The following article is written by Marta Berglund, Greater Mankato Growth’s marketing intern. Marta is a junior at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has majors in digital innovation, film and television (DIFT), and communications. She also has minors in French and public relations. 

Field Production and Storytelling has been one of my favorite classes throughout my college career. In simple terms, the course basically tells students how to not go hungry while working in the film industry—or at least how to do their best to avoid it. One Tuesday when I walked into class, I looked up to the screen at the front of the room to see the lecture topic. “How to Network” was the title of the slideshow. My professor began class by saying, “Listen guys, everyone in the working world is going to tell you that networking is the key to success—especially in the film industry, but no one is going to tell you how to do it.” This statement struck me. “He’s right,” I thought. Networking is one of the keys to successful marketing, but what’s the secret to it? 

Well, I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’m a 19-year-old college student. I have no idea what the secret to networking is, and honestly, neither did my professor. However, what I did learn that day is you can never do too much networking, no matter what industry you are in or size city your company comes out of. Getting your message and ideas out to as many people as possible is crucial to any business, and that’s where blogging enters the story. 

Guest-blogging refers to writing an article for another organization or business’ blog. Whether it’s on behalf of your business or just as yourself, it’s a great marketing strategy. In a culture where it seems that literally everyone, businesses and individuals alike, has a blog, putting your perspective on at least one of them is a great way to spread your ideas and expand the reach of your business, and here’s why. 

For one, marketing is expensive, and blogging isn’t. Guest-blogging is especially inexpensive because the site and domain belongs to someone else. So, while you are getting your message across to a brand-new audience and creating brand exposure, someone else is paying for the site’s viewability. Not to mention they will probably outwardly promote your posting. Sounds like a win-win situation! In addition, the money you don’t use for this easy marketing strategy can be used elsewhere. Create a different online campaign, pay for a print advertisement, or get some airtime on a local radio station. No matter what you do, keep in mind that guest-blogging is giving you the ability to expand your advertising horizons, all while saving money. 

Second, and going back to the idea of a fresh audience, guest-blogging provides the opportunity for you to receive unique feedback. Whether it be from another expert on a topic, a curious viewer, or maybe even someone who disagrees with your ideas and analyzes your every sentence, any feedback is good feedback. This is especially true when this feedback is coming from someone you’ve never heard from before. Not only are viewers discovering you and your business, but you are getting fresh pairs of eyes and ears on your strategies and ideas.   

Finally, credibility is vital when it comes to gaining new customers. Guest-blogging is a great way to boost this ethos. You can have the most attractive and strategic online marketing in the business, but without an audience who trusts you, it’s extremely difficult to convert viewers into paying customers or subscribers. So, write for a blog with authority. This can prove your credibility; when viewers will realize if a recognized other source trusts you, so can they.  

Maybe after reading this you’re thinking this is all too good to be true. Free marketing, feedback, and credibility? There must be a catch. Actually, that’s the best part, there isn’t! If you are a Greater Mankato Growth member, you have the ability to take advantage of this great opportunity. Submit a guest blog today to us today to immediately start reaping the benefits of guest-blogging.  

Have something to share? Send 500-800 words to [email protected] or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions.