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Email template

Pitching a guest post

The blog publishes contributed articles (look for a "write for us" page or bylines from outside writers) and covers a topic you know first-hand. Below: the template, a filled-in example, why it works, common mistakes and the follow-up to send if there's no reply.

The template

Subject: Guest post idea for {blog name}

Hi {first name},

I read {post title} and {one specific point from it} stuck with me.

I'm {your name}, {your role} at {company}. I'd like to write something for {blog name} that goes a step further. Three ideas:

- {idea one, as a working title}
- {idea two}
- {idea three}

{One line of proof: a past article, a dataset or the experience behind the ideas.} Each would be original, written for your readers and follow your guidelines.

Would one of these be worth an outline?

Thanks,
{your first name}

Example 1: filled in

The situation: A research-skills blog with a "write for us" page asking for practical guides. Its most-read post is about running a literature review in a weekend. The product is Margin, a fictional notes app for researchers.

Subject: Guest post idea for The Research Desk

Hi Lena,

I read your weekend literature review guide and the point about tagging papers before you read them stuck with me.

I'm Ana, head of research at Margin. I'd like to write something for The Research Desk that goes a step further. Three ideas:

- How to keep sources straight in a 40-paper literature review
- What 200 researchers changed when they switched note apps
- A citation workflow for people who write in Google Docs

I've written for two university library blogs, and the second idea is based on interviews we ran this spring. Each would be original, written for your readers and follow your guidelines.

Would one of these be worth an outline?

Thanks,
Ana

Example 2: a marketing blog, pitching from data

The situation: A B2B marketing blog that publishes one contributed post a week. The pitcher has survey data the blog hasn't covered. An illustrative example, not a real email.

Subject: Guest post with new survey data

Hi Tom,

Your post on why B2B webinars stopped converting made a point I rarely see: attendees now expect the slides before the session, not after.

I run research at Margin, and we just surveyed 600 marketers on how they reuse webinar content. I'd like to turn that into a piece for your readers:

- What 600 marketers do with a webinar after it ends (and what actually gets read)
- The three formats that got the most second-week traffic

You'd get the charts and the raw numbers. Would that suit the blog?

Thanks,
Ana

Why this one works

  • Leads with a detail only someone who read the post would know.
  • Offers something the blog can't get elsewhere: original data.
  • Two ideas, not ten. Each title tells the editor the angle.

Example 3: a short follow-on to their own post

The situation: A personal productivity blog run by one person. The pitcher suggests a piece that builds on a popular post the owner wrote. An illustrative example, not a real email.

Subject: A follow-up to your note-taking post

Hi Sam,

Your note-taking post ended with "the real problem is finding notes again". I think that deserves its own article.

I'd like to write it for you: a practical guide to naming, tagging and linking notes so they turn up when you need them, with screenshots from three different apps (not just ours).

I've been writing about research workflows for five years. Would that be useful?

Thanks,
Ana

Why this one works

  • Builds on the owner's own idea, which makes a yes easy.
  • Promises a neutral piece ("not just ours"), which editors look for.
  • Under 100 words. One-person blogs get a lot of email.

If there's no reply: the follow-up

Send once, four to seven days later, in the same thread. Add one new reason; don't repeat the pitch.

Subject: Re: Guest post idea for {blog name}

Hi {first name},

One more idea in case none of those fit: {a fourth title tied to something they published recently}.

If guest posts aren't a priority right now, no problem at all.

Thanks,
{your first name}

Getting the most from this template

A template saves time on structure, not on research. Every placeholder should become a detail only this editor would recognise: their name, the post, the section and why your product helps their readers. Send it from a properly authenticated outreach domain, one email per prospect, and stop after one or two follow-ups.

Guest posting earns links when the blog has real readers and you write for them; it turns risky when it becomes a link scheme, which is why listicle link building is the better first bet for most SaaS sites. To draft a first version fast, the pitch email generator fills this structure with your details. If the blog runs interviews instead, use the podcast guest pitch, and if the editor only wants a quote, the expert quote email is quicker.

Doing this for dozens of posts a week is where most outreach stalls. BacklinkGenie finds the posts, writes a pitch like the example above for each one, and sends it from a mailbox it manages for you once you approve. See how it works.

Questions people ask

How do I write a guest post pitch?

Name the editor and one of their posts, introduce yourself in a sentence, offer two or three specific working titles, add one line of proof that you can write about it, and ask whether one is worth an outline. Keep it under 150 words and leave out links and attachments.

How do I find blogs that accept guest posts?

Search for your topic with phrases like "write for us", "contribute", "guest post guidelines" or "become a contributor". Then check the blog has real readers and recent posts by outside writers. Sites that list prices for guest posts are selling links, which Google treats as spam.

Are guest posts still worth it for SEO?

As a way to reach a new audience and earn an occasional editorial link, yes. As a link scheme with keyword anchors on low-quality sites, no: Google's spam policies call out large-scale guest posting for links. Pitch blogs you'd want to be read on even without the link.

Related

Pitching yourself as a podcast guest template

For interview shows in your niche: show you've listened, offer two or three talk ideas and make booking easy.

Offering an expert quote template

For writers covering a topic you know well: offer a short, specific quote they can use with attribution.

The one follow-up template

For pitches with no reply after four to seven days. Send it once, in the same thread.

Link outreach email checker

Paste your filled-in version and see what an editor or spam filter will object to.

Outreach subject line tester

Check the subject for length, mobile cut-off and spam triggers.

All outreach email templates

Every template on one page: 19 situations from listicles to paid-link replies.

See where your next links could come from.

Paste your URL. The agent finds lists, comparison pages, resource pages and guides where your product fits, checks each site and finds the editor to contact. Free, no card.

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