Blogger Outreach: The Actionable Guide [Templates+Tools]

Blogger outreach means reaching out to bloggers in your niche to build relationships, spread the word about your content, ask for feedback, or earn mentions and backlinks.

And this guide will teach you how.

Blogger Outreach Basics

This section will explain what blogger outreach is and why you should master it to expand your connections and boost your website’s visibility.

What is Blogger Outreach?

Blogger outreach consists of contacting bloggers and influencers in your industry to build relationships by sending ad hoc emails.

With this process, you aim to reach a large but specific audience to achieve a goal, including:

• Content marketing: increasing the visibility of your content, asking for guest posts, or earning a link to your website;
• Partnerships and PR: improving the reach of your audience and promoting your products or services;
• Influencer marketing: building profitable connections with influencers in your niche.

Why is Blogger Outreach Important?

Did you know that 90.63% of all web pages get no search traffic from Google?

Let’s face it.

Organic traffic is the goldmine of online marketing.

But the truth is that most of the sites get no visits from search engines (most of all if they are new).

So, if you are just starting (or if you are struggling to increase the popularity of your content), the blogger outreach strategy may help you reach targeted prospects in your niche to communicate with them and show what you are doing.

You can use it massively by sending generic emails to a large number of contacts in your industry, or you can choose to select the most appropriate contacts and prepare a personalized email.

✅ I prefer the latter.

First of all, with the number one approach, you could end up as spam. All email providers, including Gmail, have a button through which the user can mark your address as spam. And you don’t want that, especially in the long run.

Second, the number of contacts you can send your email to is limited, regardless of your niche.

Search for Bloggers

There are several ways to find prospects in your niche.

Here are some of them:

• Comments on your blog
• Blog directories
• Google
• BuzzSumo

Let’s see them in detail. With an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process.

Comments on Your Blog

People who have left a comment on your blog are already connected with you in some way. This means it will be easier to contact them because you already have their email.

You can find their contact by visiting the comments section of your WordPress blog:

Blog Directories

Blog directories are a great way to find bloggers.

I recommend AllTop.com

You can find almost all categories there. From SEO:

To social media, technology, travel, or even astrology.

Once you have found your section, visit the related blogs and find the contact email of the webmaster.

Google

The following tool you can use to find prospects for your blogger outreach strategy is Google.

Many people underestimate how many things can be done with search engines without using specific or paid tools.

The first step is to enter keywords related to your niche.

For example, if you are a food blogger, the query could be:

• Instant pot recipes
• Sugar-free meals
• Vegan dishes
• How to prepare meals

Upon entering one of these terms on Google, you will get a lot of blogs within the SERPs (in this case, with rich snippets):

Now, scan the results and write down the websites.

💡 I’d suggest skipping the big sharks and focusing on the small blogs.

This way, you can get a list of bloggers in your niche to contact.

And if you look at the related searches, you can get even more suggestions!

BuzzSumo

With the free plan of BuzzSumo, you can do several things, including searching for influencers in your niche.

This tool extracts users from the Twitter database, so make sure to use general keywords related to your industry.

For example, if you are a food blogger, try generic terms like:

• Food
• Recipes
• Baking

Once you enter the keyword into BuzzSumo, you will get a list of influencers in your niche you can contact:

Segment Bloggers

Now that you have a list of bloggers, you should divide them into categories:

• Top Influencers
• Middle Influencers
• Micro-Influencers

Top Influencers

These are the big names in your industry.

They probably have several hundreds of followers, and they are extremely popular.

For example, if your blog is about online marketing, the top influencers should be names like:

• Neil Patel
• Gary Vaynerchuk
• Tim Ferriss
• Guy Kawasaki
• Seth Godin

It’s tough to get on their radar, and they won’t probably read emails from people they don’t know.

So, your best chance to reach them is with a personal introduction or by going viral in your niche, doing something incredible.

It’s up to you to give it a try and reach them.

✅ I would personally wait until you have a good reputation in your industry and your website is fully developed with great content.

Middle Influencers

These people have a nice following and a decent audience.

If you look at their blog, you will likely see many interactions (like comments or social shares).

They might not be famous as the top influencers, but they can still have a significant impact on your online business.

It would be best to contact them with a personalized email without asking directly for a link, mention, or social share.

💡 Instead, pitch them with your best piece and ask for feedback. If they validate your work, they might remember your name next time.

Micro-Influencers

These are bloggers who are just starting and looking for exposure.

They are probably promoting their website by doing guest posts and participating in online communities or industry events.

You can contact them by using a personalized email, asking directly for a backlink to a similar piece of content.

If they don’t link to you right away, you will end up often creating a connection.

👉 Once you introduce yourself and nurture the relationship, they will likely mention your name or blog post if they think it will create value in their articles.

Find Contact Details

It’s probably the most complicated step in the whole outreach process.

Sometimes it’s hard to find bloggers’ email addresses, especially if you’re using this marketing strategy on a large scale.

Website contact forms are often black holes. This is why you should always look for a direct email.

Luckily, I’m showing you three proven ways to find someone’s email address:

• Email lookup services
• Twitter advanced search
• Subscribe to someone’s newsletter

Email Lookup Services

This is the most straightforward way.

Here are some of the most popular services you can use:

• Hunter.io 
• Name2Email
• Snov.io

Hunter.io

Sign up with Google and get up to 50 free searches per month.

Just enter the domain, and the tool will list the email addresses connected to that website:

✅ You can also use Hunter directly in your browser. See how here. 

Name2email

It comes as a free Chrome extension you can download for free (here‘s the link).

It gives you unlimited searches per month with a free registration.

Just enter the name, surname, and domain name into the field of the Gmail Composer tab to get email address suggestions:

Snov.io

Sign up for free with Google to get up to 50 free searches per month.

But, how does it work?

For example, you can enter the domain name to get information about the company:

Then, scroll down to get a list of prospects, as well as the list of email addresses available:

👉 With this tool, you can also run a bulk domain search.

Twitter Advanced Search

People often share their contact details on a tweet, answering direct mentions, for example.

So, how can you find someone email’s address on Twitter?

You need to visit the advanced search page and enter words like “email” and “contact,” adding your targeted blogger account.

If it does not work, try using this query:

email at (from:Name)

Subscribe to Someone’s Newsletter

If you are looking for a blogger’s email, another effective method is subscribing to their mailing list.

In this way, upon receiving the first message, you will find out the email address (often, the personal one).

💡 In addition, you can start building a relationship, which will be particularly useful for high levels, such as macro-influencers.

Contact Bloggers

Now, it’s time to reach out!

Remember the blog comments tactic?

Here is an outreach template you can use to get in touch with bloggers based on this strategy:

Subject: Hey [Blogger Name], I’d Like to Connect

Hi [Commenter Name],
I saw your comment on my site, so I decided to reach out!

How are things going over there?
I hope safe and well.

Having seen your interest in my content, you might want to read also my new post:
[Your Awesome Post URL]

It would be great if you could share it or mention it in your next piece of content.
What do you think? 🙂

Thanks for your time and consideration!

Keep up the good work.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]

You can edit each part. Just copy the script or add your information.

Depending on the purpose of your blogger outreach (it can be guest blogging, link or share request, or any other kind of partnership), you may want to change the text and call to action of your message.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with templates (find a list of five email outreach templates here). But from experience, you will need hundreds (if not thousands) of emails before getting solid results.

✅ The answer is a personalized pitch, just for one person.

So, how can you create a winning message?

Here’s how.

• Create curiosity
• Mention the name
• Be honest
• Outreach reason
• Use your best content

Create Curiosity

The subject line is the most crucial part of your email because it will directly influence whether the recipient will open it or not.

Don’t use standard phrases, like:

• Another Backlink Request
• Congratulations on Your Post!
• I’m in Love With Your Blog

Instead, try to be original, and creative.

💡 Plus, if you know the recipient, also customize the subject line with their name. It works!

Here are some subject line ideas that will get your email open:

• Don’t Open This Email
• You’re Missing Out on This!
• Stop Wasting Your Time and Read This
• Seriously, Who Does It?

If none of the above strategies seem to fit your personality, try to be as straightforward as possible.

Write something like this:

• “Blogger Name,” Quick Favor?
• Can I Ask You This, “Webmaster”?
• Hi, “Blogger”! “Your Name” here. How are you?

In the end, being honest is always a winning strategy.

Mention the Name

This is true for every message (well, at least, for me).

If you know the name you are referring to, say it in the subject line and the body of the message, especially at the beginning.

If you don’t know it, take some time to find out.

If you are wondering how it is generally straightforward.

Just visit the “About” page of the website, the social profiles, the bio, or the publication details of each post.

If you believe that this contact is important (maybe he is the owner of a very famous site in your niche), take some time to research more about his interests or personal life.

You can do this by visiting his Instagram profile or photos published on Facebook.

If you are worried to be taken as a stalker, don’t. People love this kind of dedication (because they understand the work behind it).

👉 You can write about his trips or his passions. Or else, anything that you have in common with him.

Then, in the message, mention your goal (whether it is a guest blogging request or simply asking to check out the latest article on your site).

Remember. Be funny and sincere!

Be Honest

You should always avoid false flattery like:

Wow, I just finished your “This Title” article. It’s the best I’ve ever read!

You can spot right away that this is a template. Or, just another AI-generated message!

✅ Remember that the people you are writing to are real. They are not robots behind a desk.

There are hundreds of thousands of emails containing such phrases that storm users worldwide every day!

Do you want to be a copy, or the most original one?

The choice is yours.

Without using false flattery, you can also sound captivating by writing sentences like:

• I just read your “Title” article, and I like the part about XXX. This is an excellent piece of advice that I will be putting into practice next week
• Your XXX post is fascinating. I just shared it with my Twitter followers

Outreach Reason

Explain why you are contacting the people.

Avoid using common phrases like:

• I shared your post on Facebook. Do you want to read a similar one?
• You have published this article, and I have just written a similar one.
• You are linking to this resource, and I have written a similar one.

If you use this strategy, you will probably not get good results.

The reason is simple.

Why would anyone want to read a “similar post“?

Instead, if you propose a different, more exciting article, the recipient may want to check your content.

So, try using something like:

• You tweeted “Post Title,” so I think you will find it more interesting reading a different opinion on the subject. Here it is: “Your Blog.”
• The things you wrote in your article are out of date, but you will find it updated if you read my post.
• What you wrote in your “Post Title” is wrong. Find the correct version on that topic here: “Your Blog Post.”

💡 Provide a compelling reason to check your content.

Use Your Best Work

There is no point in sending all your articles. Otherwise, you risk annoying bloggers and ruining the relationship with them.

Instead, focus on sharing only your best work.

But, how can you choose?

You can consider things like:

• Comments
• Social shares
• Number of visits

👉 For example, I’d pitch my pillar article about on-page SEO (which is earning several backlinks and tons of social shares).

Blogger Outreach Templates

Are you lacking in creativity?

If you need a little help, keep reading.

I’m sharing with you five templates you can use.

Of course, I recommend modifying them with your information (things like your name, blog, post title or URL, and any other details to make it as personalized as possible).

• Outreach Template #1: Collaboration Proposal
• Outreach Template #2: Feature Notification
• Outreach Template #3: Guest Post Offer
• Outreach Template #4: You Missed This!
• Outreach Template #5: Single/Double Direct Request

Outreach Template #1: Collaboration Proposal

This kind of outreach message is good for people who want to connect with experts or other bloggers in their niche, but who have already some experience in the field:

Subject: Hi [Blogger Name], I Want to Collaborate With You

Hi [Blogger Name],
[Your Name] here, of [Your Blog Name].

I was reading your article:
[Insert URL]

I like when you mention [Insert Excerpt].

Since we share the same interests, I was thinking about a potential collaboration.
Are you open to discussing this?

I have a wonderful idea that may benefit both of us!
I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,
[Your Name]

Outreach Template #2: Feature Notification

With this outreach email, you are informing the blogger that you mentioned him in a specific piece of content (your website or another one):

Subject: Hey [Blogger Name], I Just Mentioned You in My Article

Hi [Blogger Name],
I have been following your blog [Name] for some time already,
and I often come across your content on other sites like [Site #1] and [Site #2].

I want to let you know I just mentioned you in my recent post that has been published here:
[Insert URL]

Since we share the same interests, I would love to guest post for your site.

I’ll work hard to create a compelling piece for your audience
and would like to promote it across all my social networks.

Please let me know what you think!

Cheers,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]

Outreach Template #3: Guest Post Offer

With this email, you are giving value to your recipient.

So, don’t be discouraged if you do not get results right away.

With this strategy, you are building a solid relationship that can bring potentially fruitful collaborations.

Subject: Hi [Blogger Name], I Just Featured You on My Blog

Hi [Blogger Name],
I’ve been reading your [Blog Name] for some time already, and I particularly liked your post:
[Insert URL]

I want to let you know I mentioned you in my recent post:
[Insert URL]

We share similar interests and topics on our websites, so I go straight to the point. Would you be taking a guest post from me? 

I can write about [Pitched Topic] and I have these ideas:
[At Least 3 Post Title Ideas]

You may want to check some of my best articles here:
[Insert URL]

Please let me know what you think!

Cheers,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]

Outreach Template #4: You Missed This!

With this outreach email, you are targeting list posts or resource pages where your content can be included:

Subject: Hi [Blogger Name], You Just Missed This!

Hi [Blogger Name],
[Your Name] here, of [Your Blog Name].

I want to thank you for your [Page Title] list:
[Insert URL]

I love what you are saying [Insert Excerpt].

Would you be interested in including [Your Content] in the resource?
[Here Add Something About The Value of Your Content].

I can’t wait to hear back from you.

Best,
[Your Name]

Outreach Template #5: Single/Double Direct Request

You can use this type of email outreach with bloggers of your size, to whom you never reached out.

With this request, you can earn a link or a guest post.

👉 Pretty aggressive, but worked with a good response rate, for me.

Subject: Hey [Blogger Name], [Your Name] Here

Hi [Blogger Name],
[Your Name] here, of [Your Blog Name].

We share similar interests and topics on our websites, but I’ve never reached out.
I know your time is valuable, so I go straight to the point.

This post took me one month of research and writing:
[Insert URL]

Is there a way you can include a mention on your website?
Also, I’d love to contribute a guest article with some interesting content if you want. 🙂

Please, let me know!

Cheers,
[Your Name]

Here’s an example of successful outreach with this template:

✅ As a general rule, remember to edit each part of these templates to fit your needs and outreach strategy, depending on how you want to connect with people in your niche.

Best Blogger Outreach Tools

Now, it’s time to list the best outreach tools.

Think of them as simply software or platforms that help you connect with other bloggers and influencers.

However, there are many available.

To help you choose, here’s my list:

• BuzzSumo
• MuckRack
• Traackr
• Awario
• Mailshake
• NinjaOutreach
• BuzzStream

1 .BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo allows you to find the most popular content in your niche, as well as influencers who are sharing that content:

Just enter your keywords to get a list of the most performing content. You can then filter by specifying data range, country, and language.

Once you have a list of blogs, you can reach out to the appropriate person with a message according to your outreach goal.

This is a great way to start building relationships with other bloggers in your space.

Plus, you can use the Content Analyzer feature to find the pages that link to a URL or a domain. It’s handy for discovering competitors’ backlinks and getting link-building opportunities.

How can BuzzSumo help your outreach strategy?

• Find the best influencers in your industry based on your queries with real social media engagement.
• Monitor keywords and mentions of your brand or your competitors to discover new opportunities.
• Find the most shared content based on specific terms or domain names to get topic ideas and blogs for your outreach campaigns.
• Research competitors’ content to view backlink details, so you can replicate them.

2. MuckRack

MuckRack allows you to find journalists and bloggers in your industry, as well as pitch them story ideas. This can be a great way to expand your business or website coverage.

Just enter a name or keyword in the search field to get a list of people and influencers in that industry.

For example, search for Neil Patel to discover lots of interesting details, such as his website, social media profiles, and places where he has been featured:

✅ They have a free plan that gives you limited access to their features, or you can upgrade to a paid plan for more.

What are the key features of MuckRack?

• Find contact details of bloggers, journalists, and people in your niche.
• Build a media list to organize a list of journalists and contacts.
• Send personalized outreach messages to journalists.
• Create an alert and monitor news for any keyword or phrase.
• Run a report to quantify the impact of any PR campaign.

3. Traackr

Traackr is an outreach tool that helps you find and connect with influencers, as well as track your interactions with them.

Thanks to it, you can keep track of your outreach efforts and make sure you’re building relationships with the right people.

What can you do with Traackr?

• Discovery influencers based on your industry
• Campaign management through their dashboard and options
• Influencer collaboration to maximize your campaign
• Reporting and monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand

4. Awario

Awario is a social media monitoring tool that helps you track mentions of your brand, as well as competitors.

Discover what people are saying about you and your business, as well as get ideas for content and outreach.

What are Awario’s most interesting features?

• Social monitoring to track mentions of your brand or any keywords on various platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Vimeo, and across the web.
• Find leads and opportunities via those social media posts when users are searching for products or services related to your brand.
• Email alerts to get notifications for every mention of your brand or keywords.

5. Mailshake

Mailshake is another outreach tool that allows you to automate your outreach efforts.

With it, you can create personalized templates and then use Mailshake to send mass emails to your list of prospects.

This is a great way to save time on your outreach efforts and make sure you’re staying in touch with potential customers.

How can Mailshake improve your outreach campaign?

• Automated email outreach helps you find prospects via email, social media, and phone.
• The social outreach process lets you engage with potential customers on multiple media platforms.
• Split testing to help you find the most converting version of your outreach message.
• Ready email templates that you can use and edit according to your needs.

6. Ninja Outreach

Ninja Outreach helps you find and contact influencers.

You can use their database of over 100 million influencers to find the right people to connect with.

They also have a built-in CRM so you can keep track of your outreach efforts.

What are the key features of Ninja Outreach?

• Targeted blogger list to choose, analyze, and track influencers with a large following.
• Email templates to choose from and personalize them to increase your conversions during your outreach campaign.
• Automation tools to track and analyze your messages and automate your outreach strategy.

7. BuzzStream

BuzzStream is a powerful outreach tool that helps you manage your relationships with influencers.

You can use their platform to find, contact, and track your interactions with bloggers and other influencers.

They also have a Chrome extension that allows you to quickly add people to your database.

What are BuzzStream’s most interesting features?

• Add leads to your list when you are visiting any website with the help of BuzzStream’s browser extension which is capable of gathering contact details, such as email addresses and social profiles.
• Filter and segment your prospects based on specific parameters, like domain authority and follower number.
• Email app to let you create messages directly within BuzzStream software, by choosing from several different templates available.
• Follow-up feature with alerts that help you remember to send messages at specific times.
• Create reports to track and analyze how your outreach campaign is performing.

My Experience With Blogger Outreach

I started by reaching out to other bloggers in my niche, offering guest blog opportunities, commenting on their blogs, and engaging with their followers. It was time-consuming at first, but as I got better at it I saw an increase in traffic and followers.

The key for me was to make sure that the topics I chose to write about were relevant to my niche and the people I was targeting. This way, when they read my content they found it helpful and interesting.

People started to recognize my name, and I was even invited to write for bigger sites (like Serpstat, RankTracker, Linkody, or Mention, for example).

To help you replicate my success, here’s a copy of the template I’ve been using:

Subject: Hey [Blogger Name], [Your Name] Here

Hey [Blogger Name],
how is life treating you?

I’m [Your Name] and my website is:
[Your Site URL]

Here are some of my recently published guest articles:
[Mention the URLs of Your Best Guest Posts Here]

I’d like to submit a contribution to your site.
I have this title in mind:
[Pitch Your Idea]

A brief description:
[Make Your Guest Post Idea Appealing]

If it sounds good, I can send over a draft within the next few days.

I’d like to hear what you think! 
Cheers,
[Your Name]

It may look time-consuming, but a personalized pitch can land you interesting opportunities.

The more you research about the blogger you are contacting, the more chances you will have to get a positive response.

Blogger Outreach FAQs

Q: What is the benefit of blogger outreach?

A: Blogger outreach is a great way to get your brand and message in front of a larger audience. It also helps you build relationships with influencers, who can help you promote your message to an even wider audience. Additionally, it helps build backlinks to your website, which can improve your SEO.

Q: What is the best way to reach out to influencers?

A: The best way to reach out to influencers is through personalized emails. Make sure you include relevant information that they would find interesting and useful, such as statistics or case studies related to your product or service. It’s also important to establish a personal connection by mentioning any shared interests or hobbies.

Q: Is blogger outreach good for backlinks?

A: Yes, blogger outreach can be a great way to build backlinks. You should always make sure your content is of high quality and provides value to the reader; this will increase the chances that other websites will link back to you.

Q: What is the best blogger outreach platform?

A: It depends on your needs. Some of the most popular platforms are BuzzStream, Ninja Outreach, and Mailshake. Each has its unique features so you’ll want to look into each one to determine which is best for you.

Q: Should I hire a blogger outreach agency?

A: Again, it depends. If you don’t have the time or resources to manage your outreach campaign, then hiring an agency might be a good option. They can handle all of the outreach tasks for you and ensure that your message is reaching the right people. However, if you have the time and resources to do it yourself, then you may be able to save money by doing it yourself.

Q: How much does blogger outreach cost?

A: The cost of a blogger outreach campaign can vary depending on the services you’re looking for and the platform you use. Generally, platforms such as BuzzStream, Ninja Outreach, or Mailshake will charge a monthly fee to use their service. Additionally, you may need to hire an agency or freelancer to help manage your campaign, which can add additional costs.

Q: How long does a blogger outreach campaign take?

A: It depends on the size and scope of your campaign. Generally, the larger the campaign is, the longer it will take. On average, a small campaign can take one to two months. However, if you’re working with influencers who have larger followings or require more research and outreach, it could take much longer.

Before You Go

Thanks for reading so far!

At this time, you should have learned a lot about blogger outreach.

And if you need help with content creation, here’s a copywriting guide:

Don’t miss to use the bucket brigade technique in your copy:

Finally, check this post for finding content ideas:

Now, it’s over to you.

Did you find this guide helpful?

Would you like to recommend specific strategies?

Please, let me have your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks!

 

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