Save time, but not at the expense of quality

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Another key principle in teams should be “automate as much as possible without sacrificing quality.”

Fact 1: Emails are ignored. Fact 2: More emails tend to increase the chances of a response.

So we set up HubSpot sequences and automated parts of our email follow-up. A large percentage of the links acquired came from the second or third email. So you almost always have to send more than one. The emails gradually decreased in aggressiveness. Email #1 was a direct request for a link:



Email #2 focuses more on getting them to write for us or quote for an item:



Email #3 was a “last shot” and asked if they would like to provide an expert quote for a new item.



We tried to provide as much value as possible in these emails without coming across as spammy or annoying. We also tried to keep in mind that all this outreach wasn’t just about the short-term benefits of acquiring links, but paraguay whatsapp list also about building relationships with important, smart people. While working with the Hubspot CRM, we tracked everything, including the level of contact. This created a deal pipeline , and set up workflows to remind us to follow up with certain people after the initial contact. We also tracked all the guest posts we requested, just to make sure everything was there. This system allows you to have a bird’s eye view of all your communications and progress.



3. Don't beat around the bush
Don't hide, don't beat around the bush, just ask for what you want. There are probably a lot of emails where you could have asked, "What exactly do you want?"



The person shouldn't have to decipher what you're asking, be straightforward and get to the point (or almost). This almost naturally brings us to point number 4.

4. Don't treat people like they're stupid
The marketing world uses subtle persuasion tricks and timely tactics. This is especially true in sales. How many identical emails have you received in the last 3 months? How many responses have you sent? You've probably heard the same refrains over and over:

“{{Name}}, are you the right person?”
“Thursday at 4pm or Friday at 2pm, what time do you think is best for a phone call?”
“I wrote X piece of content. Do you mind if I send it to you to review when it’s published?”
“I am a big fan and reader of {{your blog}}!”
These few lines seem "harmless" but they have one thing in common: try to trick yourself into responding... let's go through each one to see how disturbing and/or offensive it can be.

“{{Name}}, are you the right person?”

This one is pretty annoying. If I'm not the right person, why are you writing to me? It sounds like you need to do more research, not leave it to me to do your prospecting. There are also emails like "if you're not the right person, I'm sorry, but if you're interested could you introduce me?" It's okay if you get it slightly wrong ("Business Development Manager" vs. "Partner Marketing Manager"). The important thing here is not to send a mass email to a company to get a response and/or an introduction. They know right away where you're going with this.

“Thursday at 4pm or Friday at 2pm, what time do you think is best for a phone call?”

The logic behind this is that if you give them a chance to say "no," they will. Here, instead, they have a choice between two different days, which is based on the assumption that the answer to the first necessary question, "do you want to talk to me," is yes.

“I wrote X piece of content. Do you mind if I send it to you to review when it’s published?”

This is one of our favorite tactics even though these emails will almost always be ignored. It’s a blatant psychological deception, because it’s easy to say “sure, send it,” but very effective. It propels the “foot in the door” technique, where you’ve now entered into some sort of conversation and are therefore more likely to connect people with what they want.

“I am a big fan and reader of {{your blog}}!”

Don't say this if it's not true. We're not saying it's ineffective, we're just saying that if you're trying to "trick" another person into giving you a backlink, it's not very ethical.