4 Reasons You Should Start Using Roundup Posts (and How to Do It)
Roundup posts aren’t a new idea and they have been a little overdone in some areas. But the reason for this is simple – they work and they are also a great link-building strategy. Whether you use expert roundup post ideas, send a newsletter filled with interesting links as a roundup, or any other variation, these posts can be a great way to get traffic to your website, catch the attention of new readers and sometimes even get attention from an influencer.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and sometimes recommend products from other sellers at no extra cost you. For more details see my disclosure policy and privacy policy.
What is a roundup post?
Let’s start with a basic definition of an expert roundup post from Smartblogger:
An expert roundup is a type of blog post that features contributions by multiple experts. Typically, the host blogger will provide a compelling question or a topic for discussion and reach out to various experts to share their insights.
Quite simply, you are asking people about a topic that they normally talk about and using that quote to build your blog post. It is an interesting way to get a big post with only minimal actual writing on your behalf but it does take more groundwork before the writing stage to pull together those quotes and the information for the content.
Benefits of roundup posts
So why would you effectively give free publicity to other bloggers who in one sense are your competition? Here are a few reasons why roundup posts remain a top option.
1. They get a lot of traffic
Because you are mentioning recognised people in the post, you are more likely to get traffic from it. People will see a comment by this blogger or this influencer and be curious to see what they have to say. We all like to answer a question ourselves and see how we match up with the big names and roundup posts are a great way to do this.
2. You get more social media clout from them
There’s a good chance that if you tag the people in the post, they will share it. This means you are getting access to hundreds or thousands of new social media followers who will see your name paired with their favourite blogger. They are then more likely to follow you and read more of your content in the future.
3. Possible good links
Sometimes, those influencers might link to your post in a newsletter, their own post, or anywhere else. This provides the possibility of good links to your website and improves your link profile – this gives your website SEO juice in the long run
4. Builds good relationships
Let’s not forget the ‘social’ in social media – by asking these people and publishing their opinions, you are building relationships with them and this is a big part of being a successful blogger. You don’t want anything from them apart from a quote and if they offer anything, like sharing your post, then this is a nice benefit. But everyone, no matter how big, likes to feel they are important and valued.
How to create an expert roundup post
Knowing the benefits of a roundup post, you are now inclined to create one and are ready for the work. But where do you start?
The question
The first step is the most important – the question. Think about your target audience or that one person you write for if you have a reader avatar or ideal customer. What is the most important question they want answered by more experienced, more knowledgeable people?
Also, consider a question that the influencer will want to answer – if you ask them something ultra-personal, embarrassing, or too controversial they might not want to be involved. Consider:
- Too complex and you might not get many answers
- Too niche and you limit the number of people you can ask
- Too basic and people might be bothered to reply or your post might not stand out
You might want to consider a topical subject but consider if it will have a long-term presence or is evergreen. For example, the Instagram shadow ban had been a hot topic for a few months but by now has been largely forgotten. Questions about tools, tech, and systems are always popular while predictions towards the end of the year can be a great idea.
I also often use roundup posts on my food blog. Here I can mix my own recipes with ones from other people or add in recipes for dishes I haven’t talked about myself. A recent example was a post about sea vegetables (stuff like kelp and spirulina) – I had other bloggers offer me to use their recipes in the post and link to them while I created the intro content and information on what the sea vegetables were.
Who to ask
Once you have the question in mind that will catch their interest and isn’t something they are asked every day, then you are ready to start compiling a list of who to ask.
You might have an ideal number of people to feature in the article but make sure you ask quite a few more as not everyone will reply. Aim for a balance of big names and up-and-coming bloggers who are more likely to share your content.
You can also use content from existing roundup posts as long as you give the correct credit to the original piece. Just make sure that they aren’t too old or outdated and ensure your post is different enough from theirs to stand out.
Twitter is a recommended source for reaching out to people, according to Search Engine Journal. While email is a great way to chat with someone, you can make that quick, initial intro via Twitter plus you may even get other people offering their opinions to use in the conversation. Something as simple as contacting them and saying you want to include them in your roundup post and asking them to chat if they are interested works well.
When chatting via email, make sure you tell them a little about what you want, what you offer in return, and when you need the contribution. You can even drop a few names of people who have already contributed if you have any or where else you have been published if that’s relevant. Personalize each one as no one wants a photocopy-style email approach!
Keep a database of who you approach, information such as their name, email address, website, Twitter handle, and also when you contacted them, if they said yes or no, and if you actually received the contribution from them.
There are also specialist Facebook groups out there for some niches. I use one called FBC Social Sharing for my food blog where people can ask for recipes or contribute them. The people using the group know the content is used on your blog and you can specify that it will be used in social media for example as well.
Promoting the post
Organise your promotion schedule before you write the post as well as you want to show that you are serious about spreading the word about what you have written. Links can sometimes work against your Facebook Page reach but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share them!
You can even mention that you will be sharing on this, this, and this social media site with ‘x’ followers to show that their quote will get exposure.
Cut out the work
Another type of roundup post is where you link to another group of posts, either your own or from other people on a topic. I use these quite often on my food blog because I don’t always have enough content and like to get stuff from other people.
The process of making this kind of roundup post has been made much easier by a new plugin called Create by Mediavine. This lets you create lists or how-to posts with cards as well as being a recipe plugin. So if you want to create a roundup of the top posts on how to use Instagram for business, for example, you can reach out to bloggers, get a quote then link using Create.
Worth the work?
The only way to know if roundup articles are worth the work for you is often to have a go at one. If it works, it can be a big boost for your site and social media following. And if it doesn’t, you can assess what went wrong. No information is ever a bad thing!
Have you ever done a roundup post? Share it below and tell us what you did to organise it! What worked and what didn’t?
