*Follow and participate in our Twitter chat on TwChat =>MyBlogGuest Twitter chat*
A couple of months ago we started spring cleaning on #MyBlogGuest (which is still underway) and we heard a lot of negative feedback from our users which I responded to in my open letter.
While trying to fight lower-quality linky content in the gallery that puts good bloggers off AND puts you under Google penalty risk, we are moving forward with another plan: Trying to collaborate with our users closer.
That’s how the Elite plan test was born.
Elite Plan for Authors (Premium Users)
The main objective behind this plan was, again, to allow closer collaboration between you and MyBlogGuest team. Our team is pre-moderating Elite content, suggests improvements as well as promotes it to more bloggers to make offers. When an Elite article goes live on your chosen blog, we also try share it.
We let all our PRO users volunteer to be our alpha-testers of the new plan that currently includes the following:
- Apart from their current PRO access, Elite authors get the ability to send any of their articles to “Elite” gallery
- Elite authors also get access to “Articles requests” section which we are going to talk more this month
**For an article to qualify to be an “elite” one, it needs to meet higher-quality standards (minimum 500 words, no SEOed anchor text, images, original perspective, etc.). All articles in the elite gallery are pre-moderated. All articles in this gallery will be promoted to relevant bloggers.
Elite gallery moderator @Roadturn has been discussing what makes a good elite article on #MyBlogGuest Google Plus community this week, so he has more to say: Just check the “Focus Topic” section of the group.
Elite Quality” means an article is grammatically sound (not perfect, but sound) and structurally intact. It should conduct an intelligent and clear discussion, from start to finish, and should include an introduction, body, and conclusion. The article should be supported with appropriate links to authority sites, and it should provide information of value to the reader.
More:
What makes the Elite Gallery “elite”? For me, it’s all about the author. Some are content to devote the bare minimum effort necessary to produce an article someone else will publish. Others are willing to exert that extra push to make an article shine. Elite articles come from the pens of Elite writers … writers who care about the craft.
Elite = the way we should all be writing anyway 🙂 #myblogguest
— Don Sturgill (@Don_Sturgill) June 6, 2013
Elite Gallery for Blog Owners / Publishers (Free!)
First thing first: ALL bloggers can apply to publish an Elite article for free; you don’t need any special access to make offers in the Elite Gallery.
We have already described how Elite articles are going to work for publishers:
In a word, if you make an offer for any guest article in the Elite gallery, you can be sure this article has been pre-moderated and edited to meet higher-quality standards we are preaching.
and inspiration? 🙂 RT @Roadturn: The difference between mediocre and excellent is just a little more effort and concern. #myblogguest
— Viral Mom (@viralmomtweets) June 6, 2013
Future plans
For now, we’ll just keep testing and working with alpha testers (if you are our current PRO user who would like to apply for testing), please let us know. We’ll also keep pitching it to *real* bloggers outside MyBlogGuest. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions!
Next week, same time, we’ll talk about another feature that is meant to boost the quality of MyBlogGuest: Articles Requests!
Joseph
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Paul Schlegel
Don, wasn’t there a discussion about authors including links other than just the links to their sites or client sites – i.e., links to authority resources like WikiPedia or other sites to support ideas in the article? I’ve looked in the gallery recently and I haven’t found a single author doing that so far. I think that’s incredibly important – OR the author could just say that we’re welcome to add our own links to existing text in the articles.
Ann Smarty
We did have that discussion: https://myblogguest.com/blog/guest-blogging-for-co-citation-the-benefit-of-linking-out-myblogguest/
And we keep educating authors on this…
You can make offers while stating in “Offer” window that you’ll only publish if they include authority links…
Simon Colley
I like the idea of Elite articles and would love the opportunity to become an Alpha tester (I am a pro member)
Look forward to hearing from you,
Simon.
Lee Keadle
I didn’t realize it was free to try to publish an elite article. I’m always more willing to give things a try if they don’t require an annual fee upfront. I’ve been looking for more ways to build my online presence and don’t mind putting in the time it takes to make my work shine, so thanks for including this info.
Don Sturgill
Those who want to try Elite should send a request to info@myblogguest.com. Include your MBG member name, links to two of your best published articles, and a paragraph about what you hope to gain from MBG and Elite. …. PAUL, I agree with you. Elite articles do now require authority links. Articles Requests are left to the publisher’s specifications.
Don Sturgill
Simon and Lee … there is now an “Apply to Elite” link in the lower left of the Recent Elite Articles box on the home page.