for early stage startup
*voice: your blog needs your voice, and its
volume is measured by link backs.

5. What Content Do Publishers Want?
1. Remarkable & Relevant Content (Writing, Experience, Circumstances,
Innovative, i.e. Why Your Message is Extraordinary Today)
2. Existing Relationship (Partner, Customer, Friend, etc.)
3. Your Audience (…when the tables have turned…)

6. Obligatory White Board Content
Explanation!
Smooke Original:
Iteration #2

7. Guest Posting: The 5 Principle Benefits
1. Headline: the What
– the Details, Social Sharing & SEO
2. Content Creation: the How
– the Details, outline & timeframe
3. Audience: the Who
– the Details, hosting, link backs & new friends
4. Distribution: the Where
– the Details, collaborative marketing & re-engage-
able audience
5. Awareness: the Why
– the Details, growing brand & traffic

8. Headlines
• Social: Would X,Y, or Z tweet that?
• SEO: Can we win this search term?
• How does growing relation to headline benefit
both author and publisher?

9. Content Creation
• Timeframe: You miss it, opportunity may go extinct.
• Outline: 1 sentence & 3 bullet point pitch & it serves
as clear agreement on what’s to come.
• How can your content benefit their reader and serve
as a native ad for your startup?

10. Audience
• Hosting: 1. PageRank 2. Relevant Keywords
• Link Backs & New Friends: Long-term value for
you and your startup.
• Re-engage with everyone who gains benefit
from your guest posts.

11. Distribution
• Collaborative Marketing: Social channels, email count,
comments, subscribers. Know who is sharing to where
before publication.
• Re-engage-able Audience: My term (please spread) for
audience members that you can market to again.
• How does distribution benefit each party?

12. Awareness
• Branding: Is this aligned to my brand? Uncover your
brand’s flexibility/rigidness.
• Traffic: Monitor initial traffic bumps, but also long-term
growth rankings of keywords.
• And how will this benefit our ability to take the next step?

14. TIME TO
CREATE
Group up:
Why Guest Post? What Hidden Values Do
You See?

15. “From the Feet Up.”

16. TWEET, @DavidSmooke
CONNECT, Linkedin/in/ClarkKent
http://www.smartrecruiters.com
http://www.smartrecruiters.com/blog