Blogger outreach Q&A – What is outreach and why should I be using it?

Apr 28th, 2014

Blogger outreach. It helps to create a buzz around your brand, turn website visitors into customers and boost your online revenue. We  checked in with our talented team of outreach experts to get the lowdown on what blogger outreach is, how it can help your brand’s online presence and why it has taken the digital world by storm…


In a couple of sentences, what is outreach?

Outreach is exactly what the name implies: reaching out. It involves reaching out to relevant bloggers and providing them with well-written, high-quality content.


What are the main benefits of outreach?

There are benefits for both parties; the blogger receives high quality content which can be bespoke to their needs and to their audience’s needs.  For the client, the exchange of content  helps to boost their brand awareness and rank higher in search engine results pages.


What do you think is the best way to approach bloggers as part of a blogger outreach program?

Having a genuine interest in the bloggers we approach is an important part of our outreaching process.  It is important that we enjoy and engage with both the content we share and the blog we’re approaching, as well as its relevance to our client’s vision and product range. We strive to build a relationship with our bloggers; we do not view the process as a simple one-time exchange.


How do you identify the most appropriate content for your client’s outreach strategy?

This is definitely something that is decided for each client on a per-client basis, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. When formulating the strategy, we liaise with the content team and begin by considering past successful strategies they’ve taken and where improvements can be made to achieve their goals. We also look at the client’s industry and what might be the most effective content the target audience would find the most engaging. From there we constantly add to the strategy and develop new ideas as a team, to develop the most effective and innovative content strategy possible.


What kind of tools do you use to identify relevant blogs?

We are currently using a multi-tasking outreach tool which allows us to refine our search using various metrics and build and maintain a vast database of bloggers.  The tool also allows us to cross-link selective bloggers to various industries; this ensures each client retains maximum exposure with each blogger. Having a keen eye for detail allows us to view and analyse each blog visually to determine the look, style and overall relevance and quality of the site. An excellent knowledge of SEO also helps us out!


What metrics do you use to identify a good blogger outreach opportunity?

There are various metrics that can be analysed to identify a good opportunity, for both the blog site and their chosen social channels. Domain authority and Moz rank are just some of the metrics used to determine the overall authority and influence of a blog site. Exploring a blogger’s social channels and determining their audience figures, as well as being able to view the level of activity, allows us to decide how engaging and influential the blogger is within their community.


How do you maintain relationships with the bloggers?

One important way in which we maintain relationships is to keep in contact with all bloggers that are interested. We are committed to a content partnership on an individual basis, so checking in with each blogger at various stages of the partnership helps us to personalise our approach and reinforces the point that this process is not a sale pitch; it is a mutually beneficial relationship.


What types of content do you use as part of your outreach strategy?

We use a best-fit method with all content, taking into account each blogger on an individual basis.  Our in-house content team can create bespoke pieces or alternatively a pre-written piece can be provided; all of our written posts are exclusive to that blogger, making the individual relationships instantly more personable.  The content can vary from engaging industry related infographics and image-lead posts to a standard blog post.


How influential are a blogger’s social metrics when it comes to identifying appropriate blog sites?

It is important when placing the content that the client is at the forefront of our mind. Amongst other metrics, social reach is an important one to consider.  We use blogger outreach software which helps us measure popularity, influence and reach. We need to maximise client exposure whilst adhering to the blogger’s content needs.

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