Proper LinkBait – How to Attract Hungry Hordes!

Linkbait defined would be any piece or information designed to attract links and visitors to your desired location. There are many good ways to accomplish this, and it’s not nearly as hard to do as you might think.

There are several common “hooks” that are effective when crafting great linkbait, and some of these include

• Controversy – Taking a contrarian stand on a popular issue, or even pointing out the pitfalls in what the conventional wisdom is are great ways to get people clicking and talking. A few years back the headline alone “Adsense Is Dead” was enough to inspire panic and insure the writer of that brilliant piece thousands of downloads, and subsequent sales. It’s not hard to think up these positions: see what is hot and revered, and come up with an opposite stance, even if you eventually end up agreeing with it? (The most common way these end: you’ve seen emails headlines like “Don’t buy XYZ Product”)
• Attack Pieces – If you truly have a bone to pick with a person, product or trend, go after them! Stir the pot, but of course be very careful to understand how to write about others without getting yourself into hot water!
• Breaking News – Always a great topic, you need to be first or close to first to the dance with this one! This of course means keeping up with what’s going on, and being able to post and promote your post quickly. The rewards can be immense, as you’ll likely be linked to a great deal, and perhaps cited as a source.
• Becoming a resource – One step beyond the previous one, if you regularly report breaking news and trends in your particular industry or niche, you’ll eventually come to be viewed as a resource for news and views, lending a great deal of authority to you and your site.

Once you’ve got the feel for these types of linkbait, then you can dive into some of the different types of linkbait that work really, really well. Here are my top 7 linkbait vehicles!

1. Videos – The most common and easily accomplished linkbait delivery method, video gets people watching and passing it around socially more than any other medium. It’s also quite possible to have one of these go viral on YouTube, which can be the equivalent of your marketing dreams come true! Make sure video is a staple in your linkbaiting tackle box!
2. Infographics – A close second in my mind are infographics. I can’t remember a time when I passed on viewing an infographic for a topic I was either researching to seeking. They have the wonderful ability to condense and summarize in a visual mode like nothing else, and are here to stay.
3. Lists – Something as simple as a list can be incredibly attracting to readers. Top Ten, Top 7, and so on are appealing in that they too convey a shorthand version of the information they need to consume, in a concise and easy to consume manner.

4. Guides and Tutorials – A well done whitepaper, report or tutorial is still a staple when it comes to getting people to click through to your page to acquire it. While these lack some of the sizzle of the other methods, there is most assuredly still a place for them at the table! Most of all, they need to deliver great value, of course well-written, and hopefully contain links that are beneficial to you! (hint!)

1. Free Software – One of the best ways to get people to click through is by offering a piece of useful free software. Never mind if you aren’t a programmer: if you have an idea for a useful script of tool you can  have it made and the number of shares you get might just astound you! This one requires some thought, and a bit more time, but if you can think of something you’d like to see or use, you’re headed in the right direction!

6. Interviews – If you can be persistent and prevail upon some of the thought leaders in your niche or industry to grant you an interview, you can be sure this will be getting a great deal of views, and is likely to be shared far and wide in your market. This can be as simple as an email interview, where you compose the questions ahead of time and send them to the interviewee. (no one else has to know that) Or you can tape a Skype call, and lately, I’ve seen video calls recorded for later consumption. Be fair, and be willing to give something or let them pitch their product, and you might be surprised how well this one works!

1. Industry News Roundups – Similar to link roundups, these focus on news specific to your particular industry or niche. Again being topical, current and Johnny-on-the-spot counts for a lot here.

Stephen Webb runs http://ipreneurs.com where he is proud to share what’s he’s learned and is learning about online marketing. Stephen specializes in product creation and lead generation, and would love for you to take a look!