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November 16, 2015
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Seeking Guest Post Contributors for Central Park Scoop!

Do you have something interesting and valuable that you’d like to share with the Central Park (formerly Stapleton) community?  If so then maybe writing as a guest post contributor for the Central Park Scoop is for you!

Over the past six years I’ve been writing and doing interview videos for the Scoop.  It’s been a lot of fun, a great way to meet a ton of people and a very fruitful way to meet new real estate clients.  A few years ago we started adding guest post contributors to the mix, which has made our content more diverse and interesting for readers.

Now, we are able to accommodate a few more contributing authors in the new year. No experience with writing or technology needed.  Check out the potential benefits, guidelines and FAQ section below for those of you who think writing on the Scoop sounds fun.

If you know someone who may be interested please share it with them, and if you think it may be right for you let’s chat!

Central Park Scoop Guest Post Information & Guidelines

The plan is to grow the value that the Central Park Scoop blog can provide to our readers by bringing on additional writing contributors who would provide content on topics that matter to our community.

The purpose of this post is to outline the potential benefits of being a Scoop content provider and explain the general guidelines for that content. It will also provide a list of the potential topics and types of posts that you could consider which may spark your imagination! Lastly, we’ll answer some commonly asked questions that may be on your mind as a potential Scoop contributor.

What are some topics I could write about on the Scoop?

I am very open to your ideas about topics to post about, but here is a list of a few that come to my mind based on my experience in Central Park. Let’s chat if you have other topic ideas!

Local current events (Central Park & surrounding neighborhoods)

Health & Fitness

Kids

Parenting

Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom (or Dad!)

Education

Interior Design

Improving Lifestyle

Local travel

Photography

Household finance

New developments in the area

Real estate

Gardening

Food

Seasonal Posts (holidays, summer, etc.)

Community Causes (non-profits, good causes, etc.)

Why be a Central Park Scoop guest post contributor?

Guest contributors on the Scoop do not receive pay, so why do it? There are lots of reasons so let’s explore them.

The first, and likely most important reason, is you are passionate about something that others in our community care about & you want a platform to reach them. I’ve been building the platform for 6+ years now and have been fortunate enough to build up a strong local audience, which you could reach with your message for free.

Second, you might enjoy the clarity in your thinking you get from writing. I didn’t really understand this until I started writing. When you write you have to think through your topic and this extra thought makes you understand your topic at a deeper level. This could appeal to you if you have something you are passionate about.

Third, maybe you are looking to grow your visibility within the area. Your Scoop post will go out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or in our bi-weekly email update. You’ll reach thousands of people who have indicated they care about Central Park by following the Central Park Scoop on social media or signing up for our newsletter. Maybe you have a cause or a business that you want to grow. It can’t hurt to get out there and establish yourself by being a guest contributor on the Scoop. As you’ll see in the guidelines below, this is not a place to peddle your wares with any “hard sell” type approach. You’ll need to focus on the readers and adding value to their lives, but I’m confident you can do that and advance your cause or your business at the same time.

Lastly, maybe you need a creative outlet or a tie to the local community. Many of us need some way to express ourselves but we’re too busy with life, kids, work, etc.. This could be that outlet you need & it could be a way to feel more connected with the community.  (who knows… maybe this will help you start your own blog!)

What are the guidelines for guest post content?

The goal of having guest contributors is to provide the readers with more fresh content and diversity in terms of perspectives. (I love writing but you can only read what I write so much and I can only keep up with it for so long on my own!)

That said, I have guidelines for any guest content, because I care about what we produce & the message we spread.

All posts must meet the following guidelines:

  • Add value to the Central Park readers. Focus on serving the community not selling them anything.
  • Be positive but realistic. It’s ok to address issues (we don’t have to pretend they don’t exist) but we want a solutions-focused approach. No spreading bad news, we can get that elsewhere.
  • Be open and respectful of others. We have readers of all walks of life so let’s be open and inclusive.
  • Be authentic and vulnerable. We don’t all have it together all the time, readers will enjoy it more if we are open about our shortcomings. It’s a blog, which is by nature more personal than a website, so it’s ok to open up a bit.
  • Be approved by Joe Phillips (or the Central Park Scoop team). What you write affects the blog as a whole so I will retain the ability to edit posts as I see fit.

Guest Post FAQ Section:

How frequently do I need to contribute posts?

The good news here is you can contribute at the frequency that suits your needs. We’ll agree to a frequency and you can write at the pace that works for you. I know you’re already busy so you could write every month or you could write a few times per year. Let’s chat and figure it out.

Do I need to be an established or professional writer to contribute?

No experience required. As you may be able to tell, I don’t really know what I’m doing… but I’ve learned a lot along the way!

Do I need to know anything about technology or blogging to contribute?

No experience required here either. You can provide us with the content in a Word document, and we can post it for you.

What do I need to do to get started?

To get started let’s meet or chat over email or the phone and discuss your interest in posting, define a niche topic you want to focus on and establish a schedule for your postings.

Along with your first post I will need a jpeg headshot image of you and a quick blurb about who you are that will go at the bottom of your post. (Here is mine for example: “Joe Phillips is the founder of Central Park Scoop.  He is a resident of Central Park & a real estate broker focused on the neighborhood.  He writes regularly about the community, events, real estate, parenting & life in the 80238.”)

You can reach me at joe@focus-realtors.com or on my cell at (720) 299-1730 to move forward.

I’ve never posted before, what types of posts can I write?

Once you start writing posts you’ll start seeing post ideas everywhere. I have a list of 100+ posts I want to get to but can’t immediately because of other commitments (whose idea was it to have all these kids?!). Here are some types of posts that could get you started.

List posts. “7 Ways to Reduce Stress” or “5 Things You Can do Tonight to Make Your Morning Better Tomorrow”, etc. This is a very popular and common format that works well!  (Example: “7 Reasons Why List Posts Will Always Work”)

Step by Step posts. You know how to do something really well. Share that by telling the reader how to do it step by step in great detail. (Example: “How to Start a Successful Blog Today”)

Guide to posts. Guide to buying a home, Guide to Planting a Garden, Guide to Getting in Shape, etc.  (Example: “My Guide to Writing Totally Awesome Blog Posts Every Single Time”)

How I did “X” posts. How I Landscaped my Central Park Yard, How I Prepared for a Marathon, How I Taught my Kids to Ski, etc.  (Example: “How to Write a Blog Post”)

Evergreen posts. These are called evergreen posts because they don’t expire, they are posts that can be useful to audiences for a long time. Good idea, if you write about something that will be useless in a week it may not be worth the effort.

Current Events posts. Tell us about the event, why we might want to go, who it’s a good fit for, costs, details, etc. As I mentioned above these types of post will expire quickly but if it’s important you get the word out it’s worth it.

Opinion posts. Feel strongly about something and want to share it? A post about it is a great way to do so. (Keep in mind all guidelines above though)

Story posts. Tell us a story. What happened and how does it relate to your readers in Central Park?

Curated posts. (from other blogs) Did you find an awesome post, video etc. you want to bring to our attention? Write a short intro to the post and why you enjoyed it and then link the post you found.

Drop me a line & let’s get started on your blogging adventure!


2 Responses

  1. Hello- my name is Ananda I work for Colorado security company. We are a trusted local home & automation company. We would love to give a few tips & tricks as we approach the holiday season (ppl traveling) & advertise a few of our services… Please let me know your thoughts! -Amanda

  2. Hi, Thank you for sharing this. I would like to contribute a guest post.

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