I’ve heard many people say guest posting is a waste of time because they’ve not been getting any results. And I tell them to check their strategy.
Here is how to do blogger outreach right and get a bang for your buck.
Start with the End in Mind
As George Harrison once said, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will lead you there. This is true when it comes to any kind of marketing.
Before you even set your funds aside, you need to decide what you’re looking to accomplish.
Your goals will determine the best influencers and bloggers for you to approach.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
One of the mistakes people make when running a blogger outreach campaign is focusing on quantity and ignoring quality.
As much as blogger outreach campaigns are a numbers game, most of your prospects won’t respond if you’re just sending generic emails.
When you’re sending massive emails, chances are you’ll not be able to personalize emails. But with a small group, you can study each one of them and know what their business is about. In this case, you’re likely to connect with them.
A good place to start in guest posting is with blogs that you enjoy reading because you understand them more.
Connect with Your Prospects and build a Relationship with Them
While it’s still possible to get a positive response from a cold email, it’s essential to connect with the influencer with a blogger or influencer before you reach out.
There are a few things you can do to create a relationship with a blogger. Some ideas include:
- Comment on their blog post: Ensure the comment adds to the point they’re making, and it makes sense to their readers. If you can’t get something meaningful to say, it’s best to skip commenting on the post.
- Share their content: While you may not have a huge following like them, sharing their content can still be helpful.
- Rating and reviewing their podcasts: This helps in ranking the blogger’s content, and it’s another good way to get noticed. It shows you’re interested in their content, and it will be easy for you to convince them to give you a guest posting opportunity.
- Review their books on Amazon: Rating and reviewing a blogger’s book shows you’ve read a huge chunk of their work, and it also helps their work.
- Offer them a testimonial: If you’ve used one of their products or bought their course, reach out and offer them a testimonial.
This stage is very crucial for your pitching process.
Ensure your Offer is Irresistible
To get a blogger’s attention, you’ve got to prepare something that makes sense to their audience.
It’s a no-brainer that if you’re pitching a blog post on ‘How to Get My Ex Back’ to a digital marketing firm, you won’t get a response.
Go through their current blog posts and find a topic that is in that line.
But even with a relevant topic, you need to consider the size of the website. For instance, pitching an idea on an introduction to SEO wouldn’t help Ahrefs but would work well for a new SEO blog.
Don’t Offer Money to the Blogger
Unless a blogger accepts sponsored posts, which is normal for many industries, offering money is a red flag and tacky.
For example, you shouldn’t offer money for a backlink. Google guidelines are against paying for a link unless it’s a no-follow link.
Be Precise in Your Email
The blogger is probably receiving multiple emails besides yours – from their email subscription, other people seeking guest posting opportunities, etc.
Therefore, you have to make your email worth the blogger’s time. Here are some ideas on how to make your email appealing.
Have a great email line. In this case, a great subject line would be ‘Guest Posting Request: Ten Ways to Save Money During COVID.’ It states what you want and what you have in mind.
Make your request early in the email. If you start with an intelligent subject line, it’s a good idea to let the blogger know why you’d be a good match for her blog.
Keep it short. If you write a long novel, chances are they’ll be bored or not have time to read to the end. Take your time in crafting your email – ensure it’s sweet and brief.
Avoid making demanding requests such as, ‘Please let’s meet for drinks,’ or ‘Please go through my blogs.’
These are the things you ask after nurturing the relationship.
Offer Alternatives
Even after giving the blogger great topics, it’s good to show them you’re flexible. Let them know that if they don’t think the topic is fit, you’re open to suggestions. Sometimes they may have other urgent issues that they’d love you to work on.
Be Patient and Accept the Response
If the blogger doesn’t respond in one or two days, don’t send a follow-up immediately. Keep in mind that they’re busy people with multiple things that they have to take care of. Give them at least five days before sending a follow-up email.
If they respond with a no, accept, and wait until you have another brilliant idea to pitch them.
Too much nagging could destroy any chances you ever had of collaborating with the blogger.
Outsource Your Blogger Outreach Campaign
There is a lot of effort that goes into successful blogger outreach campaigns. And as a business owner, you may not have the time or patience to meet all requirements. In such cases, it’s best to seek the help of a blogger outreach service. They have time and resources and have a higher chance of getting results.
The companies have been in the industry for a long time and have formed great relationships with many bloggers. Therefore, it may be easier for them to land a guest posting opportunity than you.
How to Do Blogger Outreach (Final Words)
Guest posting is one of the greatest marketing methods. But for it to work, it has to be well-calculated.
In short, ensure you pitch to the right bloggers, have something that the bloggers want, and be patient as you wait for the response.
If you have no idea where to start, contact us, and we will be more than happy to have you on our team.
