Every now and then, everyone gets killer article ideas. What do you do with them? You have to figure out if you should post the article on your blog, or try and get it on a site like Problogger, Dailyblogtips or some other site you’re networked with.

The question we all must face is this – “Is it worth showing the article to my limited group of readers, or should I try and market it on a very popular blog where it can be seen by more eyes?” In the long run, it probably seems like it would be better guest posting it, because you’ll achieve a lot more traffic, get a link, and some publicity.

If you decide to post it on your site, there really wouldn’t be that much of a difference. Many of the bloggers reading this aren’t popular enough to get an article on the top page of Digg, or to get smashed by StumbleUpon. So the question still is, is it worth posting it on your site, when it could get your site seen by so many new readers elsewhere.

The key is balance. Split it 50/50. So send some guest posts, and the others you post on your blog. Look at it like this, if you’re not posting good content on your site, then you’ll lose your readership at your site. But if you don’t continue to market your site, then it won’t continue to grow. If you DO decide to guest post it, and then get traffic to your site, but have no great content to offer them once they get there, you’ll STILL lose readers.

Now you may disagree with me on this, being on either side. But I think you need to do at least some of your great ideas as guest posts, because the chance to write on a site like Problogger, or even a smaller one like TheNetFool, is too good to pass up. However, you have to be very careful with this, because you don’t want to deprive your readers of a quality article without good reason. So here are some tips for great guest posting.

1. Read this post.
Guidelines for Guest Posting

2. Pick the top blogs, and send the article to them.
If they reject it, you can always send it to another one, though you may want to consider rewriting the parts they didn’t like.

3. Don’t get discouraged if they reject your post.
Every blogger is different, just like every blog is different. So everybody will write differently than others. You may have written a good article, but his style may just be different.

4. Read some of the blog’s posts before you send your post.
Match the style of the writer, without destroying your identity. You want to appeal to his readers, so you want to be somewhat similar. But you also want them to like your site, and if your style is totally different, they may not like that. Make sure you are you, without being to unlike the admin. But remember, he wants guest posts because he wants a different perspective, and some freshness, so don’t change who you are, be unique but smart.

5. Try to develop a relationship first.
It doesn’t have to be big but if you can have talked or emailed before this, it helps break the ice some. It’s always nice if your first interaction is you wanting something from him. I realize this isn’t always possible, but when it is, it will certainly help your chances of being accepted.

6. Try to link to the article in a blog post from your site.
Soon! Not only is this like a little thank you to the blog owner, you can refer your readers onto the blog post, so that they don’t miss out on the article.

7. Read up on other people’s emails that got them accepted.
Here are a few examples from Carlocab, and howtomakemyblog.

8. Focus on the email as much as you do on the post.
A majority of guest posts get rejected based on the email, and the posts don’t even get read. You think Problogger or John Chow have the time to read every guest post that gets sent to them? They read the email and figure out if the guy is worth their time, and then if they like the email, they read the post. Without a good email, your post won’t even get read.

I hope these tips are helpful for you. Make sure to subscribe to my RSS feed, so that you can get updates on how successful it is.