Guest Posts vs Blogger Outreach: Which Should You Start With?
Both earn links and exposure, yet they suit different goals. This guide helps you choose.
Read article →Key takeaways
- Open with something specific about the recipient's site
- Make one clear, easy request
- Follow up once or twice, then stop
Editors and bloggers receive dozens of pitches every week. Most are generic, and most are deleted before the second sentence. If you want a reply, your email has to show in a few seconds that you read their site and that your idea is worth their time.
Start with the right person
A great email sent to the wrong person goes nowhere. Before you write anything, find out who actually manages the content: the editor, the founder or the person who writes the posts you want to appear next to. A name and a role beat "Hi there" every time.
Write a subject line that says what it is
Clever subject lines rarely work. Clear ones do. "Idea for your post on kitchen remodel costs" tells the reader exactly why you wrote. Avoid hype, all caps and anything that looks like a mass mailing.
Prove you read their site
Your first line should refer to something specific: a recent article, a gap in a resource page, an outdated statistic. One honest, specific sentence does more than three sentences of flattery.
Make one request, and make it easy
Say what you are offering and what you would like in return. Do not ask for three things. If you have a guide that would improve their resource page, link to it and say where it might fit. If you want to contribute an article, give two or three headline ideas.
- Be brief. Aim for under 150 words.
- Be useful. Explain what their readers gain.
- Be honest. If the link helps you, say so plainly.
Follow up, then let it go
Many replies arrive after a polite nudge. Send one follow-up after about five days and a final one a week later. If there is no answer, move on. Repeated messages damage your reputation and the reputation of everyone who sends outreach.
Common mistakes
- Sending the same template to hundreds of sites
- Pitching irrelevant content because the site has good metrics
- Hiding the real reason you are writing
- Ignoring a "no" and asking again
Keep a record
Track every contact, reply and follow-up. A note about a past conversation lets you write a warmer email next time, and many of the best links come from relationships that last for years.
Outreach is a skill that improves with practice and honest feedback. If you would rather hand it to a team that does it every day, see our blogger outreach and off-page SEO services.