What would you do if you opened a package, and out tumbled 50 chocolate grasshoppers?
Run away screaming? Jump on your desk? Munch on one? That was the idea behind the out reach campaign used by a virtual telephone company in the US. Did they get much recognition and links form that ‘stunt’? An increase of 2000 unique views over a 2 day period!
While you don’t have to go as far, it is important to know that you may sometimes have to do a bit more than the usual to get noticed and get unique links.
Depending on the industry, the preferred link building techniques can vary greatly. Powerful techniques can drive large amounts of traffic to your website and greatly improve its’ ranking. Many people have overused the easiest techniques; which forced people to start getting creative with their link building techniques. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is start thinking outside of the box. Here are a few techniques to get your mind going.
- Awesome Giveaways: Giveaways are a great and creative way for link building. Many people love free stuff. They do not care what it is. If it’s a free gift, they will take it. Get promotional stuff, brand it and just give it away. From shirts to hats to mugs to desk calendars, all gifts are welcome. This will make your customers love you and rave about your service and /or brand. Social media buzz is a great way to get noticed and attract qualified site visitors.
- Create Linkbait: Linkbait can be classified as content created to catch and grab peoples attention. It could be a shocking report, a detailed test and its’ results or simply breaking down concepts and explaining it to non-experts in a way that they ‘get it’. This is the kind of content that is easily linked to and goes viral quickly. This can be easily done by using infographics. Other types of linkbait that can be used include:
- Create a useful tool in your niche that people will naturally share.
- Being a controversial character in order to get people’s attention.
- Piggybacking off of current events to create new and fresh information.
- Get Interviewed: Another creative way to obtain natural backlinks is interview an influencer in your industry. Reach out to them with a proposal and see if they are willing to do a podcast or telephone interview. Record the session and send it to your list of subscribers. The influencer will usually send a similar message to their subscribers, giving you access to a much wider audience. If they like your stuff, you will gain new subscribers. The flip side is to get interviewed yourself and spread the message as before.
- Refresh Old Content: It is important to re-write old content on the internet. Websites rank well when material is consistently read. Browse Google for relevant, out-of-date material, and figure out how you can update it. Contact the web master and show them the new and updated content, usually on your site, and have them replace the out of date link. Many would gladly do so to keep their content fresh.
Link building using linkbait can be fun and exciting. It involves you thinking outside the box and getting quite creative. At Search and More, we can help you brainstorm for the best campaign for your marketing budget.
