At Film Annex we pay our authors, filmmakers, and content generators through our Buzz Score (as I've said before it's Klout with meaning and dollars), but other websites, although not paying people, have their benefits of contributing. For awhile we thought SEO was a primary benefit. It's a great way to share links and content, but people started taking advantage of it and we started seeing some really terrible looking blog articles.

 

In digital marketing I've heard both of the following - 

Content is King.

Distribution is King Kong.

...and the exact opposite:

Distribution is King.

Content is King Kong.

So from an SEO standpoint here's the best reason to guest blog and network outside your own circle. Remember - this is for SEO,

So now comes the big question, where do I get started with higher quality guest posting and building quality links?  Honestly, there are a million places to get started.  Join your local community and become a strong voice for positive.  Read and comment on SEJ, SEL, SEW, Moz, Wordstream, Hubspot, Social Media Examiner, iAquire,, Google Webmaster Blog, Bing Blog, and 100′s of others.  Become the expert.  Comment on posts, show the community that you’re worth listening too.  Then start small.  Get your own blog.  Signup for the Examiner (pretty easy to get into). Then work your way up.

Remember:  Only post GOOD information that’s valuable to readers.  Honestly, if you’re putting up content that Matt Cutts would read and want to strangle you… you probably shouldn’t put it up.

 

That last part is important. Only post Good Information That's Valuable To Readers. I could scream this from the rooftop over and over and I'd still find people posting spam articles about what it takes to get straight A's or how to use my imagination.

When you're building your brand do you really want to build it on a pile of crap? I'm surprised people are so concentrated on gaming the system they don't realize taking half that effort and working within it would benefit them incredibly.

So when you blog, write, or contribute content in anyway keep this in mind. Film Annex is a great content platform as there are tons of us all with the same goal, but it's okay to network and show people your work too. They can visit us here and we can visit them.

So when they do come here make sure you make the best impression you can.