Did you know that one of the fastest ways to boost your online reach is by guest posting? For many new brands, the biggest obstacle when starting out is getting people interested in their content. While having a strong social media marketing presence is a great way to start, the truth is that this and several other ‘go to’ methods take time to generate and sustain traffic to your site. That’s why guest posting is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. It lets you get your brand in front of new audiences fast.

Let’s be honest; the thought of guest posting sounds counter-intuitive especially since that time could be spent working on your website. But it does have a myriad of benefits, especially if you find a guest posting service that will cater to all of your business needs. In turn, you will be able to free up some time to concentrate on other things - but only if you outsource to the right team. Here are 4 things you can look for when choosing a guest posting service:

You need to do your due diligence to ensure that the guest posting service you choose is credible and offers only the highest quality. Some are notorious for promising you high-quality networks that will make all your wishes come true while the reality is quite different. Be sure to ask the company relevant questions that will enable you to know how they get their posts and the sites that are available to you. Any company that will hesitate to provide this vital behind-the-scenes info is setting you up for sure disappointment.

Once you feel like you have identified a great guest posting service, stop, take some time, and do a test order to ascertain that they really deliver what they promise. This is one time where you are allowed to play it safe so that you can know how the guest posting company works. While doing your test run, check to see how the customer support is, the amount of time that the post takes to go live and your overall satisfaction with the service.

Despite popular opinion, asking about the cost doesn't mean that you are looking for the lowest prices in the market. You only need to ensure that the services offered align with the price tag. While most guest posting services are not over-the-top expensive, they do tend to charge a considerable amount. These charges usually cover content development, reaching out to various blogs, and follow up until the post goes live. Again, you need to inquire about these procedures so that you know what you are getting yourself into to avoid feeling shortchanged in the future.

The most important part of guest posting is the actual post. Is the content mediocre? The post should be well written to achieve the purpose it was intended for. In addition, the posts will be a reflection of your site, so you have a reputation to uphold. Check that the end product received from the guest posting service has no grammatical issues, is free of errors, and is captivating to the reader.