Blogging is an amazing way to grow your brand and get your business out there, but in the beginning it can be very difficult to get people to start following your blog. Today I’m sharing two ways to get your business out there when you’re just starting out and how to get readership when you’ve got no fans or followers. These two ways are guest posting and collaborating.

Guest Posting

When it comes to guest posting, you can either guest post on other blogs or have others contribute to your own blog.

Guest Posting on Other Blogs:

Posting on other blogs has some great benefits. It puts more links to your blog out on the web, which makes it easier for people to find your site in search engines like Google or Bing.

Another way guest posting helps grow your following is by positioning you as an expert in your field. Once you post on another blog, you can add a link to the article and a short description of what you wrote in the Publications section on your LinkedIn profile. You can also add a logo from that blog or link your article to a Press or As Seen On page on your site.

When looking for blogs to guest post on, look for blogs outside your niche that might need help on the topic you’re an expert in. For example: If you’re a graphic designer, try posting on a blog for crafters on the topic of the importance of good logo design.

Having Contributors on Your Own Blog:

Having other people guest post on your own blog can also help publicize your site. When someone posts on your blog, they will most likely share links to the post on their social networks, so your blog is being publicized to their following in addition to yours. Any extra eyes on your site can help grow the number of followers you have.

Collaborations with Other Bloggers

Collaborating with other bloggers, both larger and smaller, on a project is a fun way to grow everyone’s following. Brainstorm some ideas for a project you’d like to work on and make a list of bloggers who might be able to help the project.

Once you have all of the details ironed out, reach out to the bloggers on your list to see if they would be interesting in the collaboration. If they say yes, make sure you take care of all of the details for them to ensure that it is as easy for them as possible. If they say no, thank them for their response and move on to the next person on your list.

For example, you could coordinate a blog series on blogger’s favorite DIY projects. Each blogger you collaborate with would be assigned a week, and you would both promote the post through your social media pages. Then when the blog series is over, you could combine each of the DIY posts into an ebook and give it to each of the contributors to give to their following.

This helps each person in the collaboration because their content is being shared with new audiences as each person helps promote their post.

When you focus on these steps to grow your following, you’ll also notice relationships and friendships being formed with the people in your collaborations, which can lead to bigger opportunities down the road.

Gaining blog followers with guest posting and collaborations will help you go from zero fans and followers to a growing fan base and a growing presence in the online world.

About the author: Mariah is a Graphic Designer/Wedding Stylist who has a passion for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit.