Are You Territorial Over Your Blog Contacts?
While we’re opening up about blogging—I have an odd obsession with my blog contacts. People hear that I am a blogger and many instantly ask me where I guest post and how they can get involved. I am a huge blog enthusiast, so I love to hear that more people are becoming interested. I think blogging is a great way for people to connect with other like-minded people, and I love getting to know other bloggers. However, I find that I am very territorial over my editor contacts, and this is why:
Why I Hate Giving Out My Blog Contacts
- It takes a long time to find a quality website that allows guest posts. It’s hard work, and I don’t think I would appreciate these sites quite as much if someone just handed the contact over.
- It is difficult to get your article posted on a blog, so why would I want even more competition? You never know if someone else is writing about something similar and there may be a select number of guest posts allowed per month.
- Finding a great editor isn’t easy. I have worked with some wonderful editors, and some editors who were not so wonderful. This had made me appreciate my relationship with each and every one of them for what it is. In fact, this is one of my favorite parts about the job. I think going through these experiences is important for a blogger.
So when someone comes to me and says, “I’m starting a small business. What are some good websites that will allow guest posts?” I have a hard time giving up all of my information. I know how many links my contacts allow, how long it will take them to publish my article, and what specific details they like in an article, but it is only because I went through a back and forth with them.
When it comes to the sites that have all of their guidelines explicitly listed on their webpage, I really get irritated. I usually will just point people to that page, but part of being a blogger is being resourceful. If you want to know what sites I contribute to, visit my Google+ page. If you want to know how to submit a guest post, visit the website’s requirements page.
However, after all of the hesitancy and negativity is over, I realize that giving away some of your contacts may not be the worst thing in the world for a few different reasons:
Why Giving Out My Blog Contacts Is for the Best
- The more people you know on a site, the better. If you have a personal relationship with other writers on a website, you can certainly help each other out with comments and social sharing. This will not only help you look good in the eyes of the editor, but it will help ensure that your content gets out to more people. It’s a “the more the merrier” attitude.
- If you give out your contacts to someone, they should be willing to do the same. Once they get more familiar with the process, they will be able to find quality sites on their own. In the end, both people could benefit greatly.
- When I look back to when I was a new blogger, I remember it being somewhat overwhelming. It truly is tough to even know where to begin. I was grateful that I had someone to help get me going, and there is no reason I shouldn’t help others
It may seem a little bit immature to have such a debate about something so simple, but who doesn’t have those moments in their career? It’s easy to fall into this selfish pattern and mindset, so it’s good to take a second and consider whether or not it’s really worth it. What are your thoughts on blog contacts?
Photo Credit: writetodone.com
Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to employee background checks. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including blogging advice to small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.
