Yesterday in Exploring Social Media: The Power of the Link Needs Content, I introduced the most powerful social media tool in the world, the link, and explained that unless you have make the link direct people to valuable and useful content, you are shooting blanks. The link makes a lot of noise with nothing to show for it.
The impact of linking to yourself is magnified in value. When you email or publish a link to something you wrote, recommending it, you are telling the world:
- I know that which I write about.
- I am an expert in the subject.
- I have the experience to back up what I’m writing.
- This is the best I can do.
Do your links qualify?
When you contact a blogger or anyone to encourage them to link to you, do you keep these things in mind? Are you offering your best work? Does your blog or social media tool show the world you are an expert in this?
If you have the proof behind your link, then maybe your failure is in the presentation of that link, especially when directed towards bloggers, the most capable of spreading the word far and wide about you and your blog.
How to Contact a Blogger to Get Them to Link to You
I’m tired of getting the usual boring spiel request through my email and blog posts:
I’m a big fan and want to thank you for all you contribute. You’ve helped me so much. I’ve written an article I believe would be interesting to your readers. You can read it here. Let me know what you think.
I’ve written a lot on how to contact bloggers, as have others on the Blog Herald. Leaving a comment in their blog is one way. However, this method also comes with rules.
If you want to recommend a blog post you’ve written, or offer to guest blog on a blog, and choose to leave a comment on their blog to initiate the process:
- Post the comment on their Contact Page or through their Contact Form.
- If you choose to leave the comment on a blog post, make sure the post subject is relative to the comment and post recommendation. Match subject with subject.
- Include a link to the post article in a HTML Anchor tag, not a link dump.
- Keep it short.
- Edit your comment thoroughly to ensure it speaks well for you and your linking content.
- Do not include signature and many other links in the comment as more than one or two often end up in moderation or comment spam queues, not a good first impression.
- Ensure you have the reputation and experience visually in evidence on your blog or linked source.
- Do not expect a response, and you might get one.
Make a Link Recommendation Part of the Conversation
In general, a comment like the one above is boring, straight from the “How to Write a Proper Query Letter for Bloggers 101” class. Bloggers tend to be creative and imaginative people, so they like creative and imaginative people and methodology.
A more creative way of catching the attention of the blogger might have been:
While I agree with you and much of what your readers are saying, I see this from a different angle, which I’ve covered in “This Article Title”. I think that X, Y, and Z are important points, but have you considered A, B, and C?
Thanks for inspiring that post. You’ve got me thinking!
Make the link natural to the process of leaving a comment. This will integrate the conversation, and your blog post, into the conversation. By directing it to the blogger specifically within the comment box, you disengage from the group. The blogger might click through the link and read your post, but readers have a different interpretation between the two requests, don’t they?
When you comment within the comment box, you have two audiences: the blogger and fellow readers. Ensure you serve them both.
You Never Know Who is Watching
While fixing his blog’s design recently, NctrnlBst of Baker’s Hours made a small mistake in the code and his site displayed an error to everyone visiting. Within a few minutes, he was besieged by emails and Twitter reports of his site’s error.
He told me that he was stunned that so many people were paying attention. His site is new, but has been getting a lot of attention for his intriguing writing style and expertise as a master chef. “I’d better get busy blogging!”
Every link that links to your blog or social media tool isn’t seen by one. It is seen by many, and many look. Some look and leave. Some look and come back for more, often bringing their friends. Ensure you have the best quality content and a reason for people to come back for more.
Your links are your most powerful tool in the world of social media tools. Link well, and have something of value behind the link. The world is watching your links.
Exploring Social Media Series
- Define Social Media
- Exploring Social Media Series
- Exploring Social Media: Social Media Tools
- Exploring Social Media: It Starts With One
- Exploring Social Media: Start With the Basics
- Exploring Social Media: One Size Does Not Fit All
- Exploring Social Media: The Motrin Moment Impact of Social Media
- Exploring Social Media: Social Means Personal
- Exploring Social Media: Do You Know How to Use the Social Web?
- Exploring Social Media: Establishing Your Online Credentials
- Exploring Social Media: Learning About Social at the Goodwill Outlet
- Exploring Social Media: The Power of the Link Needs Content
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