If you’re trying to get guest posts on industry blogs to grow your industry presence within your niche, then you’re going to need to master the art of the pitch. As a marketer, you already know the drill: you gotta convince the editors that you’re the right person to publish.
This is a little different from pitching your next big idea or product, though. Editors aren’t eager to buy your products, and they have a readership to curate for. They’re also notoriously fickle – such is the literary world.
First, avoid pitching to them on a Monday or a Friday – these are book-end days to the week when they have plenty to do without dealing with your pitch. They simply won’t, especially if they don’t know you. So hold your horses a little.
When you do send, try to be aware of their schedule, and don’t expect an immediate response. There is plenty to do in their job, and your email is likely not high on their list of to dos. Wait a few days, and if you haven’t heard anything, don’t write to ask what’s going on just yet.
In fact, you may find yourself waiting as long as two weeks to see if the editor is considering your topic. Yes, that’s approximately five centuries in internet time, but try to find something else to focus on. The more patient you are, the better it will go for you in the long run.
Most of all, you need to trust the editor’s judgement. It’s OK if they say not – there are plenty of other spots for your post. Just keep trying with different people until one sticks. This does get easier, and the results are worth it! Good luck!