(Out)Reach For The Stars – How To Get Published On High Authority Sites

Outreach Marketing

“It is not where you start, but how high you aim that matters for success.”

Nelson Mandela

When you are a business, it’s easy to lose hope when you feel like you are lost in a sea of similar businesses. As a rule of thumb, your #1 priority is to get on top. Getting there, however, is the real challenge.

One way to get to the top is to ensure you get your brand shown to as many people as possible. A stage in the middle of New York Square sure beats a podium in a dark alleyway in terms of getting a better audience.

But how does one get from a dark alleyway to a fully propped stage in New York Square? How do you get from business blog posting to guest posting and finally to a high authority site like The Huffington Post or Hubspot?

But wait, why even go through all the troubles? What’s up with these sites?

The Allure of High Authority Sites

Say that you are looking for a carpenter. Now, you ask a couple of people for recommendations. For this example, let’s assume that every person suggests a different carpenter. Who would you believe more?

  • Your brother hasn’t had any experience in getting a carpenter who just suggested the first name that popped in his head.
  • Your friend who has worked with a carpenter but that was 10 years before to help fix a table.
  • Or your father who is part of the Carpenter’s Guild in your area, who has worked with these people for over 20 years?

The answer is pretty obvious. You’d want to hear what a “high authority” would want to say about your concern, so you go with your father. This is the same with high authority sites. If your brand gets mentioned or published in high authority sites, people will take it as gospel because of the background and experience in the niche.

But connecting with high authority sites is not as simple as telling them about it. The reality is, that getting published on a high authority site can be quite challenging, especially for business owners. An outreach campaign or a blogger outreach might be needed to get your name on one of those sites.

The Nitty Gritty of Blogger Outreach

blogger outreach marketing
Blogger Outreach Marketing

In a nutshell, blogger outreach is just connecting with other bloggers or website owners asking whether they would be willing to “rent” out their influence and reach out to you. Oftentimes, a product sample or service trial might be required so the influencer can get to know you and your business. There are also times when money is requested in exchange for exposure.

So does this mean you just go and give free trials of your service or product to people hoping they say yes? Not really. If you want to do it right, blogger outreach can mean a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end. Here’s a quick checklist of what you should do for your blogger outreach.

1. Pay attention to the blog/writer

Just because your product is food-related doesn’t mean you should go and contact every food writer out there. Try to study each writer/blog and find the ones that might be interested in your product.

For example, if your service or product focuses on vegan food preparation, it will be better to look for blogs that showcase vegan food and how to cook/prepare it.

Take your time in creating your list. This lessens the chances of you getting ignored by the writer or blog owner. As soon as you narrow the list, start sending out the emails.

2. Don’t complicate the email

Nobody wants to read a whole epic in their inbox. The secret to getting replies is to make sure you keep your email short. Go directly to the point and don’t dilly-dally. Assume that the person reading has 2-3 minutes to read your email. Also, keep your subject line interesting as it can mean the difference between getting read and getting ignored.

3. Bank on creativity

If you are the owner of a well-known website/blog then you probably receive many emails a day. You would probably get this habit of weeding out emails based on how creative they are. So if you want to get noticed, make sure you get as creative as possible.

Don’t put a whole PowerPoint presentation in your email. Just make sure you smartly present your unique selling proposition. Set your product or service apart from the competition.

4. Build rapport

At the end of the day, blogger outreach is still about trust and relationships. Building rapport between you and the blogger can increase your chances of getting published. Show your passion through your emails. Learn to build trust through emails and other means (including commenting on the blogs and following them on social media).

Before You Start Your Blogger Outreach

Plan it out.

Experts claim that the difference between a good outreach campaign from a failed one is the amount of planning and organization. Don’t rush your emails without having a solid list. Spending a month or so creating a list is normal. This ensures that the blogs/people on your list are the ones that are of value to you as a business owner.

There are also many blogger outreach tools that can help make your outreach campaigns easier. Don’t hesitate to use these tools. Aside from making your work easier, they also allow you to look deeper into the blog’s metrics, which allows you to prioritize one over the others.

Getting published in high authority sites is not just about getting your name out there on a popular platform. While that helps, it still boils down to being considered a trusted source of information in your niche. With trust comes a loyal following.

What site are you looking up to in terms of content? How do you plan on getting published there?

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