Guest Posts Archives - Leaf and Steel

Do you accept guest posts on your blog? If not, you seriously might want to start.

Guest posting is a tried-and-true way to elevate your blog. I started accepting guest posts in 2022 and I can’t believe that I waited this long to try it! I honestly didn’t even think of it as an option for my style of blog. I also didn’t realize how many people out there would want to post on my blog!

Keep reading to see why you need to start including guest posts today.

What is a guest post?

A guest post is exactly what it sounds like – it’s a post on your blog written by a “guest”, typically another blogger. It’s different from an article written by a freelancer or ghost writer because it usually serves as a mutual promotion for both parties.

How do I find writers to guest post on my blog?

The simplest way to find people to guest post on your blog is to ask your readers!

Ask them in a blog post or on social media! I was surprised when I posted a call for writers on my Instagram (with a very meager following). There were so many people wanting to write for my blog in exchange for promotion or just to exercise their freelance skills.

Be sure to include a Guest Post FAQ page on your blog with details on what kind of posts you’re looking for.

Here are some examples of what you might want to include in a guest post FAQ:

Suggested word count
Suggested topics
Banned topics
Banned language or themes
Where the post will be promoted
If you charge or pay for guest posts

Some blogs charge to feature guest posts. This is fine if you’re willing to provide stats to prove that the price is worth it.

It’s important that you aren’t just slapping up any old post from any old writer.

I ALWAYS check out the writer’s blog, social media, and I’m not afraid to give them a quick Google to make sure nothing controversial shows up. It’s my due diligence as a blog owner to make sure that the content I’m putting out is responsible, inclusive, and safe.

A social media search and hashtag scan can tell you a lot about someone’s beliefs. Make sure you know who’s writing for you and their reputation.

How do I guest post on a blog in 2022?

Start with your favorite blogs that are in line with your niche! Check to see if they have guest posting information on their contact or about page. If not, there is no harm in asking! Sending a friendly email with a request to send over your work might lead somewhere.

You can also simply do a Google search for guest posting opportunities in your selected niche. I would check out a few of the site’s articles to make sure that it’s somewhere you would be proud to be associated with.

How often should I feature guest posts?

You get to set the rules here.

It also largely depends on how often you post.

Here are some guest post scheduling ideas:

A guest post the first/last week of the month
A guest post every Monday
Guest posts for one whole week or one whole month
Guest posts with different perspectives on the same topic
Guest post themes (like recipes, book reviews, etc.)

Experiment and find what works for you!

Why you need to start accepting guest posts today:

The benefits of guest posts are endless, but here are some of my favorites:

You’ll make new friends

I have connected with so many interesting and insightful women through guest posting. It’s allowed me to “meet” people from different cultures and at so many different stages of life.

You get a writing “break”

Unless this is your full time job, you probably have other things you need to be doing during the day.

I know I have many days where I don’t even open my laptop, let alone write. That’s where guest posting can be helpful. I can post those articles on the days or weeks where I know I won’t be able to put my own work up.

This helps me stay consistent with my posting schedule and keeps my readers engaged.

If you also have annual word count goals or a posting schedule, this can be really helpful.

Increased traffic

Well written guest posts drive traffic, plain and simple.

Think of it like gaining a temporary second audience. Your post will (hopefully) be shared on different social media accounts or reposted to the guest posters blog. This will lead to an increased amount of eyes on your posts- and some of those readers might stick around for more.

You’ll support other bloggers

Guest posting is an excellent way to support other long form content creators. Both sites get extra sets of eyes on their posts and it’s always good to give a little love to other bloggers!

You might learn something new

It’s true! You might learn a new skill, recipe, or way of thinking. This is one of my favorite reasons to feature guest posts.

This is why guest posting is so great – you can get an expert to write on a topic that you do not fully understand or have the desire to research.

Some of Leaf and Steel’s most recent guest posts:

Keeping the Focus on You

Give the Gift of Reading

How to Be a More Self-Confident Mother and Enhance Your Life

Do you currently accept guest posts? Have you ever guest posted on another site?

Would you be interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel?

Let me know below!
O.

More from Leaf and Steel:

Today’s post is a guest post by Katie Conroy from advicemine.com. If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, head over here!

How to Be a More Self-Confident Mother and Enhance Your Life

Nobody said being a mom was easy. Motherhood is a big responsibility and comes with many expectations, both within and without. It can be daunting, and often overwhelming. How do you take care of someone else when looking after yourself is often a struggle? The answer is by being self-confident!

When you’re self-confident, you’re powerful. When you’re powerful, you can move mountains – or at least take care of your family and just live life better. Finding some extra self-confidence will go a long way toward making your journey as a mom smoother and more enjoyable. Today, Leaf and Steel offers some tested-and-true advice on becoming a more self-confident person (and mother):

Praise Yourself

When was the last time you said or admitted something good about yourself? Appreciating yourself for everything you do, big and small, is a necessary first step in feeling good about yourself. And when you feel good about yourself, you’re more confident in who you are – which in turn makes doing new things easier. See the self-perpetuating cycle here?

Practice praising yourself for how far you’ve come, how much you’ve achieved, and how well you take care of your loved ones. It’s how you’ll slowly and surely build up your self-confidence levels, says Mindvalley. It’s also a great way to improve the overall positivity of your household.

Be Okay with Being Judged

Being a mother opens you up to many judgments, as you’re doubtless aware. Everyone has an opinion on how you should raise your kids, and how well you’re doing. Not everyone will see your challenges and the sacrifices you make. The criticisms will flow, essentially, and praise may be non-existent – and that’s okay. Realize that the way people treat you says more about them than it does about you.

Learn to read people’s intentions instead of taking their words at face value. Be at peace with how you’re doing as a parent (and otherwise) – that’s what really matters.

Change Up Your Friend Circle

Do the people around you push you down or pull you up? As Sigmund Freud put it, “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, make sure you are not just surrounded by idiots”. The people around you have a massive impact on your self-confidence, beliefs, and ways of being. If they’re supportive, caring, and kind, it’s easier to be comfortable in your own skin and be more self-confident. If they’re toxic or manipulative, they’re going to thrive on you being weak (not confident), and be invested in pulling you down. Set strong boundaries for existing relationships, and find better people, if necessary.

Go in a Different Career Direction

The work you do is an important part of your identity. Performing your job well and making a difference in other people’s lives, in whatever fashion, can help you gain self-respect. If you feel your career isn’t where it should be, or you’re concerned about balancing your current career with your family life, don’t hesitate to go back to school to enhance your prospects. For instance, an online degree in business could help you gain business acumen – whether your program of choice is business management, management and leadership, or marketing – and just become a more capable person overall.

Groom and Dress Well

Appearances matter. The way you look affects the way other people perceive you and treat you. More importantly, the way you look also affects how you perceive and treat yourself. By dressing well, visiting the spa, and taking care of your body and hair, you’re going to look and feel prettier. Don’t be afraid of indulging yourself every once in a while. If you make grooming a habit, you’ll quickly witness an increase in your self-confidence levels.

Take Care of Your Body

Your body, along with your mind and emotions, is one of the pillars of your existence. You must look after it well to keep it beautiful and healthy. When your body is in good shape, you have plenty of energy, feel more capable, and can do more. If you don’t look after your body enough, you are going to feel down, drained, and incapable. Start a fitness routine, eat healthier, and do your best to fulfill your body’s needs to be more self-confident.

Allow Failure to Teach You

Success is at the end of the road riddled with failures. Don’t let your failures destroy your self-confidence. Society often conditions us to feel bad about our mistakes, with guilt and self-criticism becoming our constant companions. It’s important to understand that making mistakes is being human. No one is perfect, and you don’t learn to walk without falling down a few times. In fact, falling is intrinsic to understanding how to not fall. Mistakes teach you what not to do next time. They’re priming you for success if you let them.

Trust Yourself

When you trust, you’re confident in something or someone. You trust the ground to be solid, water to be wet, and probably your parents to care about you – but do you trust yourself? Trust is intrinsic to confidence. Most people trust themselves in some ways, but not others. You probably trust yourself to get out of bed without assistance, for example, but do you trust yourself to return a million dollars you found lying on the ground?

The answer, for most people, is maybe! You should choose to trust yourself to return the money (or not. Hey, it’s a million dollars, we make no judgments here). The key part is choosing to trust yourself to do or be a certain way. If you aren’t there yet, trust that you’re still learning how, and you will get there in time. You have to crawl before you can walk. Trust the process, and do attempt.

Confidence takes time to build up. It’s tied to how you feel and think about yourself – and changing your mindset isn’t something that will happen overnight. Be persistent, set short-term and long-term goals, and learn how to be there for yourself while you make changes (big or small). You will, eventually, get there – and you will be able to teach your kids to be the same way. It helps everyone, so don’t hesitate to invest in yourself.

Katie Conroy enjoys writing and created advicemine.com where she shares advice from her experiences, education & research. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education and research.

You can find Katie at advicemine.com, or shoot her an email at info@advicemine.com !

Thank you, Katie, for your article!

For more information on guest posting on Leaf and Steel, click here!

What do you do to build confidence as a parent?

Let us know below!