Presented at YoastCon 2019, this session looks at common reasons why content-led link building campaigns fail and, more importantly, actions which you can take to maximise link acquisition.

1. MAIN HEADER
EXTRA SPACE
James Brockbank, Managing Director & Founder
Practical & Actionable Insights To Help You Launch
Killer Content Campaigns ...
THE REAL REASONS WHY YOUR
CONTENT ISN’T EARNING LINKS

3. Campaign 1 (88 links) launches
Links still work...

4. Campaign 1 (88 links) launches
Campaign 2 (313 links) launches
Links still work...

5. Every week, we earn links from global
top-tier publishers...

6. ... with data-driven digital PR
campaigns.

7. In 2018, we launched more than 120
campaigns and earned over 2,500
links.

8. I’d like to think I know a thing or two
about link building...

9. I’VE HAD HUGE SUCCESSES...

10. 1.83k links

11. 243 links

12. AS WELL AS HUGE FLOPS...

13. 5 links

14. 2 links

15. Not every campaign is a roaring
success from the off...

16. THE REAL REASONS WHY YOUR
CONTENT ISN’T EARNING LINKS...

17. REASON #1
You’re Launching A Campaign Which
Has Been Done Before

18. It’s really hard to come up with
something new and unique...

19. Always check whether your idea has
been done before.

20. Use Google News or BuzzSumo to
search for similar concepts.

21. How can you differentiate your idea
from similar campaigns?

22. • Update stats & data to make the campaign
current (think annual)

23. • Update stats & data to make the campaign
current (think annual)
• Add a fresh perspective or viewpoint

24. • Update stats & data to make the campaign
current (think annual)
• Add a fresh perspective or viewpoint
• Add a controversial angle

25. • Update stats & data to make the campaign
current (think annual)
• Add a fresh perspective or viewpoint
• Add a controversial angle
• Make it bigger and better

26. REASON #2
You’ve Not Validated Your Idea

27. It’s great to have an awesome idea...

28. But have you validated the concept?

29. 1. Is the data you need available?

30. 2. Will there be objections from your
legal or brand team?

31. 3. Are journalists actually writing about
the topic you’re hooking to?

32. 4. Does your audience actually care?

33. Top Tip:
Don’t rush a campaign without thinking
about the bigger picture.

34. REASON #3
Your Audience Is Too Narrow

35. Over 60% of the links we earn for
clients come from international
publications...

36. Are your ideas limiting the reach and
link potential of your campaigns?

37. The wider the audience, the more link
potential a campaign has...

38. “The best London borough for foodie
tourists...”

39. “The best cities in the UK for foodie
tourists...”

40. “The best cities in the world for foodie
tourists...”

41. Think BIG and question how you can
maximise the audience...

42. You can achieve a similar effect by
launching campaigns which hook to
multiple verticals...

44. Real Estate

45. Travel

46. Finance

47. REASON #4
Your Timing Is Wrong

48. Is now REALLY the best time to launch
your campaign?

49. Could it perform better if launched later in the year?

50. Are external factors impacting upon
coverage?

52. Ask yourself: Why NOW?

53. REASON #5
Journalists Could Do It Themselves

54. If a journalist can tell your story
themselves (without mentioning or
linking to you)...

55. They probably will!

56. What can you do that they can’t?

57. • Use your own internal data

58. • Use your own internal data
• Combine data sources to give new
insight

59. • Use your own internal data
• Combine data sources to give new
insight
• Conduct a survey

60. • Use your own internal data
• Combine data sources to give new
insight
• Conduct a survey
• Develop a tool

61. REASON #6
There’s No Reason To Link

62. Could a journalist cover your campaign
without linking?

63. Campaigns need to be linkable...

64. The link needs to become a vital part of
the story.

65. A press release isn’t linkable...

66. An infographic isn’t linkable...

67. But an interactive tool or calculator is.

68. As is a detailed data study with plenty
of stats to explore.

69. What makes your campaign deserve a
link?

70. REASON #7
You Focus On The Format Before The
Story

71. Journalists cover stories, not content!

72. Find your stories first, then choose the
most suitable format...

73. REASON #8
Your Outreach List Sucks

74. Are you pitching your campaign to the
right journalists?

75. Building a killer outreach list takes time!

76. Do the people you’re pitching to
regularly cover the topic?

77. Or did they write about it once back in
2015?

78. Journalists move between publications.

79. We use anewstip as our global media database...

80. Have you sent to enough contacts?

81. 100 emails.
40% open rate.
20% click through rate.
15% of clicks link.
That’s 1 link earned on first send...

82. Outreach lists should comprehensively
include as many relevant journalists as
possible.

83. REASON #9
Your Subject Line Doesn’t Stand Out

84. You’re not the only marketer pitching to
journalists...

85. You need to make sure your emails are
actually opened and stand out in a
busy inbox!

86. 1. Use Emojis

87. 2. Use Your Campaign’s Main Headline

88. 3. Share The Story’s Most Shocking Statistic

89. 4. Include Ego-Bait

90. Top Tip:
A/B test different subject lines to
improve open rates

91. REASON #10
Your Outreach Email Sucks

92. You’ve got the open but aren’t getting
clicks or coverage?

93. Your outreach email probably sucks.

94. Start from scratch and test a totally
different email structure.

95. • Short vs long email

96. • Short vs long email
• Bullet point headlines vs single story

97. • Short vs long email
• Bullet point headlines vs single story
• Embedded images vs no images

98. • Short vs long email
• Bullet point headlines vs single story
• Embedded images vs no images
• Press release attached vs pasted
below your signature

101. Keep testing and build up data around
what works best for YOUR campaigns.

102. REASON #11
You Don’t Supply Supporting Assets
Quickly Enough

103. Journalists often want quotes, images,
sources or further data insights...

104. Have these available and ready to send
straight away.

106. Use Google Drive to store quotes,
images and source sheets and share
the link.

107. REASON #12
You Don’t Follow Up On Outreach

108. We typically see more links earned on
follow ups than the original pitch...

109. You need to be following up outreach
emails, calls and social posts at least
once.

111. REASON #13
You Only Use Email To Pitch

112. Inboxes are busy places...

113. Pick up the phone

114. Reach out on social

115. Sometimes you just need to avoid the
noise to stand out...

116. REASON #14
You’re Not Doing Link Reclamation

117. Has your campaign earned coverage
which didn’t link?

118. It’s *often* not been done
intentionally...

119. Email the journalist, editor or the
corrections desk and ask for the source
to be linked.

122. REASON #15
You Give Up Too Quickly

123. Sometimes, you just need to keep
trying...

125. Send 1: 2 links

126. Send 2: Still 2 links

127. Send 3: 313 links

128. 1. Resend your campaign with a
different angle...

129. 2. Keep a close eye out for newsjacking

130. 3. Ask journalists for feedback...

131. 4. Make changes to your assets...

132. Just because your campaign doesn’t hit
it big first time, doesn’t mean it won’t
earn links!

133. ‘When life gets you down, do you
wanna know what you’ve gotta do?
Just keep swimming!”

134. THANK YOU
james@digitaloft.co.uk @BrockbankJames