The top navigational bar of this blog makes it very clear that guest blog posts are accepted. I want you to write for me. But reviewing the email submissions from wannabe writers, it is pathetic how frequently people think I will publish anything and it is disappointing they view my blog as a trophy to place on their article marketing case.
When you don’t click the link above and read the guidelines, your email message shows me what you really want.
Here are 6 real examples of emails that suck:
The 6th reason your email sucks:
You never researched nor read my blog.
I wanted to make sure my topic fits with your theme. I have two guest posts that I would like to have published. One is about how to plan for retirement in your 20s. The second post is about odd things that need to be transported.
The 5th reason your email sucks:
You confuse guest blogging with article marketing.
Hey there,
We have been reading the articles on your website and are very impressed with the quality of your information. We have a team of copywriters who specialize in writing articles on various topics and would like to write an original article for you to use on your website.
The 4th reason your email sucks:
You are the same as the 6th reason. What has a cost here?
I came across your site, Ariherzog.com, and would like to offer you free content.
The 3rd reason your email sucks:
You are the same as the 4th reason.
I read some of your content and really found them interesting and informative. So I was just wondering if I can also do something for your site, maybe writing an article for your site FREE of cost as a guest writer.
The 2nd reason your email sucks:
You don’t even introduce yourself, and your article is off-topic.
I have attached an article for guest posting please review it. Waiting for response.
And, the number one reason your email sucks:
[insert drum roll sounds here]
I was wondering if you accept guest postings?
Please read the guidelines for guest posting here. I don’t care if you make a living as a content marketer or a search engine optimizer but try to personalize your email to me. Accept the fact there is a difference between guest blogging and article marketing, as Ann Smarty elaborates in this table:
| Guest posting | Article Marketing | |
| Unique content? | Yes, absolutely | No (“spunn” content is NOT unique. Period) |
| Extra links? (to your article) | Yes! | Hardly possible |
| Potential promoters and followers? | Yes! | Hardly possible |
| Increased exposure to social media? | Yes! | No |
| Networking power? | Yes! | Hardly possible |
| Boosting reputation? | Yes! (if you are great) | Maybe (if you are great!) |
Michael Dolen recently wrote a great 2-part series about the online successes and failures of the credit card industry. His email?
Hi Ari,
It’s interesting that your focus is on emerging media, because I own/operate a very popular forum and blog; CreditCardForum.com. On behalf of my site I do quite a bit of guest posting and take pride in the fact that I don’t write the cookie-cutter and bare minimum “guest posts” that a lot of people churn out these days, ha. Is there any particular topic you would like to see me cover? I reviewed your archives showing the last 100 articles and here are a few ideas that popped into my head from looking at those…
[Mike shared three sample titles and related content.]
Would you like me to write up one of these? Or something else? Just let me know what’s best for you.
By the way, congrats on being elected to Newburyport’s city council! Even though I live some two-thousand miles away on the other coast, just want to say I dig local politicians… I feel they’re the only politicians who actually get stuff done
Thanks,
Mike
Show me you are a person and I’ll be your best friend. But the moment your email about guest blogging opportunities turns into a spamfest of SEO qualifications, pluralized pronouns, and irrelevant content you make it painstakingly clear you never visited my blog, commented here, or would ever think of replying to my readers liking what you have to say.
About Ari Herzog
It is amazing how hard it is for people to spend a little time and read your blog before asking about a guest post. Your list is great. I wonder if it will have any effect on the ammount of applications you get.
Hi Sam,
Yes, must guest posting emails are automated or they have a template. I don’t reply to these kind of people because automated or scripted emails like this shows that they don’t really value you. I remember what Bob Yeager told me about treating people in the Internet as your family which means giving the value. .
Just my thoughts!
I never tried guest blogging ‘cos it’s not my talent this time. I still need to fine-tuned my grammar.Now i know what to put on my email when time comes i am ready for guest blogging.
Well we all know that guest blogging can provide a variety of awesome benefits. According to me, it is amazing how can people just ask for a guest post when they haven’t even read your blog? All they gotta do is spend some time…that’s it! Keep up the good work.
Ari, would like to take a moment to appreciate you giving people a platform to do some guest blogging. I’ve been a long-time lurker here, but started commenting only recently. Excellent points there, and I totally agree that people. just. dont. read!!!
Would love to do a couple of guest posts sometime, don’t really feel ‘ready’ right now.
Guest postings are very important. So the email that we send asking for a guest post is crucial. Above you have some perfect examples of bad emails, which by the way you matched them with very funny headlines! Now we know which mistakes to avoid!
Thank you!
LOL I like the number one reason! Sorry I know that your topic is not something to be laughed at and it really sounds like you’ve had enough from people offering to write for you and not doing it right but you’re really funny. I can understand why you’re a bit annoyed I guess but this article should straighten things out.
The one I received yesterday is better… part guest posting, part link building, and zero relevance.
Hi
I found your blog http://kikolani.com/, really enchanting.
I am interested in paid blog post related to beads with a 1 link, you can example post here [Domain Removed]/prepare-yourself-for-bead-shows-before-visiting/.
I am willing to offer 40$ for the this life time blogpost with link.
You can write and post beads related article yourself or we can provide article with 1 link and you just have to post it in blog post.
Let me know if you interested. Kindly also tell me either you can write article yourself or we provide you?
[Name Removed]
Well at least he or she is willing to pay for you posting their shi…
it’s at least a recognition of the fact that their text is not worth anything to you, hence something they know they have to pay for just to have a chance that you will let the text get to your blog.
I can’t count the number of guest spam posts I have gotten on my blog
Btw just for the fun of it, see how much they will pay to get the post on the blog.
Very informative. Funny in a way as well. Part of me feels sorry for the people who have taken the ‘plunge’ to email-in though, but if only they had spent 25 seconds longer, they’d have done a MUCH better job.
Should I be insulted that I haven’t gotten so many bad pitches yet?
I don’t really have an official guest post policy for my blog Ari. I’d welcome (and do run) relevant guest posts, but I’m such a nervous guest blogger (terrified of stinking up someone else’s nice blog) that I’m not sure I’d be able to repay the kindness. Still Ahmad is correct, people don’t read and it is very annoying. FWIW.
(BTW your spam blockers REALLY don’t like me; time out warnings, long name, etc.)
Yeah, once you have a popular blog you get these kinds of emails. I guess it’s flattering? However, I love that example you gave of a guy doing it write, if I were to do guest posts I’d probably do that. However, I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort? I like commenting on blogs I like, but writing a guest post, hmm… will it really get me more visitors or should I just write more content for my own site and hope that search engine visitors find me naturally…? :S
Doing blog commenting has limitations, especially when Akismet mark your email as spam. But, engaging yourself in guest posting activities has no limit except for the fact that, the so-called SEO companies have make the process hard for those who are really serious about writing guest posts.
I used to get a whole lots of these emails on my blog regularly requesting for guest post opportunity on my blog – but, I hate when they use the word”FREE” along with the messages.
Why would I care you write for me free? Did I say I’m paying people to write for me? Those are the questions that keeps popping through my minds whenever I see emails with that word.
@Ari, it’s been nice coming here for me. Truly, I love your blog; the simple design and some other awesome features of it.
Thanks a lot
Olawale Daniel
Interesting post, I’m first time on this blog and this post goes straight to the point, bookmarked it.
As a new blogger guest blogging is something I have started looking in to recently (although not done any yet) so this information is great to know saves me making the same mistakes. Hopefully I can write good enough content to send to you one day in the future and I will make sure I add a ncie email
Thanks for the post and time taken to write it.
Lol these are really funny, the most of them haven’t read none of your posts and articles. Usually, I don’t give a … to these kind of guest bloggers.
Off topic, but I didn’t know you are a city councilman, Ari. Kudos and much congrats. Anyway, my blog is nowhere near as successful as yours and I get tons of obviously cut/paste guest blog proposals. I can’t imagine the amount of s$%@ emails you must get.
Ha Ha it is very strange to see people trying to make something from nothing. If they really wanted to write for they could spend some more time in contacting with you.
I really admire Mike because he really took some time to get to know you and your current political situation. It’s a pity that people are really neglecting the important parts/aspect of blog posting which are solely written on your guidelines.
Your website is articulate, intelligent and has a lot of rules. I hypothesize that your rigidity filters out quite a few otherwise interesting folks. Weight the balance of the value of conformity vs. the value of additional quality material. You may have made the right choice. I am just an observer.
Nicely put Ari!
Spicy but informative! Guest blogging emails is like making an application letter. You should be courteous,direct, and provide all the necessary information about you. Now, that you have enumerated the ‘No No’s’ in guest blogging emails, interested guest bloggers will be more attentive in making their emails. Great email examples of Mike and the one with Kristin Hines by the way. This is really how it should be written!
When it comes to asking to guest post, I would say just write one very professional looking email asking them if its possible and send that to every potential guest blogging proposition that you can find.
Many bloggers have the tendency to reject the guest emails right from the outset. I also used to do the same initially. With the passage of time I learned that many emails would contain subject matter such better as was expected. Evaluating the scripts with a keen eye will help you to select the useful ones from the junk.
But it becomes mandatory to publish guest posts having links to the site of the same niche which your blog follows otherwise you have to face the adverse consequences :-/
Most of what you have written here is common sense. I am surprised that you receive such emails.
Running a community blog which is built on guest blogging, I know exactly how you feel Ari. It can be extremely frustrating, especially as you mention, when they ask if you accept guest posts, or write content without reading the post guidelines.
Anyway… rant over
I can totally relate to that, Ari! I get the most absurd emails, its not even funny at times! Most of the people don’t bother reading up or knowing what my website’s about, and send in these totally off-topic articles. But hey, at least they took time out to write an email, eh?
Great post, and love the way you vented out! Cheers for the great effort with the blog.
Thanks for sharing to us your thoughts about email that will definitely not approved.. Keep us updated!
Learning more all the time, thanks for posting.
What is your recommendation for guest posting on topics that you don’t see too many blogs about. Like trucking.
Ari, Your article was funny and sad at the same time. It is amazing how people will expect their spam to be posted on a quality blog such as yours.
There is nothing common about common sense!
I know what you mean David, that\’s the trouble with having a good blog I suppose, everyone want to write on it
LOL they’re pretty funny emails – wouldn’t be surprised if they were just churned out by a bot.
At least now i know exactly what to avoid!
Damn I get them all, but also a lot like this one
“I’d like to submit a guest post for your review and approval. It’s actually a list of apps for iPhone for business professionals which I want to publish on your blog with a link to my gadget-related blog.”
And as you were with the mail from Imogen, were I only one out of god know how many other blog owners..
Just read the freaking guidelines ppl!
I read Mike’s articles – nice example of pure art guest posting, I think he found the best angle to get approval for quest posting – connected Ari’s blog favorite social media with his credit card niche. And thanks to Ari for sharing – I learn a little from this post!
The FREE (especially sometimes they mentioned “100% FREE”) word really turned me off whenever I got these emails
Normally after I replied with the prices associated if they wanted to “guest post”, they went away. Quick and easy
Hey Ari,
So I’m a big fisherman and they say if you cast out enough lines you’re bound to catch something, but I really don’t think that applies to guest blogging. It really amazes me that people don’t even personalize their messages to you.
Maybe there are people out there who will just publish anything and everything, but it seems like a waste of time to send out those kind of emails.
I get that kind of stuff from people wanting to advertise on my blogs too. Can you say, “trash can”.
Hi Ari,
You are very cleared about your commenting and guest posting rules and still you find such types of guest blogging emails which is very sad.I receive many guest blogging spam emails similar to the types of emails you have shared here and I really want to know how I get rid of these types of emails?
You are absolutely correct, and I have to say I’m amazed that this still needs to be emphasized in 2012. Emails need to be personalized! Especially when you are looking for direct responses from the receiver, just like in this guest posting example. How can anyone expect a favor from another person if they don’t give them the respect of actually reading their blog/website, and knowing what they do – it even sounds unreasonable. Now, because it seems that this is not common sense yet, I find it important that you are addressing the issue and educating your readers how to properly request guest blogging opportunities.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience for our benefit!
Best wishes,Leonard
What I like about your blog is that you tell it to people straight that is pretty cool. If they don’t do it how you think it should be done then you will tell them. I hope potential guest posters read this blog.
Guest Blogging is a great thing for Bloggers and Content Writers. But we should aware of guest blogging emails those who are sending template emails. Really they don’t know who we are and what we are….
After Google Panda update i remove my Submit guest posting link from my blog menu and i am accepting any more guest posts. Before this i was also getting these types of emails from various people.
Do you think it is good to allow Guest Posting on a site that publishes mostly Tutorials related to Android? I haven’t seen many such sites do it accept allowing people to submit reviews of apps.
The whole spam debacle gets much more attention than it deserves. Apart from all the structures that are in place to prevent it, not withstanding crusaders such as yourself who fight it at every opportunity, how many people sell product due to their spamming? I believe that if we all give it less attention, it will become less of a problem.
Hi Ari, you are getting these type of email and i am getting these types of comments tell what should i need to do. spam or approve?
There is no blanket guidance on blog comments. If you didn’t follow the instructions and include your real name, I’d have marked yours as spam for multiple reasons. You need to manually determine such instances.