Link Outreach No-Nos

The key to great link building is the outreach that comes with it. You have to be very careful in your wording and come up with a strategy to figure out the most effect way to achieve these links. Below I have listed several things not to do when you are executing your outreach. Whether it is for bloggers or others in your industry, these rules apply to all.

Don’t Pitch to Unrelated Sites

If you are sharing a specific piece of content or reaching out to a guest blogger, make sure you are reaching out to people who have content and sites that are related to your business. For example, if you are sharing an infographic on how to bake a cake, it would not make a lot of sense to contact a law firm and ask them to share your content. It would be most relevant to contact a restaurant or a food blogger. When you are outreaching, make sure you make smart decisions about who you are contacting.

Don’t Stop at E-mail

E-mail is the most efficient way to outreach to people, but sometimes it takes more than that. Try using another medium to contact them, whether it is through a simple tweet or reaching out for a phone call. The first time I ever reached out to colleges to have them share our client’s scholarship, I called everyone before I emailed them. In the long run, I got a much better response than if I have just emailed them. This is especially important when outreaching to a school. They have a lot on their plate, as do most businesses, and you want to make yourself standout. A phone call goes a long way when introducing yourself and expressing what you have to offer.

Don’t Disregard Pitch Instructions

Many bloggers have a page on their site that gives instructions on how to format and submit your content or guest blog. Make sure you follow these instructions very carefully. The reason these guidelines were set up is to make their life much easier. So, do not disregard these rules because they will not hesitate to ignore the submission because you sent it in the wrong format. These guidelines could be as simple as making the subject of the email in a particular way. Look for these instructions and follow them as close as possible!

Don’t Write an Outreach Essay

Always remember that no one wants to read an email that is as long as an essay. If you send an email that is too long, it will most likely get deleted because no one wants to read. So, make sure when you are sending your pitch that you get to the point quickly and make sure they know what is in it for them.

Don’t send the Same Pitch

It is important to diversify your emails. When sending an email, make sure you are making it personal by adding their name in the beginning and their website within the email. Most people will be able to tell when you are sending a generic email and will throw it in the trash. Tailor your outreach so it is different for each different prospect. Research who the owner is and what their site is about and incorporate that into your outreach.

Don’t Forget the Follow-up

Once you have done your initial outreach, do not stop there. Once you feel you have waited long enough, outreach again. This will show that you are really invested in taking the time to get your content posted on this specific site. Ask them if they have any questions or if they are interested in the content. Most of the time busy bloggers or website administrators need reminders to get the ball rolling. Make sure you are not too aggressive with you follow-up and be careful when phrasing your second round of outreach. Think about what would be acceptable if the roles were reversed.

Don’t Forget to Build Relationships

The number one, most important, beautiful thing about this entire process is building relationships. Once someone has published your content, do not forget about them. Make sure you keep in touch with them. Chances are you may need to ask them to publish more content for the same or a different client. Some day they could help you out when you least expect it. Maintaining relationships with your contact scan happen in so many ways. You could contribute to their blog through comments, keep in touch with them on social media outlets, or even share some of their content on your site or social media platform. The possibilities are endless. Maintaining relationships with previous supporters of your link building efforts is essential for continued success.

It is absolutely essential that you keep these in mind throughout the outreach process. If you follow these tips, you will have success in your link building efforts both now and in the future. If you must only take one thing out of this post, it should be that building relationships is vital for success.