There have been several posts recently describing the art of getting linked by bloggers: Problogger outlined some great tips while Peter over at SEObook did a great job showcasing how to contact bloggers by email.
While some link builders can argue the effectiveness of the tactic in general, I am a great believer that in certain cases (for example, when the resource has something innovative or useful to offer) contacting relevant bloggers and asking them to review your site can boost its performance and start the real buzz around it:
- bloggers are in constant quest for new ideas and useful resources;
- even if they do not link to your site immediately, they are likely to store your idea for the future (and mention it in link round-ups or other relevant posts);
- niche bloggers are all connected with each other in a huge community: what one mentions is likely to spread further to others and their friends.
Now let’s summarize and expand the blog-pitching tactics.
Some basics we are all aware of but still should be reminded of from time to time:
- Keep your efforts relevant: contact only those bloggers who are most likely to be interested in your resource;
- Avoid mistakes or misspellings and unprofessional tone;
- Personalize the email subject (quick tip: adding a date can also help not to get into the spam filter); don’t make the subject sound promotional or spam-like (e.g. question-answer format won’t do here);
- Personalize the message: start with the blogger’s name;
- Keep the message brief: the first contact should be concise to make sure the recipient will get the most important part of it (remember, busy webmasters just scan the message).
Now a few more advanced tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t limit your efforts to only power bloggers (you are much more likely to get a response from a less known blogger);
- Present a posting angle (give some ideas on how your site review can be presented on the blog the way it were most useful and relevant to the readers);
- Mention similar stories already covered on the blog previously (and explain how your site review adds quality to the previous discussion);
- Call to action – encourage the blogger to respond (e.g. “Please let me know what you think“);
- Make the most of each connection even if your link request was declined.
Category
Content
