Cold emailing prospective link partners can be one of the most effective and frustrating parts of the entire link building process. Many times your emails are ignored or looked at as spam. There are a few things you can do to improve your response and acquisition rate – as well as stand out from the crowd
1. Address them personally
Don’t just send the same email to every prospective link partner. That is a sure fire way to get ignored. Your emails should be personal – addressing the contact by name if it is known, as well as the sites name – preferably in a way that would differentiate you from something a automated program could do. For example, if a company’s url is http://zoomadirect.com but they go by “Zooma” – address them in the proper name format, rather than by url. Most automated programs can’t do this, and referencing a company by their name can make a big difference.
2. Mention something you liked or noticed about the company
If you are reaching out to a blog try to comment on a recent post. For businesses, mention a particular product or service that you find unique or exceptional. This makes you more relatable and gives you more credibility.
3. Email Immediately
When you stumble upon a qualified link partner – instead of adding the list to your spreadsheet and moving on, instead add it to your spreadsheet and send an email immediately. The site will still be fresh in your mind that way. It will be simpler to write a personalized proposal and will be more effective, every time.
4. Give them something first
Link to them first. For certain high authority link prospects it can be the ace up your sleeve. Link to them in a blog post or social media site – by giving them something first they will be extremely more likely to 1) read and respond to your request & 2) link back to you! *Note – linking out has also been known to help your own rankings.
5. Don’t give up, follow up!
Do not just send one request, wait for a response, and move on when you do not receive one. Many businesses are busy and can often overlook or simply forget to respond to your email. Wait 3-7 days and write a simple follow up. This not only shows that you were sincere with your request, but that you truly value what you are asking for. It’s what sets apart the amateurs from the professionals. If you still do not get a response, its time to move on. UNLESS…it’s a very high authority site within your niche – then it might not be a bad idea to give them a call or send a hand written letter. I could go into more details of how to secure links with letters and other “unique” methods – but this article deals with email outreach, so I’ll save them for later.
*Bonus Tip
In my own experiences I have seen that identifying a specific page or location on a prospects site where you are asking they link to you can improve results considerably.
Whether you are asking for a resource link, reciprocal link, editorial link, guest post pitch, or any other kind of mention – these tips can be applied. Now its time to stop reading, get out there and start building your links!
This is a guest post by Wise, who does online marketing for Expressionables.com – A family of boutique sites that specializes in personalized products of all kinds, from Customer Appreciation Programs to Custom Wrapping Paper.
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