Blogger Outreach: The Ultimate Guide to Building Relationships and Driving Results
Blogger outreach is one of the most powerful strategies for growing your online presence and expanding your reach. When done right, it allows you to tap into existing audiences, build valuable relationships, and achieve impressive results for your business or brand.
At IncRev, we’ve used blogger outreach to dramatically increase traffic, backlinks, and brand awareness for our clients. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll share our proven process for effective blogger outreach that gets real results.
Why Blogger Outreach Matters
Before diving into the how-to, let’s quickly cover why blogger outreach should be a key part of your digital strategy:
- Expanded reach: Tap into established audiences in your niche
- Increased traffic: Drive targeted visitors to your site
- Improved SEO: Earn high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites
- Enhanced credibility: Build relationships with influencers in your industry
- Brand awareness: Get your brand in front of new potential customers
When executed strategically, blogger outreach is one of the highest ROI activities you can invest in. Let’s look at how to do it right.
Step 1: Find Relevant Bloggers to Target
The first step is identifying bloggers and influencers in your niche to potentially connect with. Here are some of the best ways to build your list:
Use Blog Directories
Blog directories like AllTop provide curated lists of top blogs across various categories. This is a great starting point to find influential sites in your industry.
Leverage Google Search
Use Google to search for relevant SEO keywords and topics in your niche. Look for blogs that consistently rank well for important terms. You can also use Google’s related searches feature to uncover more potential targets.
Tap Into BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo allows you to find the most shared content and influencers around any topic. Search for broad keywords related to your niche to discover potential outreach targets.
Explore “Best of” Lists
Search for things like “best [your niche] blogs” or “top [your industry] influencers” to find curated lists of leading voices in your space.
Step 2: Research and Prioritize Your List
Once you have a solid list of potential bloggers, it’s time to research and prioritize them. We recommend creating a spreadsheet with the following fields:
- Blog name
- Website URL
- Key contact name
- Social media follower counts
- Domain Authority
- Estimated monthly traffic
- Engagement metrics (comments, shares)
- Relevance to your niche (1-10 scale)
Use tools like Moz, Ahrefs, and SEMrush to gather data on SEO metrics and traffic estimates.
Once you’ve collected this data, segment your list into three tiers:
- Tier 1: The biggest influencers and most authoritative sites
- Tier 2: Mid-level bloggers with solid influence and engagement
- Tier 3: Smaller bloggers and up-and-coming influencers
This tiering will help you prioritize your outreach efforts and tailor your approach.
Step 3: Warm Up Your Targets
Before reaching out cold, it’s important to warm up your outreach targets. This increases the chances they’ll be receptive to your pitch. Some effective ways to do this include:
- Following them on social media
- Regularly engaging with their content (likes, shares, thoughtful comments)
- Linking to their content from your own site
- Mentioning them in your content
Aim to consistently engage for at least 2-4 weeks before making your pitch. This shows you’re genuinely interested in their work, not just looking for a quick win.
Step 4: Craft Your Outreach Message
When it’s time to reach out, your message needs to be carefully crafted to maximize your chances of success. Here are some key principles to follow:
Personalize Your Message
Generic templates are a fast track to the trash folder. Take time to personalize your outreach with specific references to the blogger’s work.
Lead With Value
Focus on what’s in it for them, not just what you want. How will collaborating benefit their audience or business?
Be Concise
Respect their time by keeping your message brief and to the point. Aim for 150 words or less.
Have a Clear Call-to-Action
What specific next step are you asking for? Make it clear and easy to say yes to.
Sample Outreach Template
Here’s a basic template you can customize:
Hi [Name],
I’m a big fan of your work, especially your recent post on [specific topic]. The point you made about [key takeaway] really resonated with me.
I actually just published a comprehensive guide on [related topic] that I think would be valuable for your audience. It includes [key unique elements].
I’d love to get your thoughts on it. Would you be open to taking a quick look? I’d be happy to [offer some value in return].
Thanks for your time,
[Your Name]
Step 5: Follow Up Strategically
Don’t expect immediate responses from everyone. Many busy bloggers and influencers need a gentle nudge. Here are some follow-up best practices:
- Wait at least 5-7 days before following up
- Keep your follow-up brief and polite
- Add additional value if possible (e.g. a relevant resource)
- Limit yourself to 2-3 follow-ups maximum
Step 6: Track and Optimize Your Outreach
To improve your outreach over time, it’s critical to track your results. Key metrics to monitor include:
- Response rate
- Conversion rate (pitches accepted)
- Traffic/links generated from successful outreach
Use this data to refine your approach, focusing on what works best for your specific niche and goals.
Conclusion: The Power of Strategic Outreach
Blogger outreach isn’t about spamming as many people as possible. It’s about building genuine relationships that provide mutual value. When done right, it’s one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing arsenal.
At IncRev, we’ve used these exact strategies to help our clients 10x their traffic and dramatically grow their online presence. If you’re looking to take your outreach to the next level, we’d love to help. Get in touch to learn how our proven outreach strategies can drive real results for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bloggers should I reach out to?
Quality matters more than quantity. Start with a targeted list of 20-30 bloggers and focus on building genuine relationships.
Is it okay to use email templates?
Templates can be a good starting point, but always heavily customize them for each recipient. Generic outreach rarely succeeds.
How long should I wait for a response before following up?
Give it at least 5-7 days before sending a follow-up. Many bloggers are inundated with emails and may need some time to respond.
What’s the best way to find contact information for bloggers?
Look for contact pages on their site first. If that fails, tools like Hunter.io can help you find email addresses. LinkedIn is also a good resource for making initial connections.
How can I measure the success of my outreach campaigns?
Track metrics like response rate, conversion rate (pitches accepted), and the tangible results generated (traffic, backlinks, etc.) from successful collaborations. Use this data to continually refine your approach.
