Key to Success:

• They are already aware of your brand, so you’ll have a higher closing rate using this method. Though the tactic works best for brands who have already established themselves as an authority in their space.

.EDU LINK OUTREACH

.EDU RESOURCE LINK BUILDING

Outreach Template #1:

Subject: RE: [Topic] Resources

Hi [First Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I’ve been doing research on [Specific Topic] and some of the resources you’ve listed on your academic resources for [Topic Area] have been very useful to a project I’m working on:

[insert URL of their academic resource page]

Thank you, they have been really valuable for my research.

I also wanted to ask if you are still updating that page. I would like to report a few broken links and also suggest additional resources.

Thanks, [First Name]

[Your name]

Outreach Template #2:

Subject: Have a library question

Hi Ms./Mr. [Last Name]

I came across your academic resources page about [Topic] – [insert URL of .edu resource page] and I really find it helpful! I was working on a research for our [Subject] 101 class and I’m putting up a list of [Topic] guides and resources that college students can use. Your page was really handy, particularly [mention a specific content section from their resources page].

I also found a lot of good resources; I was wondering if you’d be able to update your list of resources? These are in-depth guides that I’m sure everyone will find useful, too.

Here’s what I found:

1. [Title of Suggested Content 1] – [insert URL of content 1] – [brief summary and description of content]
2. [Title of Suggested Content 2] – [insert URL of content 2] – [brief summary and description of content]
3. [Title of Suggested Content 3] – [insert URL of content 3] – [brief summary and description of content]

I hope it makes a great addition to your resources page.

Either way, keep up the great work!

Cheers,

 [Your name]

Keys to Success:

• Only pitch highly educational content from your site/clients. Also, see the pages they’re already linking to – to have an idea of what sorts of content and information they like using as references. Make sure that your content can match up to the resources that these pages are already linking to (improve your content if necessary).
• Suggest other valuable resources on the topic (other than yours) that will also be useful to their students (particularly those that they haven’t linked out to yet).

INFLUENCER MARKETING

Outreach Template:

for Initial contact:

Here’s a good template that Aaron Agius and his team at LouderOnline use when reaching out to influencers:

Subject:  Hey [name] – I want to pick your brain for a project

Hi [name],

My name is [Your name] from [company]. I’ve been following your blog since 2013.

Your recent post [blog topic] really resonated with me. I thought it was something my audience would appreciate, so I shared it with my social media and email subscribers.

I wanted to get in touch with you to discuss [topic] further, and see if we can work on something similar together.

If you’re interested we can set up a phone call this week to discuss starting a collaboration that would bring value to both our audiences.

Best,

[Your name]

Outreach Template:

for Curation, Expert Round Ups, and Interviews:

Subject: Interview request for [Full Name]

Hey [First Name],

I’m [Your name] from [Your Company].

I’m working on an article about [Topic] that’s scheduled to go live in a couple of weeks, and I just thought that you’re one of the best people in the industry to get some insights from.

Just wanted to know your personal take on this question:

[Interview Question(s)]

Thanks for your time, [First Name]. It would really be great if you can share your expertise on this – I’m sure it will be valuable to a lot of [target audience].

All the best,

[Your name]

Outreach Template:

for Influencer Mention:

Subject: We’ve featured [Site Name] on our article

Hey [First Name],

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve mentioned your article about [Topic] in my recent post: [insert link to your post]

Your work was really worth sharing to my audience. I would also love to know what you think about it, if ever you have time.

Thanks, [First Name]

[Your name]

Keys to Success:

• Familiarity with your brand. Engaging them on social media or within their own community before actually reaching out to them directly should help get your email noticed. • The content where you have featured them has a unique angle/story (different from what they are usually mentioned in) and genuinely provides value in your community.
• Being clear on the actual value they’ll get in working with you.

EMAIL OUTREACH TIPS:

PERSONALIZE

• Always use your prospects’ name and their website’s name when contacting them.
• Stalk you’re A-list prospects’ twitter feed, personal site or any social media accounts to help you come up with something more personal that you can mention on your email.
• Include memes within your outreach copy that are related to their personal hobbies and interests (if necessary).
• Show your personality on your outreach emails (and customize your templates to reflect your personality – great tip from Sujan Deswal)

WRITE BETTER COPIES

• Mention their name or their website’s name on the subject line to improve open rates.
• Subject should also be able to summarize what your email is about. Get the message across from the get go.
• Write the email body in a scannable format. Clean and concise.
• Write shorter emails for initial contact, because they tend to get better response rates (as you can always send a more thorough email once you get a response from them).
• Always double check your copy before sending – be specifically attentive with your copies’ grammar. As Julia Ogden points out, “if you can’t spell in your email, you can’t spell in your guest posts”.

Recommended Reading: 10 ways to write better emails.

BUILD FAMILIARITY

• Build rapport with your prospects (especially people on your priority list) through other channels (social media, community sites where they are active or leaving comments on their blogs), before reaching out through email.
• Mention mutual connections, sites you’ve been published that they know of or how you’ve found them in your email.

TIMING

• Best times/days to send outreach emails: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings.
• Know your prospects’ time zones.
• If your offer/pitch is time-sensitive, let them know that it’s urgent (from the subject line).
• Send a follow up email after 2-3 days if you haven’t received any response.
• Use Boomerang for Gmail to schedule your outreach emails.

OFFER VALUE

• Always have a section where you can highlight the value they’ll get from your pitch. • Be genuinely generous. Give them ideas that they can pursue even without your help (even if that means not getting a link). Also, don’t just compliment their work, share it or link to them.

• Tell them how your credibility (as an expert), followers/readers/email subscribers, and social influence will matter to them.

BUILD CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Create a “write for us” page on your site, and optimize it for search – so you can attract active guest bloggers in your space. Negotiate linking opportunities for your brand as well through these incoming contacts (particularly those who write for other authority sites – ask to be introduced to sites they have been published).
• Connect with people in your space through HARO. Ask advice from industry experts within the platform and use it on your content initiatives (since most of the people you’ll get connected with are either marketing or PR specialists in your space). Build relationships with them, as you can eventually get linking opportunities from these people as well.

TRACK AND IMPROVE

• Use YesWare to track your emails open rates.
• Maintain relationships. Follow them on social networks or send them occasional emails (like random inspirational quotes while checking on them, sharing social trends or current events in your industry, etc…)
• Continuously test and improve your outreach copies.

Conclusion

Lastly, I would like to point out that Quality and Unique content with more traffic on the website can let people link back to your site through external linking/guest posting. High-quality backlinks should be your main code of conduct. Do follow backlinks for organic traffic and search engine optimization. Lastly, a Large number of marketers and business holders are amazed as to how to gain backlinks to their websites. Links between websites are viewed as votes of confidence, strength, and dignity.

However, by developing a solid link-building strategy, you can discern the strategies that are best suited to your website and resources, as well as map out definitely how you will gain a competitive advantage.

Enjoy your link-building efforts!