One of the quickest ways to build business clout and brand awareness today is by leveraging bloggers. Long-form content has been one of the best drivers of engagement across any industry.
With the increasing demand for blogs, it makes sense for businesses to reach out to professional bloggers in the niche.
And this is just what a blogger outreach process does!
An outreach program not only helps you identify the best bloggers related to your niche but also helps you connect with them. It can lead to highly productive and engaging collaborations, which catapult your brand to the next level.
With that out of the way, don't you want to know how to get started with this?
Here’s How To Do it Effectively:
First, we need to identify the prime bloggers in your niche and how they can help your business. Trying to do this alone, without help, in a sea of bloggers can be near impossible. But do not worry; there is a solution.
1.1 Use Tools - Several tools can help you get the right blogger for your business. Some blogger outreach tools like BuzzSumo and NinjaOutreach can connect you with bloggers according to specific criteria you've set.
1.2 Evaluate Blogger Metrics - No method tells the story of a blogger quite like hard numbers! Evaluate various bloggers' metrics, including domain authority, page authority, followers, and engagement. Social media platforms also offer a bird's eye view of bloggers and their audience interactions.
As someone reaching out to another person, we first need to separate, communicate, and connect. Just communicating with someone without intent or authenticity rarely gets the desired results. You need to connect with them; let's see how.
2.1 Engage With Bloggers - One of the first things you should do is engage with them on their platform, most likely through blog or social media comments. Share their content with your audience and create comment threads that elicit genuine discussion rather than just limited observations.
2.2 Add value to their Blog - Adding additional insights or a different perspective is a great way to get more user traction. A collaboration opportunity related to the topic they wrote about is a great way to get the ball rolling.
2.3 Personalize Your Outreach - Use personalized information when you write them an email, like their recent blog or discussion they had. Something that is a definite negative is using a salutation without addressing them by name.
Crafting a compelling outreach pitch is the difference between getting a productive blogger to work with you and being ignored. Creating a great outreach pitch is an art in itself. It has several important components.
3.1 Offer Mutual Benefit - The first question you should ask yourself is, "What is in this for them?". You must highlight what you can offer them. This could be anything from monetary to a more business-related proposition. Ensure that you've done your research about them before making the offer!
3.2 Send Personalized Pitch - The thing most people get wrong with the pitch is that it is almost always too long. Be concise and to the point with pitches; not everyone has the luxury of time. Focus on their needs and interests and always include a clear, bolded CTA they can't miss.
Any collaboration involving another party needs to be handled fairly. Remember that it's not just about your business but about offering them something they want.
4.1 Write Exclusive Content - Keep your outbound content high-quality and unique to their blog. Completely avoid sending your older posts to be reuploaded to their website. Don't reuse earlier articles without taking the time to tailor them to their style of posting.
4.2 Offer Your Products For Free - Sending them free product samples can give them valuable insights about your brand, which they can share. Always push for honest feedback on your product - never try to control the narrative.
4.3 Give Affiliate Commissions - Another proven way to attract more bloggers is by offering them codes and affiliate commissions. Bloggers can share this with their readers, ensuring even more people are interested in your business.
Have you heard of the proverb, "Don't put all your eggs into one basket!"? There are a wide array of different ways to connect. Here's a few of them -
5.1 Guest Blogging - Pitching to write a guest blog on their page or website is always a great option. They get informative and engaging content just for the cost of a link to your bio.
5.2 Product Reviews - One of the more popular methods of generating buzz for your business is to ask them to review your products. Ensure that you don't force your views on the review so it can be as authentic as possible.
5.3 Sponsored Posts - Sponsored posts are a more direct way to take control of your brand message. Take care that the content aligns with their content style and delivery.
5.4 Influencer Collaborations - Partnering with influencers in your niche is a great way to get the word about your business. A well-thought-out partnership ensures you get new leads for your business.
Many people make the mistake of not accurately measuring their progress with blog outreach.
6.1 Backlink Checker Tools - Leverage powerful tools that can help monitor and audit your backlink profile. Ahrefs, Backlinko, and SEMrush offer powerful modules to help you with this. They can also give you insights into new and relevant backlinking opportunities for your business.
6.2 Measure Traffic - Website traffic is an important metric that reflects the health of your website. Many tools can help you measure traffic and determine user behavior, but none is more popular than Google Analytics.
When connecting with bloggers, it's important to approach it from an organic perspective. Commenting or posting on their platform just to be noticed will not do any favors for you.
7.1 Continue Engaging - Ensure you regularly interact with them and their readers. Sharing new content from their feed to yours also helps. It pays to stay in their line of vision for future collaborations.
7.2 Offer Your New Products - Along with updates on your brand, sharing new products and exclusive discounts for them and their followers is a great way to build rapport.
● Research for the right bloggers using proven tools like BuzzSumo and Ahrefs.
● Engage with bloggers on their sites and socials to build conversations around your brand.
● Customize your outbound communication to indicate a genuine interest in their work.
● Create content collateral that has value for different demographics.
● Pitch for collaborations, but ensure that you also have their interests at the top of your priorities.
● Follow up regularly to ensure the partnership lasts long and open possibilities for future opportunities.
● Track metrics and results using tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush.
● Adapt your outreach strategies based on your industry and current goals.