Guest blogging is one of the best ways to get a blog or website known and target new audiences, we all agree with that. Welcoming guest posters is also a great way to provide fresh content to your readers and target the crowds the invited author already appealed to. By analyzing these two sides of the guest blogging scene, you can easily tell this is a win-win promotion practice.

No wonder it has spread throughout the blogosphere and it has created a need for the proper tools! A while back I wrote about the launch of My Blog Guest, a place where guest posters and blog owners could meet, connect and see how they could help each other out. It looked promising and I decided to try out Ann Smarty’s project and see for myself how it worked.

I started by asking for guest posts for Words of a Broken Mirror, the very PR and marketing blog you’re currently reading. Except for a couple of offers, most were spot on, with suggestions of articles that fit my blog perfectly. Even it the case of those whose ideas were not a perfect match, we managed to reach common ground and come up with a blog post idea that would work. After the initial hype around my form post on MyBlogGuest, which got me plenty of guest posts, some of the authors wanted to write more while new ones kept approaching me after finding my profile.

With TravelTweaks.com, I tried a different approach. Rather than waiting for people to come up with topics that I could approve, I used MyBlogGuest’s Article Gallery. This is a section where premium users post their latest articles. Bloggers accepting guest posts can then place an offer with an estimated publishing times, and the author chooses the outlet the fits best. In a few months I have published several dozen guest posts this way. I can do that with Travel Tweaks without looking like I have abandoned it only guest authors write there because this particular travel news site publishes 4-5 stories per day, features exploring certain destinations and the latest news in the travel and tourism world.

MyBlogGuest has a great system to get great guest posters the recognition they need – a voting system for those publishing their work. You can thumb up or down a certain author, letting future blog owners know just how good they are. To filter out one time users that only want to trash someone or vote for them just for fun, this system is restricted to users that are active on the MyBlogGuest forums.

Other than providing the obvious gathering place for those in need of content and authors of guest posts, MyBlogGuest also encourages members to connect on social networks and help each other promote their blogs and posts. It is also a great resource for guest blogging tips and best practices, helping newbies and experienced bloggers alike.

What I particularly like about the MyBlogGuest community is the willingness of members to help and how open Ann and her team are to suggestions, answering to questions and tips faster than I would have expected.

I strongly recommend it to blog owners in search for fresh views from new authors and to bloggers wanting to make a name for themselves and getting their blog news to guest posting.

Have you tried guest posting so far, from either end of the deal? How has it worked for you so far and what tools are you using?

Guest post by Jayson Jones

Of the many blogs that pop into existence (at the rate, in fact, of one blog per second), the vast majority are a form of “personal space.” These intentionally personal blogs are a sort of online journal, more about having a sense of territory than of really developing a following. However, for those who care about having a truly successful blog, the focus must shift to accommodate one group, and one group only: the users.

There are plenty of things you can do to make your site better for visitors; you can get an online web design degree, look up everything you can find on successful blog designing, or better yet follow these five simple tips that will help improve user experience on your blog.

1. Streamline Everything

On most blogs, there are links, pictures, design elements, advertisements, and just about everything else you could imagine, all littering the site haphazardly. Not only is this unattractive, but it’s nearly impossible to navigate through.

Streamline everything you can. Make navigation clear and simple to read, eliminate unclear or unnecessary elements, pull advertisements out of places where they interfere with navigation, and otherwise streamline the site. At the end of the day, users should be able to look at your page and know where everything is without a second glance.

2. Make It Easy on the Eyes

While making your site clean and streamlined will give some benefit here, it’s also important that it’s attractive overall. However, the term “easy on the eyes” is being used intentionally. You shouldn’t improve your design at the expense of readability or ease of use, so always avoid big design elements above the fold and black backgrounds with light text for your main content.

3. Use Widgets

There are blog widgets that do just about everything, ranging from speeding up your blog’s load times to making it easier to leave comments. While you shouldn’t over-pack your site, there’s almost no blog that can’t benefit from at least a widget or two.

4. Be Useful

People come to blogs for the sake of one person: themselves. Help them by creating useful content, such as tips and tricks. Additionally, in “standard” content, be sure to link to appropriate sites when relevant, cite sources when they’re mentioned, and otherwise make further exploration easy.

5. Ask Your Visitors

If you really want to know the nit-picky details that would make your visitors feel more at home, ask them yourself. You can do this by posting questions on your blog, but remember that many people still won’t respond. One of your best solutions is to invest in online survey software. However, this option is also very tricky; a survey request that’s too brazen will irritate visitors to no end, while one that’s too subtle will be missed entirely. This is a wise investment in learning your audience, but be sure to approach with care.

By making your site attractive and easy to navigate, simple to use, filled with rich content, and adapted to the needs of your visitors, you’re sure to improve the overall user experience. This is no footnote on optional quality, either. Remember, a loyal user base is the foundation to any truly successful blog.

About the author

Alex Cristache, the mastermind behind Blogsessive.com and the QBKL Media design studio, has just release a free PDF eboook called “Corporate Blogging Guide”. This comprehensive collection of useful tips and back to the basic explanations of the whole blogging process is meant to help companies assess their need of a blog, draw some goals, come up with a blogging strategy, choose the best available tool and start reaching out to the blogging community.

All you have to do to get this business blogging ebook is to subscribe for free to Blogsessive’s RSS feed and you’ll spot the download link at the end of each article in the feed. If you’re already a Blogsessive RSS subscriber, you only need to click the link, it’s already there

Yours truly played a little but significant part in the process of getting the Corporate Blogging Guide published, meaning I helped Alex translate and did a bit of editing as well. So download it, read it and let Alex and I know what you think Oh, and happy blogging!

What I think you shouldn’t have missed last week…

Nice to see you all at a fresh new edition of our Monday Reading Roundup! I’ve prepared some cool articles from the week past for you to enjoy.

But I want to start on a hillarious note. We’ve all been dealing with spammers for a long time. They waste precious moments, never take no or an answer and basically are so many we can’t possibly add all the addresses to our blacklist…So here’s a little laughing of them and our own problems: Mihaela Lica discovered that spammers are stupid and can definitelly prove it!

When promoting your business on the internet, you will make some mistakes. Some might harm more than you could ever predict, so here’s a list of what not to do when promoting your business online from Cath Lawson.

Janelle asked a great question on Create Business Growth: while we know we are extremely dependent on the internet as individuals, have businesses become too dependent as well?

RSS subscribers come and some are lost along the way. If you’re thinking of getting them back, you should definitely read this guest post on ProBlogger by Glenn Allsopp.

When the winter holidays are approaching, we all think of the gifts we want to give to others. Karen Swim recommends a few gifts to give ourselves, to make us happier and stronger for the new year.

Thinking of pitching a blogger? Not all of them have personal “how to pitch me” guides, but if you use Diana Huff’s you’ll probably throw in a successful one. And here’s some advice from the other side of the border, the PR person’s view on pitching by Alan Weinkrantz.

And to end on the note I started with, here’s a little something from Jeff Pulver: The Twitter Girl Song!

Have a great week and see you next time!

What I think you shouldn’t have missed last week…

Today is Wolrd AIDS Day and also Romania’s National Day! Thank you all for joining me on this week’s monday reading list on such a special occasion!

We’re all crazy about all things social media, both general and niche. But while there are plenty of niche social media sites, only a few can be considered successful. What differentiates a good site from a bad one? Find out on Traffikd.

When you run a business blog, turning your readers into buyers is one of your major goals. Danny Thompson of Busines and Blogging explains how to achieve your goal without annoying your readers through shamless sales pitches.

Cath Lawson discusses the “Free” concept. Find out more about when and how offering free producs or services helps your business.

In a guest post on Women on Business, Mark Tewart teaches 4 politically incorrect lessons aimed at helping women succeed in their career. Go on and read it, it really is wonderful advice!

Businesses count on holiday sales to increase their incomes. But with this year’s recession on our doors, it looks like holiday sales won’t be as easy as before. So here are some tips from Noobpreneur to get sales in this year’s season.

Comparisons seem like the perfect way to get a clear image of our own accomplishments. Yet most of the times, given interests, abilities and fields are extremely different, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Michael Martine explains why comparisons are not good for your blog’s (or business’) health.

The economic downturn is driving everyone to cost reduction. Costs are diminished, while also trying to boost sales. In this economic environment, consultants, coaches and creatives still need to maintain their current rates. Here’s a simple Q&A post aimed at helping you keep your rates and still get business from Barbara Rozgonyi.

Ian Lurie has done it again: another post that will make you laugh to tears yet still be extremely useful. A guide for an SEO’s wife/girlfriend/significant other to the perfect Christmas Gift!

Brian Fetherstonhaugh of OgilvyOne has launched an interesting theory on how the 4Ps of Marketing (Product, Placement, Price, Promotion) have become the 4Es (Experience, Everyplace, Exchange, Evangelism). To get you started, read Katherine Liews’s (Brand Curve) review of this theory first.

That’s it for today! Don’t forget to add your recommendations in the comment box

Alex invited me to write another guest post on Blogsessive and I gladly accepted his offer. After my first entry on his blog, here’s an excerpt of my latest contribution to his wonderful blogging tips, Networking 101 – Building Relationships with Bloggers:

All blogs are written so that others could read them. This statement is true for both personal and business blogs. Otherwise bloggers wouldn’t take their diary online. So from the moment you publish your first post, you’ll be waiting for your soon-to-be readers and their take on what you have to say.

While waiting for readers to discover you might be a choice for some, the more impatient ones of use will approach readers proactively. And by far the most effective way to get them to read your writings is to bond with them, so them you’re worth exploring.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Besides, as my blog is only randomly accessible, I’m glad to know we can connect someplace else

What I think you shouldn’t have missed last week…

Welcome to the 14th editon of WOBM’s reading roundup! Hope you enjoy it and find something useful to help 2009 will be the year of increased interaction between brands and their targets. This is what Shannon Nelson of Pierce Mattie Public Relations believes will happen in next year’s business world.

Marketing and Sales, two deparments for which lots of virtual ink has flown, especially when it comes to them collaborating more effectively. Kyle Flaherty of EngageInPR has published an interesting article on what marketing should learn from sales.

There’s been quite a lot said on bad blogger pitches and they still happen. Here’s a nice list of the biggest 5 mistakes ever made when approaching a blogger, from the other side of the email – PR Meets Marketing. I’m guilty for more than half, not necessarily with bloggers.

Chris Brogan, just like yours truly, is not a big fan of Facebook. Yet he wrote an amazing guide on how not to be a jerk over there.

Our education is something we need to keep improving. Here are 5 free ways to do just that spotted by Women on Business.

What do do if your clients don’t read blogs? And a lot of people don’t or don’t know what they’re reading is a blog. Telling them won’t help, as they might get irritated. So here are five ways to approach those who are not blog lovers from Michael Martine of Remarkablogger.

If you’re wondering which are the do’s and don’ts of video, Benjamin Wayne has published a extremely insightful guest post on this topic on Drew’s Marketing Minute.

And to end this week’s edition in a cheerful way, here’s a funny and easy html guide for copywriters from Conversational Marketing.

Did I miss something really important? Please share it in the comment box!

What I think you shouldn’t have missed last week…

New week, new reading list ready for you! Hope everyone’s having a happy Monday and enjoys my recommendations for today.

Is your social media campaign already in place? Are you going to start one in the near future? You should, and fast, as a new survey quoted by Alan Weinkrantz PR Weblog shows consumers want to interact with companies on social media.

You have your brand name and logo ready, now you need a battle cry! Your PR Guy gives a few tips to come up with an exciting slogan.

Are economic downturns a good moment to start cutting PR and Marketing budgets? Todd Defren of PR Squared is showing you why you should think twice.

The best part in working closely with a research company, such as Forrester, Radicati or Gartner is the analyst briefings such a collaboration entails. Jeremiah Owyang, Senior Analyst at Forrester, shared a few tips for a successful briefing.

Stories sell. So the best way to increase your sales is to learn to write such stories. To help you out, Brian Clark of Coppyblogger put up a great how-to.

Laura Spencer of Business and Blogging posed an interesting question: should your business blog be designed by a professional? She argued both possible answers, go on and share your personal opinion.

Ads are not the only way to make money with your blog. Tibi Puiu explained why ad-free blogs rock and which are the alternatives.

If you’re thinking to start a group blog project, this insightful post from Chris Brogan is exactly what you need. Go ahead and add your own thoughts to the list.

That’s it for this week, see you all next Monday! And of course, if you think I’ve forgotten anything, please add your suggestions in the comment box!

What I think you shouldn’t have missed last week…

It’s been quite a while since the last round of monday reading tips! The vacation had that weird effect on my blog, but I’m back with new great posts, all published sometime last week.

To start with, I chose something that really isn’t my style. But given the increasing number of people getting married to fast and ending up divorced, this really made sence: some really importantquestions to ask before getting married posted by Lin Burres.

Zane Safrit of Small Business Trends showed us a great way to keep our best employees as long as possible: greeting them with open arms.

Hendry Lee of BlogBuildingU highlighted an important aspect of off page optimization that we should always keep in mind: links.

Jason Falls of Social Media Explorer taught us a great lesson: how to work with brand enthusiasts and not against them. Looks like a very effective technique!

While Wall Street is going down, SEO seems to be growing fast. Tad of SEO 2.0 gave us 7 reasons why this was happening.

Meltdowns are something really hard to avoid. No matter how hard you try, they will still happen. Jonathan Fileds explaines last week that meltdowns are really not important, what’s important is how you handle them.

Robyn McMasters shared a writing lesson: keeping your text inclusive so that all your readers feel welcome.

And to round up this week, here are the top 5 reasons why blogging rocks our world day in, day out. Alex Cristache of Blogsessive is responsible for this one!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s list. See you all next Monday!

Guest post by Alex Cristache

The list of blogs and online magazines offering tips and advice has been growing exponentially every year. Even I am the founder of one such “blogging tips” blog.

With all the hype created around this type of blogs and the (in)famous “make money online” blogs, people seem to overlook one significant thing: these blogs offer tips and advice, but encourage you to experiment.

Experiments – Trial and error

The keyword in the phrase above is “experiment”, which is something that too many start-up bloggers understand as a step-by-step implementation of the tips provided by the multitude of “Simon says” blogs out there.

Bloggers are human, and just as in the real life, you won’t find two bloggers that will react the same way in similar situations. Tips should be always passed through your own filter and compared to past events from your own online experience.

To experiment around tips means to elaborate on them, to select not simply the working solution, but the best working solution. To achieve that, you’re likely to pass through a few unsuccessful steps, each telling you where you did wrong and what can still be improved. But you know the old saying: “No pain, no gain”.

Take it one step further

Before you start implementing new ideas, try to take your analysis one step beyond. THINK about the impact of what you’re about to do. Could what you estimate as the end result be in conflict with any of your existing achievements and targets? If so, in what way could you improve or adapt the new idea so that it will perfectly fit in your blog’s general line of evolution.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! Don’t do what “Simon says” or “Simon does”. Interpret and adapt.

Alex Cristache is 27 and has been working for top Romanian web design, development and consultancy companies for over 9 years. Quite impressive for his young age, don’t you agree?

He’s tried a lot up to now: web designer, senior web, print & logo designer, occasional copywriter, web & SEO consultant and project manager. Although he focuses on design, he’s also been working with PHP & MySQL on the side. He also fell in love with WordPress the moment it appeared on the market and changed our lives.

He currently blogs at Blogsessive.com and runs CREATIVEurope, a website bookmarking the best European creative portfolios available.