How to Use Influencer Outreach for Link Building

While influencer outreach sounds similar to guest post outreach, their strategies are not interchangeable. Besides the email structure, there are many unique parts of blogger outreach.

Influencer outreach surprisingly works well among various link-building methods that dropped in effectiveness. Doing it right boosts SEO even for newly created sites.

If you are building links for your website, you are probably trying many methods from the books. It should be apparent to you by now that link-building isn’t an easy task.

You are probably also thinking about guest blogging. In that case, influencer outreach should be another trick for you to try. The process is somewhat similar, except the results are different.

Today, we have explained an effective strategy for blogger outreach. Trust us; it is way less complex than you may think. The hardest part is to make your outreach email perfect.

Things You Should Know Before Influencer Outreach

When we said that influencer outreach helps new sites, too, it wasn’t just a simple statement. In fact, the process may help newer sites more than older ones. The reason lies in how it works.

Influencer outreach refers to contacting influencers within your niche so that they send backlinks to and share your content (and you help them, too, in different ways).

It is different from linkable asset building in one huge aspect. Linkable asset building involves making backlink-worthy content first before reaching out to sites for backlinks.

Meanwhile, for blogger outreach, you should contact the influencers before writing anything.

People usually will only collaborate with you, send backlinks, or share your posts if they feel like a part of it. What does that mean, you wonder?

While the blogger in question may be within your niche, they will still want to-

• Discuss the content’s topic or title before it is even created (It involves them giving ideas or collaborating throughout the whole thing).
• Give constructive criticisms or feedback on the ideas you may have come up with.
• Contribute to the making of the content.

If you already have blogs posted on your website, that is fine. However, if you suggest one of them to an influencer, the bloggers may-

• Not be interested or like the topic
• Not view things the way you do or not agree with your points
• Feel limited towards your perspective and not be able to give much opinion

When a blogger shares a post from someone else, their audience sees it as the blogger’s own opinion or statement. So, it is a very serious matter for them, and they don’t want to mess it up.

So, instead of convincing them to link to any existing content you own, try to convince them to collaborate with you in making one.

Newer sites have it easier since the owners can create something from scratch that the influencer will like. It is still possible for older sites with existing content to engage in blogger outreach, though.

Influencer Outreach- The Steps

Okay, now that we have covered the important topic, let’s discuss the steps you will take during an influencer outreach. This will give you a rough idea of the whole process.

The steps are as follows-

• Finding the right influencer within your niche and industry (prospecting)
• Sending them a personalized email (outreach)
• Following up

By the way, this is only the outreach part. The main process of writing the content, publishing it, etc., comes later.

Prospecting a List of Influencers or Bloggers for the Outreach

You can’t just choose anyone to work with; you need to find people who match certain criteria. Moreover, there are various ways to do it.

We also said in our link-prospecting strategy blog that you need to make a spreadsheet before prospecting to help you have a list. Make one in this case, too.

Afterward, start searching for potential influencers. The factors you must seek in them are-

• They must be within your niche or industry
• Their site or video must have a nice user interface
• They must routinely update their site’s blog or upload up-to-date videos on their channel.
• They should have enough audience or subscribers.

The last one isn’t as mandatory if all the previous ones check out. So, how can you find bloggers with the specifics we mentioned?

Simply make a Google search with your niche. So, if you are into the SEO industry, search with SEO or something similar. Check each site you see on the first 3-4 pages.

Also, another search on YouTube will be ideal, where you can check the videos that come on top.

Check their site or YouTube channel. If they meet all your criteria, add their name, site or channel URL, and email to your spreadsheet. Site owners often don’t reveal their email online.

In that case, you can try tools like Hunter. Type in the site’s URL and search, and the tool will display the emails connected to the domain.

Now, there is another important factor you must remember. While you should aim higher, it mustn’t be too high that your emails get ignored.

So, filter out big-profile corporations and go for only personal and lone bloggers or YouTubers. Of course, not every solo influencer will be easy to contact, either.

However, they will certainly be easier to convince than a big corporation. In most cases, if you try to reach a company for this, they will most likely not even check your email amidst all their spam mail.

However, in most cases, you won’t find big-name bloggers simply from your Google search. The search result often won’t tell the name of the author. So, checking each site is mandatory here.

When checking, you may see websites where a solo blogger has authored most (or all) of the blogs. Those are the best for you.

Solo influencers are easier to find on YouTube since you mostly come across them anyway.

You can also try another option to find these bloggers. Let’s discuss that in our next section.

Using the “Best Blog” in Your Search Query

When searching for the best bloggers, you can use ‘Best Blog’ or ‘Best Blogger’ in the search query. Trust us, it works wonders!

In most cases, you will find several blogs with suggestions about the best solo bloggers in the niche, including the best blogs you need to read. It will save you a lot of trouble from manual searching.

When searching, you can add the year, like ‘best (niche) bloggers in (year).’ This will allow you to find more up-to-date and popular bloggers.

You can also use Google search operators like Quotation Marks to pinpoint your results.

Using the Ahrefs Technique

Influencers within the same niche often collaborate between themselves. So, finding one of them can lead you to others of the same kind. Ahrefs can help you with this.

The process is simple-

• Go to Ahrefs and type in the influencer’s site in the bar.
• Check its backlink profile.
• Use the filter section to set ‘one link per domain.’
• Click on the ‘link type’ in the filter section and select ‘dofollow.’

Check out the list of sites that sent backlinks to the influencer with the dofollow command. Many of these can be worthy bloggers themselves, too. So, check each site one by one.

If there are too many results, check only the first 20 or so. Remember that you will probably do the same thing for all the other influencers you previously added to your spreadsheet.

Add any new blogger you find in this way to your spreadsheet.

As you can see, the process can be time-consuming and tiring. Of course, if you have SEO experts working for you, they may ask for a high fee.

The following video also talks about ways to find potential websites and influencers to reach out to, which you can try-

Pre-Outreach

You can perform some steps even before you start the official outreach, known as pre-outreach. The goal here is to make the targeted bloggers aware of your existence.

You can do it by commenting on their blog post, sharing their content, or talking in their site’s forum or threads. This video did a good job explaining pre-outreach, alongside some extra tips-

Reaching Out to the Influencers

What makes a perfect outreach email? Many SEO enthusiasts are still looking for the answer to that question. Instead, let’s focus on a suitable template before moving on to the case studies regarding this topic.

Unlike a guest blog outreach email, where you request them to accept your idea, a blogger outreach email will include you to persuade them to join your project in any way.

Obviously, they don’t have to create any part of the content for you (nobody will actually do that for free), but they can give you ideas in the reply email.

So, the email should include the following-

Subject and Introduction

Subject: Quick question about (topic or idea)Or,Seeking feedback on (topic or idea)Greetings, (Name) [Use their original name instead of honorifics]A one-liner introduction includes your name, profession, and website or company name. For example-I am Mushfiq, an SEO expert and the founder of RankPa.

Your Idea, Topic, or Project

Include one line mentioning that you are up to the topic or idea you came up with. So, it can be like-

I am planning to create/put up (the idea [for example- A writing piece about blogger outreach]), and I wanted your perspective on a certain question.

Your Question or Confusion

Ask your question or request afterward. It can be like-

The question is- (question)  [Example- Is a personalized email better than a template for influencer outreach?].Or,I would love to hear your opinion on different methods of finding bloggers for collaboration.

What You Want from Them

Your following line can be an acknowledgment of their busy schedule while adding that a short reply is okay. Add another line about what you expect from them.

Make sure to keep it formal and request-like.

I know your schedule is mostly full, so a short reply is more than okay (How about 100 words?).I would be delighted if you added stats, analytics, examples, pictures, etc., in your answer, but consider it only if you wish to.

Now, here is something. You may instead want to hear their review after you post the content. After all, that is also another way of joining the project. In that case, you can write-

I hope you will be kind enough to give your feedback on the matter once the content is live. How about I send you a link to my post?I know your schedule is mostly full. Hence, a short review would be more than okay.

The Closing Part

Add a line about how their suggestion will greatly help your current and future projects. Next, mention what you will do for them (sending backlinks and shoutouts).

Your suggestions would greatly help me remove my confusion on the matter (Or- enrich my knowledge on the topic).There will obviously be a link to your site and Twitter/LinkedIn profile in the content.Thanks for checking my email.(Your name)

P.S. Line

If other big-name bloggers have already contacted you, use that opportunity to mention it in your email. Most bloggers will be more interested if they find other popular bloggers joining.

The line can be like-

P.S. Also, I’ve previously received responses from (names). I hope you’ll join in, too.

After the Post Is Live

Remember to send another email after the post is live. It is all the more important if the blogger replies to your initial email. In this email, you must send them a link to your post.

The mail can be like the following-

Subject: It’s complete! (Or, We are live/ The content is published)Hey, (name).Let me inform you that our (topic/idea) post is out![URL of the post]

In the next section, include that you would want them to share your post with their audience in a polite and request-like manner. It should be something like-

I wholeheartedly appreciate your contribution to the making of this content. It means a lot! Perchance this content may provide any value to your site or audience in your opinion, we would love for you to share it.If you believe the post will help your audience learn something new, it would be great news for us if you talk about it in your blog.Afterward, mention your willingness to work with them in the future.If you want me to write something for you, feel free to let me know.Or,I would love to have your guidance/aid again in the future.Thanks again![Your name]

Blogger Outreach Email for Existing Content

Okay, we have discussed the outreach email when you haven’t created the content in question yet. However, what if you already did and want them to share or mention it in their blogs?

In this case, the email should be different. For example-

Subject and Introduction

Subject: Sharing My New Content on (Title/Topic)

Then, add the introduction like before.

Main Body

Unlike before, you will now want to get their attention on your existing content and request feedback. Later, you may edit your post slightly based on their feedback. It will make them feel involved.

When I was composing a (blog/feature/guide/infographics) about (topic) and looking for more information, I came across a very informative article by you. (URL)It was a good read!Your content helped me see some points from a new perspective. Since you also love to talk and write about (topic), I thought you might also like my [blog/feature/guide….].Let me know if you are considering checking out my piece.Thanks again for your wonderful article,(Your name)

Notice how it includes that their article helped you get some new perspectives?

It is an effective method for making them feel like they also contributed to your content (without actually directly doing so). Also, don’t ask for any feedback on this initial email.

P.S. Line

Again, if you have had any help from other bloggers during the creation of the content or received their feedback after it’s live, mention that in the P.S. line.

After They Reply ‘Yes’

Let’s say they replied positively. Congratulations! On to the next email-

Subject: Awesome!Thank you for showing interest.Here is the link to my [blog/feature….]: URLNow is high time you ask for their feedback or request them to share your post on their site.A short feedback from you would be appreciated. Also, let me know if you find it suitable to share on your site.Next, show your willingness to modify your content or add some extra words to their post as necessary to make it work for both.For a Blog: I’d love to add extra words to your piece (URL) related to my post since their topics are connected.For an Infographic: I’d love to add a small blog post to the content to describe everything in the infographics for both of our audiences.Have a great day.(Your name)

Remember that the small guest post implies only a piece with around 200-500 words suitable for the infographics. The same goes for the extra words you would add to their blog.

Now, note that the exemplary emails we’ve given so far should only be taken as a generic example. We highly recommend against copy-pasting them.

Using the same email everywhere isn’t the right strategy. Also, creating bespoke emails yourself is always better than copy-pasting online templates.

While you may have so many bloggers to contact, using the same generic email template for everyone will mostly result in your email being ignored or even deleted. What’s the solution?

The following Ahrefs video by Sam Oh mentions some ways you can deal with this issue-

Following Up

A follow-up is only viable after at least a 3-5 day delay from your initial mail without any reply from the blogger.

Busy individuals often see your email and decide to check it later by adding it to their schedule. Other times, they may forget about it or not even check their email (the latter being the majority).

Don’t expect a quick reply here. If it is more than three days after your initial email, they probably didn’t check their mail at all. In that case, you can try resending your previous mail.

However, if you feel there is a chance they did check your email but forgot to reply, you can alter your first email a bit. Make it more like a ‘checking in.’

Tools You Can Use for Influencer Outreach

There are tools like MailShake or Ninja Outreach, especially for link-building outreach. Make no mistake; they won’t create bespoke emails or pitches based on your target site or blogger.

Instead, they will help you with some features. For example, you can schedule your follow-up using MailShake beforehand, which will automatically be sent to them.

It will also inform you when someone opens or responds to your email. You can reply to the blogger on the platform itself. The issue is that this tool is mainly for sending mass cold emails.

Cold emails aren’t always the best for your outreach campaign. So, at least, make the template yourself based on your niche or industry.

Meanwhile, Ninja Outreach is an even more expensive tool with advanced features and many automation systems.

Using tools can become necessary, considering how many people you may need to reach.

When to Start Writing Your Piece

You probably noticed that the time it takes from the initial mailing to the follow-up, and afterward, can take around a week. The thing is, some people only check their email weekly.

Others do it once a couple of weeks. As such, running the whole outreach process for each article for around two weeks before you start writing your blog is best.

Of course, this is only viable if you don’t already have your content live.

An Interesting Case Study about the Timing of Outreach

When looking for information, we found exciting information about outreach timing. The timing of your email doesn’t matter in most cases since different bloggers live in different time zones.

However, there can still be particular times for specific niches where the bloggers are more active. According to Moz Statistics, most sports bloggers respond to emails in the late evening.

While you may not find the exact data for your own niche, getting replies from bloggers within your industry multiple times may give you a rough idea.

You can later use that info on your future outreach projects. 

Keeping a Balance

Note that you may often have to add around 100-200 potential sites to your spreadsheet for the outreach. More than half of them won’t even check your email, which still leaves a lot.

A blog’s standard number of backlinks is not a definitive number. It depends on your content’s niche, topic, and type. Too many links can make Google suspect it’s spam.

The following video shows how you can find the correct number of internal and external links for a blog post on your site-

Should you ask for a backlink from all your hundreds of bloggers? Not really.

In the email (after the post is live) template we added above, there was a section where you requested they share your blog. Here, you can remove that part and ask for their feedback instead.

The same goes for outbound links. Add only about 5 outbound links per 1000 words. So, what about the promise to all the bloggers about adding their site’s link to your post?

Well, you can certainly do that to around 50 bloggers (the best ones) on your list. For the rest, tell them that you would be happy to credit them for their contribution in the credit section.

Refrain from sending cold emails. Bloggers online are already often skeptical about guest blogging requests they receive all the time. Many are spamming it for building links, after all.

So, keep your email heartfelt, bespoke, and personalized as possible.

The Moz Statistics we mentioned before also discussed how bespoke outreach works better than personalized ones. Sadly, the former is more costly, effort-consuming, and time-consuming.

Image Credit: Moz

Use whichever works best for you at the time.