Guest posts have become a blog owner’s spam.
In its purest form, guest posts are great.
- Bloggers share ideas
- We expand our reach
- Blogs are kept fresh
Then certain bloggers discovered it was a great way to perpetuate their spammy links.
Blog owners’ inboxes groaned under the weight of requests from strangers to include a guest post from said stranger on our beloved blogs.
It got so bad that I changed my Guest Post guidelines to include the following.
Please note:
This site seldom accepts guest posts from individuals or firms that are unknown to the owner.
Direct knowledge or relationships established though social networking or participation in the Simply stated business community are the primary source of guest posts for this blog.
Yet, still the strangers write.
Spammy Tactic
We all receive them. Page after page of spammy comments.
- Most hit our spam filters
- Some slither through and are held for our approval
You have to give the spammers credit. They are getting more and more creative.
Recently, I noticed a new trend in spamming – the personalized comment.
- Comments include a link to a post of the blog owner
- The smarter spammer leaves a complimentary-sounding comment about that post
- The dumber ones include the link then proceed to comment on the latest handbags
Beware blog owners. Certain individuals requesting guest posts have borrowed the same spammy tactic. And some are your own colleagues.
You may or may not know the person. However, even if you do, he or she does not comment on your blog. Or retweet your posts. Or interact with you in any way.
Except to spam you with canned requests to share his or her posts.
Sample Spam
Dear Cathy,
I loved your post [Insert title and link to post]. I wrote a post on the same topic [Insert title and link to post]. If you decide to update your previous post or write again on the same topic, I would appreciate you including a link to my post. If you have no plans at this time for an update, I would be happy to write one for you, which includes a link to my site.
As if that’s not annoying enough, some have twisted the tactic to forgo the request for a guest post and go straight to a pitch that you promote their post.
Dear Cathy,
I loved your post [Insert title and link to post]. I wrote a post on the same topic [Insert title and link to post]. If you decide to update your previous post or write again on the same topic, I would appreciate you including a link to my post. If you have no plans at this time for an update, perhaps you could share my post with your social media network.
To make it simple for you, here is a sample tweet you can use.
Check out the fabulous post [insert title and link] via @AnnoyingPerson.
Small Community
I like to think of myself as a giving person. But no one likes feeling used.
We build our communities and no matter how large the number becomes, it’s still a small world. When you send the same, canned request, chances are one of my community members will receive the same request.
And guess what. We share.
So much for feeling special.
I find this tactic lazy and self-centered.
- If you truly liked my post, share it
- If you have something to say, comment
- If you want me to do the same, learn what networking means
End of rant.
=================
Live…Laugh…Love
=================
BigStock Photo Credit
You’ve hit on exactly what I hate about link-bait tactics, Cathy. There are people who don’t value the making of the relationship as much as they value traffic. It’s absurd. And it’s sleazy.
I’ve had similar requests in the past, and a few on LinkedIn more recently. “I’m happy to write 101 Ways to Get Your Cat into College because I know your readers will gain valuable insights.”
Worse are those “chain” notes that are clearly a template with one tiny bit of personalized info in there to make you think you’re special enough to warrant a personal note. Right. Or the ones that make you sound like you’re doing yourself a favor. I had one that told me how lucky I was to be chosen for their guest blogging offer. Huh? Who are you? Go away!
The point is that no matter how much flattery, noise, or pushiness is involved, it all leads right back to the main element in any marketing plan —personal connection. You can promise me the moon, include my links, or tell me how beautiful my kids are (they are). If I don’t know you and haven’t shared any conversation with you, it’s all a gimmick to me.
Well put, Lori. It baffles me how anyone thinks of these tactics as effective marketing. Thanks for sharing your (horror) stories. 😉
I’m with you Cathy. The only thing worse than being bombarded with BS guest post pitches is the link request email. If you want me to link to you, earn it by posting awesome content that I feel inclined to link to. If you have to beg for links, you don’t deserve them yet.
I actually have a policy against it on my contact page, warning people that if they ask for links, their emails will be ignored. But they still come. Worse, they often ask me to link to them on my Resources page — a page that only features resources directly created by or commissioned by me for my community members. There are NO third party resources there. And if they actually cared about what was valuable to my readers, they would have taken the time to see what was already there. They’re just a bunch of lazy a-holes spamming bloggers, often for their clients. Maybe I should start “outing” their bad behavior to those clients. It’s a thought.
Mostly, I ignore them. Just not worth my energy. But every once in awhile, the annoyances build up and I go on a rant. I guess I should thank them for the inspiration. 😀
Isn’t is sad, Jenn, how we change policies for people who will never read them? 😉
I get the same thing… I’m getting so I just delete them… have found even a simply ‘no thanks’ gets a ‘why not?’ reply… even some of the one’s I delete just ask again… maddening.
It’s sad to me, Anne, that they ruin it for everyone else. Like I said, when done right, guest posts and sharing posts embraces all that is good about social media.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anne. 🙂