A Beginner’s Guide to Content Outreach

Content outreach is an effective SEO method that is used by most digital marketers and content creators. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, however, so you need to pay attention to how it can be done in a way that best suits you and your talents. In this article, we’ll be delving into what outreach link building is, the methods available and the importance of patience when it comes to seeing the results that come from it. Here’s a beginner’s guide to content outreach:

What is outreach link building?

When it comes to outreach and link building, the main aim is to establish a good relationship between yourself and other website owners and content creators. Outreach is about helping other sites and also looking into how those websites can help you. Link building is not a one way street. It’s all about exchanging one service for another. Sometimes, it involves exchanging money, whereas other times it’s all about exchanging services. 

It depends on the technique you choose. Outreach link building is the creation of content for another site in exchange for brand exposure – it’s as simple as that. Instead of writing content for your client’s blog, it will go onto another relevant publication that has an extensive audience. It’s a great way of raising brand awareness and pushing their goods and services effectively. It’s an SEO technique that has stood the test of time since the creation of the internet, so it’s no wonder that marketers are still using outreach today. 

3 link building methods

There are three worthwhile and effective link building strategies that digital marketers use to push their content from one place to another all over the internet. If you’re new to outreach and link building, then these are the three link building methods that are most used by marketers and content creators alike:

1. Promoting existing content

Outreach is a great way of repurposing a piece of existing content. Whether you’ve already posted it onto your blog or if you have it sitting in the archives with nowhere to put it, outreach is a great way of using it. It’s important to note, however, that if you’re using content that you’ve already posted to your own blog, you will need to take the original and update it. Use relevant keywords and update any facts and statistics you’ve put in there. This is to avoid duplication, which Google will look negatively on. 

2. Guest posting

This isn’t a new strategy when it comes to link building and content outreach. It’s a really easy way of getting some brand exposure, however. More so if there’s no money exchanged between parties. Some bloggers will allow for guest posts to be put live on their blog for free, whereas others can demand payment. Their fees could range anywhere between £50 and £300, sometimes more depending on the publication. 

However, it should be seen more as an investment rather than just another fee to pay. There are many benefits to be had by guest posting. The biggest one being that you can reach an extensive audience that the publication has worked years to create instantly. As long as you’re using quality sites and providing them with quality content, you’ll be sure to secure a placement, whether you’re paying a fee or not.

3. Securing brand mentions

An easy way to do this is to adopt the HARO method. This is a source that you need to sign up to. In short, HARO stands for ‘Help a Reporter Out’ and it does what it says on the tin. It helps both journalists and websites when it comes to brand exposure. Journalists need help with their stories and angles and copywriters and content creators are on hand to aid them. Not only does it save journalists some time, but it also gives brands the opportunity to get their names out there. 

While there isn’t money exchanged, it’s done on more of a ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’ basis. It’s a win-win for every party involved, which is why it’s so effective. You can also sign up to other things like Response Source if you’re looking for the same opportunities. Some digital marketing agencies will be signed up to more than one of these sources, but it depends on the number of content creators they have available. If you’re a lone person, then signing up to one source should be enough for you to manage. 

The importance of patience in content outreach

Something you need to realise when it comes to content outreach and link building is that it takes time. There’s no quick way of securing link building opportunities, just as there’s no quick way of achieving any SEO results. Anything that involves SEO and the methods used will take time to pull off, so you need to have some patience when it comes to the link building game, as do your clients. 

It might take some negotiation in terms of guidelines that need to be set or the money, in some cases, that exchanges hands. Each blogger could have different rules that they need you to follow. Either that or they’ll request articles that have to be within a certain word limit. If you’re used to writing long form content, this too can take time. 

This is because you may need to reduce the word count whilst still getting your point across. If you only have between 200-500 words to do that, it can be more challenging. You’ll face hurdles no matter what, so make sure you’ve carved out enough time to allow the outreach to pull off, and make your clients aware of the timescales too to avoid their impatience and disappointment. 

Kumo is a dedicated digital marketing agency with over two decades of experience in the field. With SEO, PPC, content writing and website design services available, to name just a few, you’ll have nothing to lose and everything to gain by choosing Kumo for digital marketing services. If you would like further information, get in touch with a member of our friendly, professional team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.