My first time as a guest blogger + 4 reasons why this is essential for building your brand.

Guest blogging- have you heard of it? It’s simply creating content or writing a post that will be published on a blog or website that is not your own. Essentially, another blogger features your blog post on their blog.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of guest blogging for VeePeeJay.com. It all came about when I received an email from Vashti Patrick-Joseph, a natural hair and beauty blogger. In her email, she said she really enjoyed the pictures that I post on my instagram page and asked if I would be open to guest blogging on her site because she was going on vacation. I was flattered. I agreed and was truly excited for the opportunity. Her blog is very successful, and she is well known in the natural hair community.

Here’s what happened.

The process was very simple. She gave me the option to create a new post for her readers, or use a post that I had already published on my blog. The post had to be educational, informative or a “how to” about hair care, hair styles, or hair products. Because of the time constraints on my end, it was easier for me to use a post that I already created. I sent her the links to a few of my posts that were recently published. She chose the one that she liked and felt would be of most value to her readers.

This is the post she chose.

Recognize it? It’s the post that I did a few weeks ago on creating a Goddess twist. Check it out here if you missed it.

Guest blogging is incredibly popular. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to guest blog for an established blogger with a lot of traffic on their blog, it’s win-win for everyone. Here are my 4 tips on why guest blogging is essential to grow your brand.

4 tips on why guest blogging is essential to grow your brand.

• You get the opportunity to share your expertise with a new audience. This is a surefire way to gain exposure and increase traffic to your blog.

• Not only do you get the exposure, but you are also exposed to new readers, bloggers and entrepreneurs. That creates a window of opportunity for you to socialize, network and build relationships with other creatives in your field.

• It shows a sense of trust and value to be given the opportunity to guest post, especially on a popular blog.

• It creates more guest blogging and feature opportunities. Since your guest post is shared on a new platform, other bloggers who offer guest posting on their site could reach out to you and present you with additional opportunities to guest post for them or feature you on their site.

In addition to sharing my post on her blog (see it here), Vashti also shared it on her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page. I instantly gained new subscribers on the blog and also followers on my social networking sites. This enabled me to cultivate new relationships and connect with other like-minded creatives . Now, what’s better than that?

I have been asked to guest post for other blogs, however, they were not in my niche, so I declined. There was no hesitation this time around because Vashti and I both blog about natural hair care and I find tremendous value in the content that she puts out. Head over to her blog and check it out.

Vashti of VeePeeJay.com

OK, how beautiful is she?! Look at that fabulous hair! Many thanks to her for this awesome opportunity.

With Love,