Getting noticed online, whether as a blogger or promoting a product, is difficult. Many business owners focus their time on creating quality blog posts, exceptional videos, or premium products, only to see them go largely unnoticed compared to their competitors. The issue is often not with the quality of the output, though, but more about standing out from the crowd.
While there are many promotional opportunities available, blogger outreach is one of the quickest ways to make an impact, with your brand being associated with an established influencer. Blogger outreach involves finding influential bloggers in your niche, building a relationship, and getting them to promote you in one of a number of ways. Of course, you will need to offer some value to any influencer, but that is part of the blogger outreach process.
How Do You Get Attention?
Directly emailing a site owner with a request is an option, but it will probably be more effective if you can build some initial trust. Sharing content or contributing to a conversation can produce positive results, with more influencers monitoring these factors than might be expected. Comment underneath blog posts and share posts on social media, but try to add something valuable that stands out from the generic comments. If you notice any site errors, message the owner to let them know, though avoid focusing on anything too trivial. Finally, a direct compliment can be enough to break the ice, so look for an opportunity to praise something of great value.
What Can You Gain?
Getting the attention of a blogger is an important step, but you must have a goal in mind. A product owner, for example, might be looking for a review, whereas a blogger might be looking for a guest posting opportunity. In many cases, you might just want a backlink for SEO purposes, but there are more specific examples, such as an interview for a video or podcast, a testimonial, or a social media share. Have a clear idea of what you are looking for, but also consider you might be able to build a mutually beneficial relationship that offers multiple promotional angles.
What Are the Next Steps?
In most cases, blogger outreach shouldn’t be treated as a single transaction. There is an initial effort required to start a relationship, so it is wise to try and continue this work. There are only a limited number of influencers in each niche, making it important to cultivate strong ties. Look to continue the process you began, including contributing to blog comments, sharing content on social media, and adding to the industry conversation. You should certainly benefit from further promotion, but you may also find a joint venture partner that adds a whole new layer to your business.
Blogger outreach is a simple process, but you need to be able to offer something of quality to the influencer. In many cases, this process is a quick way to gain recognition in your niche, allowing you to avoid months of traditional promotion and advertising. To make outreach work, though, you cannot be offering the same as the countless other writers and product owners looking for promotion. Over time, the connections you make with this strategy will help you gain a firm foothold among the established names in your niche.