Do you accept guest posts on your blog? If you do, or plan to, WordPress contributor is going to be one of your points of interest.
WordPress contributor is one of the roles you assign to a registered user on your blog.
The roles include Admin, Editor, Author, Contributor and Subscriber.
I won’t get much into them cause there is one specific point I want to address here.
I have heard and seen this question being asked over and over again, so I thought some of you might like to learn about what do to when you make your blog open for guest posts.
Is WordPress contributor the best role for your guest authors?
My answer, straight away is yes.
The only lower rights role is subscriber, but he can not submit posts for review so that is out of the question for guest posting.
The next higher, the author, can publish posts without your review and you don’t want this with your guest posts.
The things that a WordPress contributor can do on your blog, once logged in, is add a new post and submit it for review.
Everything else is up to you.
How to make someone a contributor?
Click to enlarge
To add a new user and make him a contributor, go to
- WordPress dashboard, select Users > Add New
You will need to fill in the username, password and e-mail address of the person you want to register. Choose to send him the password via e-mail.
In the drop down menu, select Contributor.
Once the user gets the e-mail, he can log in and edit his user profile by adding the bio and social profile links. He can also submit the post for a review.
Contributor’s post editing and polishing
After the contributor is finished writing and editing the post, he submits it for review. You need to approve and schedule or publish it.
SEO the post
If the post has not been optimized for search engines, you should try to optimize it. You can ask the author to write a post with a keyword in mind, or you can do it after the post is submitted.
In case the post is submitted and not optimized this is what you need to do:
- Do keyword research and find a good keyword that fits the post.
- Do some SEO 101, meaning put the word in the URL, title, first paragraph, image ALT tag, etc.
- Find keywords in the post that can be linked to your older (related) posts.
Images
You will also need to add images. A contributor can not add images to the post, except using a HTML code and linking to an image hosted elsewhere.
I prefer not to link to images hosted elsewhere, because if that site removes the image, I will be left with a post that has a broken image icon in it. Also, pulling up stuff from other blogs can slow down your page a lot.
Another good reason is that you never know if the contributor is using a copyrighted photo. If it is a person you trust, tell them to send you the images so you can upload them and add them to the post.
This especially goes for tutorial posts where screenshots are needed, you don’t want to do all the images yourself 
Making Money
This can be a tricky one, cause I have seen people getting upset because their guest posts have affiliate links in them.
If you offer one of your posts to a blogger, you probably need some promotion, links, traffic… You don’t get to set the rules. No one makes you offer your guest post.
If the blogger is monetizing the blog in a certain way, don’t get upset because your post is being monetized as well.
There are even plugins that will automatically turn certain keywords into affiliate links. Do you really think anyone will change that for a single post? Those plugins even change words in your comments to affiliate links. So if that is OK with you, why isn’t monetizing a post OK?
Anyway, while you are editing the guest post and getting it ready for publishing, find keywords that can be turned into affiliate links and link them like you would any of your own posts.
WordPress polishing
Don’t forget to add the post to a category it fits in and tag it. Write an excerpt if the guest hadn’t done so already.
Finish
After you are satisfied with the post, you optimized it for search engines, added images or videos and your affiliate links, you are ready to go. Schedule or publish.
After this, the WordPress contributor can not edit the post anymore.
My experience
After posting some guest posts on various blogs, I can say that being a contributor is pretty good. I personally like being only a contributor, because it prevents me to mess up someone else’s blog.
I accidentaly published a post on my blog once, that was half done. It took me half an hour of fixing stuff to delete it from RSS, Twitter, Facebook and all the other places it went to straight away.
If I did that on another person’s blog, there would be no way to fix it. I would not have access to their accounts and that would make a big mess.
As far as being an admin here, and having contributors, I have positive and negative experience.
Dino and Leo published two great posts on this blog, and they are both contributors here. But I had a guest post the other day, where the author “got distracted and forgot” that we had a deal, like replying to comments, etc.
So I have a new way of doing stuff here now. I have a “Guest Author” bio that I will use for all people that send me guest posts and who I am not familiar with. Guess there isn’t much trust in blogging world, lol.
All people who I know through this blog, their blog, Twitter or other way, will of course, get their own contributors account, with an image and a bio. What do you think about this?
Post bullseye
The role of WordPress contributor is enough to run the guest posting on your blog. If there are people you trust, of course you can give them more rights.
But if it is a one time guest post, you can stick with contributor role and keep your headache at low level.
I also believe there are plugins and codes that can limit and change roles and what users can see in your dashboard, but I have never found it to be something I need to do.
Related posts:
Excellent advice Brankica, especially about the post draft titles. I wouldn’t have thought of that.
I’ve only done 2 guest posts, and I’ll be doing a 3rd this month. I haven’t yet advertised or had a guest post at Information Junkies but I should start thinking about it.
As you know I do have a couple of guest writers for Erudition. And you’ve reminded me I should probably set out some editorial guidelines – namely, I will edit your article to fit on the page and look pretty!
I have a page here where I explain what I want from a guest post. Of course that is for people that are first time here and I would make exceptions for friends. But you definitely should have one, so once the post is up, the author wouldn’t go “Well I don’t know, I don’t like those links in my post…”
Yeah, I thought about those titles, first time I logged into someones blog, they were all sitting there and I knew exactly what posts were they turn out to be. I could have just written the posts and publish them first. I obviously hadn’t, but you never know. Blogging ideas are sometimes gold.
Hi Brankica
Trust you to find this for us
I only have Guest Posts by invitation so at the moment haven’t really had any problems. Maybe later on this will come in handy. Then I will be back to re-read the post and probably be asking you questions if I get stuck!
Sounds like a useful tool; especially if a blog has a lot or regular GP posts being submitted and accepted. Like you, I would only give total access to my backoffice to friends I trust.
Patricia Perth Australia
Some blogs will accept your post and do all the work, you had it happen and so have I. In this case, it is easier for the person who is submitting. But with blogs that get a lot of guest posts, like We Blog Better or Bizchickblogs, it really is better to allow contributors to log in and do the hard work of formatting the post, lol.
Just so you know, add my name on “guest posts to do” and I will be waiting for one as soon as you make the big launch
Hey Brankica,
Great write up, and great timing too. I’m just getting into guest blog posts, and the insight on the user roles for wordpress was money. Thank ya, much.
You are welcome, it is easier to digest it like this, than go through all those roles. Me being no too techie on WordPress matters, first time I saw that, I wanted to cry, not understanding anything, lol.
This post comes at the right time for me as I reveived recently some requests for guest posting in my blog. I’ve been hesitant not knowing the right way to handle it. You’ve just saved me time to digg it myself. I’ll just open a contributor account for each request.
Thanks once again!
Hey Alexis, glad this came in the right moment. Some blogs even allow everyone to register to subscribers level and then just upgrade them to contributors, but I still haven’t done that, just because I don’t have that many requests that I would see it beneficial. Can’t see how this works out for you
Once again, you’ve opened my eyes to something I didn’t know. I haven’t considered opening my blog up to general contributors, but if I can find a way to integrate it usefully this is going to be a must-have tool. Thanks, as always, for the 411 Brankica! Hope you have a great weekend.
Hey Marlee, you can always do the work yourself, and add the bio at the beginning or the end of the post, but as you get more and more of those, you will probably want to “help yourself” by letting the guest author do the formatting.
Glad I could help!
Hi Brankica,
WordPress Contributor sounds like a great idea. I have published a few guest posts on my blog, but my biggest problem is actually saying no to low quality posts. I don’t like to dissapoint people, so I have spent several hours editing (and sometimes rewriting) the guest posts in order to fit my blog
- Jens
I realized that the softer we are the worse we are working against ourselves.
I had a guest post offered that had nothing to do with my blog. So I said straight no. The guy comes back and says, OK, I wrote something that will fit you better. I told him what is the deal with replying to comments, especially the first day and gave him the publishing date one week in advance. The day before I published, I sent him another reminder.
The post went live, people commented, he is no where to be seen. After two days I sent him and e-mail saying that I am about to remove his links and name from the post.
I did that later that day, edited the post completely so he would not say I kept his post up and replied to all the comments. I just didn’t want to deleted the post and all the comments, just didn’t feel right cause of the people who commented.
Anyway, after I did all that, he replies with an e-mail, “sorry, I was distracted, I will go and reply to everyone”. Well, it happened after all this, so I deleted all the replies (cause I already replied to everyone) and left it at that.
After this, I will be careful who I let guest post here. Unfortunately.
Bit of a nightmare that one! One thing that I wonder is how we allow for time differences. For example, I managed to comment here early for a change, but often your posts come out when I’m off to bed. How would you expect a guest post writer to handle comments in that situation?
Hey Ryah, I always post at 7 AM EST.
The problem with this guy was that I gave him a week notice, hadn’t heard from him, gave him a day notice again, and heard from him after the post was live for two days. And the explanation was that he got distracted.
I would understand if he had told me he will be busy or tell me anything in advance. Or at least give me a logical explanation.
But I hadn’t heard from him for 10 days, and he only replied after I told him I am removing his links.
But it is my fault for accepting a post from a person I don’t know.
Of course that I would have understanding for the time difference, this was just a bit different situation, I believe.
What do you think?
I think you were right in what you did, no question. You always answer comments on your posts, anyone who writes for you should know that’s what they should do too.
I was just asking the question because it’s something I think about, being over here in England, and I know the time difference does affect my ability to interact with people.
Oh, that is something I would understand, of course, especially if it was someone I have met before. But just the way this all happened showed me it was the wrong choice. I really laid out the details to him and he said it was OK. But never replied until I said I was removing the links.
Well, I learned my lesson, but this doesn’t mean people from different time zones that I know (like YOU) should not guest post here, lol.
Guest Post sometimes works as a lifeline for any blog and every blogger like to receive positive review for his/her blog no matter whether it’s due to guest post or not.
But a blogger always check unlimited time a guest post before publishing it as they don’t want to loose their loyal and existing readers because of any bad or meaningless post.
Exactly, and some guest posts just don’t work out, because people get so used to the blogger’s writing that they just don’t want to read anything else on that blog
Hi Brankica,
Actually I’m searching lot of things about wordpress as I want to start a blog on wordpress and this would be my first one on wordpress. I must say that it’s very useful post for me.
Hey Anu, I think this can be a very useful piece of info for you. I hope you will be back to show us your WordPress blog
I really appreciated this post because I am just starting to think about diving into the guest post genre. I will definitely keep it in mind as I formulate my plan for this!
Debbie, I am glad I could help. Any time you have some questions just send me an e-mail.
I swear girl, you are in my mind this week. Wow, that’s kind of cool really.
You might have read that I have now submitted my first guest post. Nope, it has not been published yet but probably next week (I hope). So in the meantime I had a blogging buddy contact me and ask if he could write a guest post for my blog which I’m definitely considering. So that got my mind to going about whether I should start accepting more guest posts and include a page with my recommendations as well. I’ve been doing a little research on this topic which is why this particular post really caught my eye. See, I told you you were in my head. You just helped make this new experience for me a whole lot easier! Tada!!!
Appreciate your in-depth review of this. Guess I’m off to the races.
Adrienne
Lol, Adrienne, glad this came in the right time for you. I actually thought about this for months and came to this conclusion. Make sure to tell me when your guest post goes live, I really wanna see it. And you are always welcome to post here
By the way, the more I think, the more I believe we need to do something together, think of a project, lol.
I’ve been thinking about this topic almost all week long. Almost posted about it today but thought I would wait until my guest post went live so I could include that as well so stay tuned…
I do have a question for you which I know you are the perfect person to ask. I know how guest posting on other people’s blogs can benefit that person writing the post but besides helping your fellow bloggers out, does having people guest post on your blog benefit your blog in any other way? Was that a stupid question? I know helping out my fellow bloggers should be enough reason for doing it right! Just thought I’d ask… No question is a dumb one right! Remember that as you read this!
What an awesome idea, us doing something together. I’m liking that idea. Okay, I’ll get my mind to going if you do the same. So, until we meet again, or I come back to stalk your responses. Either way, I’ll be back!!!
Well, I have to say that the posts written by Dino and Leo did bring me something.
Dino’s post saved my azz, cause I was in TX on vacation and hadn’t read much that week. So I would not be able to write the round up and he stepped in and helped me!
Leo’s post was about Buffer and was one of the first ones among bloggers I communicate with, so most of them found out about it after reading his post on my blog.
I guess it can bring a lot.
Hey Brankica
Good value. I regularly guest post in my ‘other’ market using this system. Works like a charm.
Being a dufus, it never occurred to me that it’s something that i might use myself. Great explanation on how to do it – great content as always. Do you ever sleep?
Paul
Hey Paul, glad you can use this piece of info. Everyone keeps asking me about sleeping but I really do
I love the contributor feature because it still gives the people control over the layout. Nothing worse than having to email someone your blog post that might require special formatting or something; contributor works best
I agree with the sending and formatting part. Especially that not everyone formats the same way. There are always preferences of blog author, but who ever writes the post, usually does the best formatting. Thanks for that addition
I know this is an old one but just saw the link from Twitter. I didn’t know about that feature in WP. Very cool. I’ll have to remember that for the future. Thanks!!
thanks for the info on how to arrange guest posts on blog and giving people access. At the moment I do have contributors but I do all the uploading of everything and it is so time consuming. I read what you said about photos – that’s a bit of a pain because mine is a magazine style blog and that is the thing that takes SOOooooo long and I was hoping that would work ok. Don’t think most of my guest posters know about html – LOL nor do I! Do you know if there’s an easy way to get them to upload photos and make them a featured post in the slider section of my site. I haven’t put my web address here in case you think it’s spammy but you should be able to click my link in my name I think to see what I mean.
I’ve read all the comments here and they are interesting. With guest posters – do they go in as ‘contributor’ and comment or just as a ‘person’ reading their guest post?
thanks again Jan
Hey Jan, love the look of your blog
Basically, if you trust your contributors, that they will only publish content you would approve, you can give them the author role. That allows them to add files and publish posts.
If you are not sure about this, you can always add this piece of code to your blog and that will allow your contributors to add images (I have not tested it on this blog):
if ( current_user_can('contributor') && !current_user_can('upload_files') )add_action('admin_init', 'allow_contributor_uploads');
function allow_contributor_uploads() {
$contributor = get_role('contributor');
$contributor->add_cap('upload_files');
}
Hi Brankica thanks for the extra info and the great feedback on my site.
Query again re the coding info you provided above. You say I would give the contributors ‘author’ access, and that would allow them to post pictures – that I understand now.
But then you say the ‘contributor’ could add images using that extra coding – do you mean by just including the coding somewhere – they would still be classed as a ‘contributor’ for WordPress purposes/privileges but it would allow them to upload photos as well?
And of course – exactly where do I cut and paste the coding on the WordPress site – I have no idea – could you please point me in the right direction for what section etc! thanks again Jan
You got everything right. I am using Thesis theme and I would just put this code in my custom functions file.
I am not sure where to add it in other themes, cause I think all of them have different files. You should check with the developer of the theme you are using, that would be my safest guess. I think that WP has some default files where you can add these codes but I am really not sure about this, I don’t want to point you to the wrong one.