How to Allow Guest Posting on Your WordPress Site with the Front Editor Plugin

Enabling guest posts on your WordPress site can be a fantastic way to increase content diversity and engage with your audience. With the Front Editor plugin, you can streamline the process, making it easier for contributors to submit their articles directly from the front end of your website. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up and manage guest posting using Front Editor.

Why Allow Guest Posts?

Guest posting offers numerous benefits, including:

1. Fresh Content: Guest authors can provide new perspectives and ideas, keeping your content fresh and varied.
2. SEO Benefits: High-quality guest posts can improve your site’s SEO by increasing content volume and bringing in backlinks.
3. Audience Engagement: Inviting guest posts can build a community around your site and engage your audience more deeply.

Setting Up Front Editor for Guest Posting

To enable guest posting using Front Editor, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install and Activate Front Editor

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for “front user submit”.
4. Click Install Now and then Activate.

Step 2: Configure the Plugin Settings

Once the plugin is activated, you’ll need to configure its settings to suit guest posting.

1. Navigate to Settings > Front User Submit > Post Forms.
2. Customize the submission form to include fields like the post title, content, author name, and email.
3. Set the default post status (e.g., pending review) to ensure you can approve content before it goes live.
4. Configure notifications to receive alerts when a new post is submitted.

Step 3: Create a Submission Page

You’ll need a dedicated page where guest authors can submit their posts.

1. Go to Pages > Add New.
2. Title your page (e.g., “Submit a Guest Post”).
3. Use the Front Editor shortcode to add the submission form to the page.
4. Publish the page.

Step 4: Promote Your Guest Posting Opportunity

To attract guest authors, make sure your submission page is visible and easy to find.

1. Add a link to the submission page in your main menu.
2. Write a blog post announcing your guest posting opportunity.
3. Share the page on your social media channels.

Managing Guest Posts

When a guest post is submitted, you’ll receive a notification. Here’s how to manage these submissions:

1. Review Submissions: Go to Posts > All Posts and look for posts with the status you set in the plugin settings (e.g., pending review).
2. Edit and Approve: Edit the post to ensure it meets your quality standards. Make any necessary changes and then change the status to publish.
3. Communicate with Authors: Use the contact information provided to thank authors for their submissions and inform them when their post goes live.

Best Practices for Guest Posting

To maintain high standards and make the process smooth for both you and your guest authors, consider these tips:

1. Clear Guidelines: Provide clear submission guidelines to help authors understand your expectations.
2. Quality Control: Always review and edit guest posts to ensure they meet your content standards.
3. Engage with Authors: Build relationships with guest authors by providing feedback and promoting their posts.

Conclusion

Enabling guest posts on your WordPress site using the Front Editor / Front User Submit plugin is a great way to enrich your content and engage with your audience. By following the steps outlined above, you can create an efficient and effective guest posting process. Happy blogging!