Outreach is one of the key components when reaching out to bloggers in order to gain links and build relationships – however, it is also an area where many companies struggle. More often than not, outreach emails are sent straight to the delete folder without a second thought due to simple mistakes. So, what steps can you take to ensure that your email receives a positive response?
Research before making initial contact
As someone who has a fashion and beauty blog, I often find requests sitting in my inbox from various companies asking me to link back to their websites in exchange for a piece of content. Sometimes the outreach is great, at other times there is a lot to be desired. Take a look below at an email I recently received:
“Hello,
“I was wondering if it would be possible to suggest a link for your website at;
http://rachaeldivers.co.uk/about/
“Our site is a road travel reporting website that provides our users with the most up-to-date road traffic information. Our data is updated every 5 minutes using sensors placed on motorways and common A / B roads.
Many thanks for your consideration.
Kind Regards,
Steven”
As you can see from the email, the outreach wasn’t very well thought out. The email wasn’t personalised at all – Steven didn’t use my name when addressing me and the content proposal was completely irrelevant to a beauty blog where the readers are more likely to be interested about the new MAC lipstick than where the latest traffic hold up is. Researching your link target and ensuring your content is relevant to them is the key. If you have to question whether the site is right to host your content, it probably isn’t.
Personalise your correspondence
Dont underestimate the effect of making the recipient feel good – you are far more likely to act on an email which has been well researched and personalised. For example if the blogger you are contacting has just won an award mention it and congratulate them. They’ll appreciate that you took the time to read up on them. Remember, it pays to be nice.
Use Social Media to your advantage
Social media is a great tool to use when looking for potential link targets. Twitter hashtags such as #journorequest or #guestpost are great to look up – if you contact people who are actually interested in guest posts and request them, you are more likely to gain a good response.
Add a keyword that is relevant to your client to find the best results. For example, if you wanted to find a fashion blogger you could try combining #fashion with #guestpost for a more relevant list of results.
Get to the point
Get straight to the who, what, where, when and whys early on and dont stray too far off track. You are more likely to receive a response from a clear, short email than something wordy and time-consuming, especially when contacting busy people.
End with a question
All too often outreach emails are one way – its all about what the outreacher wants and not necessarily what the blogger wants. Ending emails in a question such as, “What do you think?” or “Do you have any suggestions?” will help the bloggers to feel valued and give them the nudge they need to get back to you and share their opinion. After all, modern Content and Online PR should benefit both parties.
Insights
