I’m not sure how I feel about guest blogging. Apparently it’s a fairly done thing in Internet Land, with people handing over their territory to someone else for a while if they go on holiday or just fancy a different voice around the place. I guess it makes sense, if you want to keep people coming by for a visit then you need new content, and if you’re on a beach somewhere (or a chicken bus), guest blogging is the way to go about it.
But.
This is my space! I like my space being mine. I’m fairly sure the majority of people reading it are friends and relatives anyway, so why would they care what a stranger thinks about the world? Also, if I read someone’s blog and like it, I generally go back for them. If I go there and see a guest blogger I quite often skim read or skip it all together, I’ll read again when the actual person is back. I’m not going to jump ship completely just because they haven’t posted in a while.
Having said all this, I’m taking part in a blog swap experiment over on Twenty Something Bloggers, because you probably shouldn’t knock something until you’ve tried it. The people who put themselves forward have been randomly paired up and come Monday 30th June, we’ll each put up our partner’s post.
Now the only other (fairly large) problem is, what the hell do you write?! Why is anyone over there going to care what I have to say? It’s all very stressful so if you have any tips for being the best guest blogger ever, then feel free to share.
And be nice to my guest. Just don’t like them better than me, ok?
I have to admit that I don’t get the whole guest blogging thing. I don’t think I could let anyone guest blog on my blog! It’s mine!! It doesn’t make sense to me and I generally skip guest blogs.
I know there aren’t any rules when it comes to blogging but my obsessive and organised ‘stick to the rules’ kind of brain doesn’t feel comfortable with the way blogging is becoming so sociable!! I feel like a blog should be a diary where you do not assume that anyone is reading, and you don’t address your readers. I’ve done it myself though – it felt unavoidable – but it all seems too messy for my liking. I’ve completely gone off blogs where there is a sort of community feeling.
Saying all that, I’ll read your guest blogger’s post and maybe I’ll change my mind!
Oops, that reads like such a rant. I feel bad now. Sorry!
Don’t feel bad, I’m kind of on the same page as you. I think I just wanted to see how it worked. Although having to produce some sort of content for someone when you don’t really know the blog and have a set date to get it done is proving more stressful than it ought to be. I doubt it’ll be a regular thing.
I’m the same! I totally skip most guest blogger entries…
But, I totally am participating in the swap. So, here goes!
You did fine. Don’t worry. Added a little flavor to my otherwise drab and uninteresting blog.
Thanks for giving it a shot
Guest-blogging is more for the community-building aspect of blogging. Sort of building networks between like-minded people. Then again, some bloggers go about that in different ways.
Either way, glad you tried out the swap!