The other day I was talking to my friend Tim about his business.

Tim is a fitness coach, actively trying to sell more of his online fitness programs.

Since I believe guest posting is the quickest way to build an email list that buys, I asked Tim if he had started guest posting.

He said no and then he asked:

"Don't I need a lot more content on my blog before I can guest post?"

“Why do you think you need content on your site first to guest post?” I asked.

“Well if I have enough content, influencers I’d reach out to would realize my work is good and is likely to provide enough value to their audiences,” said Tim.

Tim’s reasoning is sound. But it comes from the flawed assumption that influencers assess your guest post fit by reading your blog in-depth.

The reality is very different.

I mean place yourself in their shoes for a second.

Imagine that you are a popular and busy influencer.

Would you have the time to go read the blog of everyone who pitches you a guest post?

Probably not.

The truth is influencers try to assess the fit of the guest post based on what is written in the pitch.

In the situations where they do visit your site, they are most likely only looking at your home or about page. 

But before you go polish up those pages up check out the four critical areas influencers are assessing on those pages, so you know exactly what, you need to improve.

When influencers visit your online headquarters, they are trying to assess how well you fit with them in four different areas.

The first thing most influencers try to assess is who you help. Specifically if you help the same people they do. Or at least, help some subset of the people they help.

Here are some questions to ask and answer to make sure that when influencers visit who you help is crystal clear to them:

The second thing influencers try to assess when they visit your online headquarters is what problems you help your audience with.

Here are some questions to ask and answer to make sure that when influencers visit what problems you help with are crystal clear to them:

The third thing influencers look for is how you help your audience.

Here are some questions to ask and answer to make sure that when influencers visit how you help your audience are crystal clear to them:

Let's bring it together with an example of my guest posts. The method I use to help my audience grow their email lists is guest posting. Since most influencers I pitch to don’t usually cover guest posting, the fit is usually obvious.

I say usually obvious because it can all go south if you aren’t a match for the next and final criteria.

The fourth area influencers try to understand are your values.

Specifically, they are trying to confirm that you don’t have any of their deal breakers.

For example here is what it was for one influencer I guest posted with recently:

So of course this influencer won’t be taking any guest posts from people who only care about making money at any expense possible. If that is you, you shouldn’t bother pitching that influencer.

Here are some questions to ask and answer to make sure that when influencers visit your values are crystal clear to them: