Build Links Using Viral Email

Hi,
If your business has had an online presence for a while now, you’ve probably built up a substantial list of opt-in email addresses from newsletter sign-ups, customer data, etc. There are actually ways you can use these email addresses in order to increase your inbound links.

Sending out viral emails is essential if you want to attract links and drive traffic to your website. The steps involved in creating a viral email include explicitly asking your prospects to complete a particular action, stating the benefits of completing whatever action you are asking the prospect to complete, and giving an incentive. Last but not least, an important aspect of making your emails viral is to add a simple request such as, “forward this email to your friends and family to let them know about this opportunity.”

The Essential Elements of Viral Emails

One of the best ways to build inbound links via viral emails is directly asking your clients/prospects for links on their websites. Not everyone has websites but nowadays several people do and you must use this to your advantage no matter what you action you are asking your clients/prospects to complete. Offer them something in exchange for the links such as a discount on a product or subscription. Don’t ask for anything that won’t bring you returns. Links are very important to your online presence and search engine rankings so asking for them is an invaluable way to improve your site’s standing and traffic. Including a small line in your emails asking for a link is smart marketing. A small incentive is all people need to be convinced to link to you. The incentive should be good enough to appeal to both customers and prospects.

The problem with many promotional emails is the fact that they don’t include good enough incentives. If a company sends you an email asking you to become a fan of their Facebook group, they better give you a good reason to do it. You probably won’t be enticed to hop online and join them on Facebook just because they told you it would help you connect with their other fans online. If the company was offering you a discount on one of their products or services, you would be far more likely to get online and join them on Facebook. The most important question that any promotional email must answer for the reader is, “What’s in it for me?” Readers want to be sure that they are getting something in return for their time or money.

Overview

The key to success in building links through viral emails is telling your customers what is in it for them, asking for a link, giving them something special in return for doing what you ask, , and kindly telling them to pass your email along to their friends and family. Use your email list or that of a partner in order to send out these viral emails. Keep the emails concise and make sure the call to action is clear. Leave the incentive dangling at the end in order to entice and attract your prospects.