If you’re not targeting blogger relationships with an outreach list, you’re not getting the attention you need
Other bloggers are a huge resource, especially for new bloggers. They have the links, shares and guest posts you need to build traffic to your blog.
But how do you get their attention and their help?
More than a million new websites are created every month. How do you get existing blogs to notice yours, let alone want to help you out with a share, link or a guest post?
The answer is with a blogger outreach list and strategy.
What is a Blogger Outreach List?
A blogger outreach list is a spreadsheet with contacts and information on 50 to 500 bloggers in your topic. You use this list to organize and track your blogger contacts, build a relationship with each and turn that relationship into blogging success on both sides.
Your blogger outreach list should include the other blogger’s name, email, blog URL, niche topic, links to at least two social media profiles and pages, as well as notes on your contact with the blogger.
Why Do You Need a Blogger Outreach List?
Other bloggers are your best source for social sharing and links. They’re always looking for information to include in posts and to curate content to their readers. Why not get on their radar so your blog is the first they think about when looking for sources?
Bloggers are also an invaluable source for my favorite links, roundup posts. These are list posts a blogger writes where they get comments and quotes from other bloggers, providing a link to the quoted blogger. It takes just a few minutes to write up a good comment for a roundup post and it’s the easiest type of quality link you can get.
Those links and social shares add up to huge search traffic and visitors.
But none of it is possible if other bloggers don’t know you exist. Even if you’re in a blogger group on Facebook, it’s not likely other bloggers are going to recognize you from the thousands of others in the group.
You have to develop a relationship with each individual blogger, becoming a resource for them and convincing them to use you as a resource.
How to Put Together an Outreach List that will Boost Traffic
Putting together a quality blogger outreach list will take a couple of days but is worth everything you put in it. An effective outreach list will organize your promotion strategy to influential bloggers in your topic that can actually move the needle on your blog traffic.
- Start with bloggers you already know, not superstar bloggers you’ve heard of but other bloggers with which you’ve had contact over email or social media.
- Add any bloggers to your list that are active in FB groups or conferences. The ones active in groups are also likely to be the ones most willing to connect, team up and be a resource.
- Going to an annual blogger conference in your niche is a great way to meet other bloggers and become more than just a digital image.
- Do a Google search for keywords important to your blog and topic. Add the bloggers from the first 15 or so search results.
Your blogger outreach list doesn’t need to include thousands of names. A huge outreach list might be useful for bulk link-building but it’s not practical for blogger outreach.
Once you have all the names and blogs added to your list, use the MOZBar extension on Google Chrome or another internet tool to find the domain authority (DA) for each blog. Newer bloggers with a DA under 30 aren’t going to be as much help while superstar bloggers with a DA above 55 might not be willing to connect.
Complete your outreach list with links to social media profiles, email addresses and a column for notes.
You can’t just start spamming your outreach list with requests for links and shares. You have to develop a relationship first. Being a blogger resource is a two-way street. You have to show that you can be helpful first before the other blogger is going to offer anything.
- Start liking, sharing and commenting on their best posts. Engage with them through social media and on their blog.
- Ask questions through email, letting them know you respect their expertise in the topic and on blogging.
- Offer to connect them with representatives of your best affiliate programs or just suggest good programs that have worked for you.
- Suggest plugins or ideas that have worked well for your blog.
- Create a roundup post and ask them to contribute for a link.
The idea is to become a resource for this person. As is true in so many new friendships, sometimes you need to give before you get.
Not everyone on your blogger outreach list will be open to connecting or helping each other out. After a month or two of sharing and emails, you’ll see which bloggers return the favor. Don’t expect them to share or link to something of yours daily but you’ll will start to see other bloggers reciprocate your friendship. Remove the non-responsive bloggers from your list and add a few more names until you have an active list of blogging partners.