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There are a million web designers out there and every seven seconds there is a new blog that goes live. The connection? It’s competition. At least for freelance web designers.
The truth is, the online world is a very harsh place for freelance web designers, or even web design firms. It takes a gazillion tons of sweat and marketing to be known. People’s attention spans are very short. Who are you again?
What if I told you that guest posting is your way to fame? That simply by guest posting you are increasing your chance of getting hired for new projects, or be an authority figure?
It only takes 5 minutes of reading.
Also, I wrote this article in under 40 minutes. Do you want to know how?
There are thousands of active design blogs on the internet and yours is probably one of them. Your problem might lie in the fact that no one is visiting your blog.
How do I promote my blog? To whom should I reach out? Should I spend money on advertising?
I told you before, the internet is a very harsh place where only the strong survive. Remember MySpace? Facebook came along and now MySpace is only a fraction of what it used to be. Freelance web designers are the same.
How do you tell the world that you are different?
Of all the web design firms out there why should clients choose you? Well, they will probably choose you because of the services you provide. But is that enough? Unfortunately, no. Clients will choose to work with you over other design firms because you are known to them. Becoming well known is not really that hard, all you need to do is establish a constant presence out there. Scrap social media for a minute. It’s “that place where a lot of designers and people who want to have a website” go to that you want to anchor your presence on.
The truth is, you don’t need to spend money on advertising just to get known. You don’t need to be ultra unique to compel people to visit your website or hire you or use your service. All you have to do is to make your presence known.
Make my presence known? Yes.
The citizens of the internet have a very short attention span. You too. Name at least five new blogs you visited in the past month. Can you? Yes, quite hard right?
I have a solution for that.
And it will only take you an hour to get started.
Solution to your problem? Guest posting. Submitting articles and tutorials on blogs will never put you at a disadvantage. You can earn money by guest posting, a lot of people do this regularly and earn a living. Through guest posting you can also shout out to the world that you exist, that you are worth looking at the first time and the second time and on a daily basis.
By guest posting you are establishing dominance, if done right. You get your existence known.
(never end a sentence with a preposition, so I added “okay”)
A few things you need to know before whipping out that pen and paper (or keyboard and text editor):
Do the following:
Then you contact the blog editor or owner. Be sure to read their “Write for Us” page or whatever they may have.
Once the blogs reply to your guest posting inquiry, that should be when you present your ideas to them. Choosing the perfect idea is crucial to building a long-lasting relationship. Choose a topic that is needed, current, and you have a solution for. CSS, jQuery, Photoshop, HTML5, PHP, and a lot more.
Follow this structure:
Follow this structure and you will write that first guest post of yours in under an hour.
Keep in Mind:
Special thanks to Danny Iny. Danny is the “Freddy Krueger” of Guest Blogging. He got that name because every online marketing blog you go to he’s always there. And together with hundreds, if not thousands, of people he taught me how to write in under an hour without losing the essence of the whole post.
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Rean is the editor of 1stwebdesigner. He regularly writes about freelancing, technology, web design, and web development. Rean also writes at Knowledge Salad, a blog filled with weird and interesting facts. One of his goals is to help his fellow Filipinos earn money online, to help them build a career out of working from home, just like what he has been doing for years now.
Friday, May 25th, 2012 21:35
Great article. I love your blog.. I just join and everything is useful, practical and easy to apply. Keep up the good job.
Percy
Miami FL
Friday, May 25th, 2012 04:10
A very good article, John. I’d like to add one more thing that, as for me, is important for a successful career of a guest writer: understanding the audience, their interests and needs. If you give your audience the answers to their questions, you’ll always be on top of popularity.
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:21
Thanks, Tina! It is said that in a world of problems, the one who has the solution will be hailed king. ;)
Monday, May 21st, 2012 05:47
Hi Rean,
Great article. I’m in the process of getting myself set up for blogging so this sort of information is really good to know. How many posts or how long do you think you should blog yourself before you start to approach others?
Many thanks
Stuart
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:19
I recommend at least 20, so that when people visit your website they can feel that it’s already established and can roam around for several minutes.
Friday, May 18th, 2012 20:53
Rean,
First thing which comes in to my head is, Perfectly created an atmosphere which can lead me to 10 Marvellous Guest Posting Ventures! I hope you got me here, I believe if People like Danny can simply be found in each and every Marketing blog, then why not in just 5 to 7 blogs that you have mentioned, can i be Found by you and others! I’m gonna roll my thoughts and lets see what comes first and who comes next in my Guest posting target!
Thank you for such inspiration, you did great!
Good luck!
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:20
Hi Kiefer, thanks!
If you’re interested on reading more about people like Danny, you can visit FounderTips.com, we have lots of interviews there from successful bloggers. :)
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 02:47
Thanks Rean, I’m heading to foundertips for more good bloggers!
Friday, May 18th, 2012 15:52
Completely agree with your points Uehera, being a freelancer I know the ups and downs, these days I’m concentrating on Guest Articles…
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Bharat Chowdary
Friday, May 18th, 2012 15:52
Completely agree with your points Uehera, being a freelancer I know the ups and downs, these days I’m concentrating on Guest Articles…
Tina
Friday, May 25th, 2012 04:10
A very good article, John. I’d like to add one more thing that, as for me, is important for a successful career of a guest writer: understanding the audience, their interests and needs. If you give your audience the answers to their questions, you’ll always be on top of popularity.
Rean John Uehara
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:21
Thanks, Tina! It is said that in a world of problems, the one who has the solution will be hailed king. ;)
Upward Creative
Monday, May 21st, 2012 05:47
Hi Rean,
Great article. I’m in the process of getting myself set up for blogging so this sort of information is really good to know. How many posts or how long do you think you should blog yourself before you start to approach others?
Many thanks
Stuart
Rean John Uehara
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:19
I recommend at least 20, so that when people visit your website they can feel that it’s already established and can roam around for several minutes.
Kiefer
Friday, May 18th, 2012 20:53
Rean,
First thing which comes in to my head is, Perfectly created an atmosphere which can lead me to 10 Marvellous Guest Posting Ventures! I hope you got me here, I believe if People like Danny can simply be found in each and every Marketing blog, then why not in just 5 to 7 blogs that you have mentioned, can i be Found by you and others! I’m gonna roll my thoughts and lets see what comes first and who comes next in my Guest posting target!
Thank you for such inspiration, you did great!
Good luck!
Rean John Uehara
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 06:20
Hi Kiefer, thanks!
If you’re interested on reading more about people like Danny, you can visit FounderTips.com, we have lots of interviews there from successful bloggers. :)
Kiefer
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 02:47
Thanks Rean, I’m heading to foundertips for more good bloggers!
Percy
Friday, May 25th, 2012 21:35
Great article. I love your blog.. I just join and everything is useful, practical and easy to apply. Keep up the good job.
Percy
Miami FL