I have two questions for you.

One: would you accept an offer to write a post on someone else’s blog, that is, guest blog? Two: would you ever invite someone else to write a “guest” post for your blog?

Here are my answers. To question one: I’ve done it before, but I’d think twice about doing it again. To question two: No, not on your life!

Why? Because disassociated.com is my website, my blog, why would I want someone else writing here? It’s mine. It’s me.

To be honest I’m really quite iffy about this whole “guest blogging” phenomenon. Or fad, as I’d prefer to regard it.

To me guest blogging is like inviting someone else into your home and letting them, A] clean up or mess up the place (select the state you hate the most!) and B] sit in front of the TV, which they watch ALL day, while sprawled all across your favourite sofa.

It would feel like an invasion!

Despite this though, guest blogging is very much the flavour of the moment in blog land. Some bloggers feverishly cherish guest blogging slots as if there were some sort of badge of honour.

They’ll be making t-shirts next, “I guest blogged at Boing Boing“.

Meanwhile others are issuing invitations helter skelter, requesting posts, so they can have a day off, or a holiday or something. All up these “special guest star” roles in the blogosphere are being taken very seriously. And why not?

After all, nine out of ten cat owners Internet Marketers tell us guest blogging is highly desirable, and is a “must do” activity for any blogger serious about promoting their blog.

Guest blogging exposes you and your blog to new audiences. It kills two birds with one stone. It showcases your blog, while supplying content for someone else, plus all sorts of other “benefits” that I forget now.

Sorry, but I don’t buy any of it.

One or two somewhat compelling arguments have been made in its favour, and now every Internet Marketer in town has jumped on the “go guest blogging” bandwagon.

Personally I don’t think a fraction of them really give any thought to some of the “advice” they dispense though. If one or two people say it’s a great idea… then it must be a great idea. Right?

Now answer these questions.

One: who will look after your blog while you are fretting over someone else’s? (A guest blogger of your own perhaps?)

Wouldn’t you rather devote all your energies to your own blog? Wouldn’t writing guest posts be distracting? Isn’t that giving yourself extra work to do?

Two: do you think anyone really cares? Do you think guest blogging will propel you onto the “A List” or something? I doubt it.

Let’s just say I was invited to write a guest post for John Chow, for instance.

Let’s just ignore for the moment how inconceivable the prospect would be, and that I’d probably be the least appropriate person to write for a “make money online” blog such as John Chow.

Anyway a couple of things would happen here. First I’d start to panic, and think, what the hell could I write that would meet the expectations of John Chow’s readers?

And even if I was suitably qualified, how might John Chow’s regular readers react when they saw a post written by someone else? Let’s apply this “guest post” thought to a “real life” situation for a moment.

Many of us probably have a regular doctor or GP. Say you phoned to make an appointment to see him or her, and was told they were away on holiday, but could see their locum instead.

How many of you would try and wait, if it were possible, until your regular GP returned, before making an appointment?

We come to know and trust a particular doctor, and the same, albeit in a slightly different way, applies to the blogs we read regularly. If I’m reading John Chow’s blog it’s because I want to hear what he has to say, not someone else.

If I want to hear what “someone else” has to say, I can always go to their blog.

I’m therefore willing to bet the majority of a blog’s regular readers wouldn’t be impressed. It might “work” for one, maybe two posts, but the longer a blog remains in “guest blog” mode, the more damage it will be doing to itself.

So, you’re wondering, if I shouldn’t engage in guest blogging, how do I promote my blog? What happens when I want a holiday? Well guess what, there are other ways of answering both questions, and in both cases it has nothing to do with guest blogging.

Give it a miss. Stay at home on your own blog instead. Get a bunch of t-shirts made up saying “To hell with guest blogging” along with your URL, to wear while you’re on holiday.

You may not be able to update your blog, but at least you’ll be promoting it.