Content Marketing: How Do You Create A* ‘Link Bait’?

By Amy @BubbleJobs

So, you’ve read our recent blog on link bait and you’re all fired up. You know you need to build some effective link bait to increase your brand’s visibility online, you’ve researched some professionals who might be able to help you and you’ve got the budget…. but then you come to a grinding halt.

Yep, there’s a big gulf between knowing what effective link bait is and actually putting it into practice. No matter how creative you like to think you are, everyone gets writer’s block (or in this case link bait block) from time to time and the more you think about it, the harder you find it to actually come up with something that’s going to tick all the content marketing boxes.

So, what’s the answer? Well, it’s all about creativity and thinking outside the box. Just like any other piece of online content, you need to create something that’s engaging, informative and 100% unique. OK, so you could take the easy route and copy something someone else has done but remember, you’re going to market this online on a major scale so can you really afford for to jeopardise the reputation of your brand by offering some half-hearted, sloppy piece of link bait that could get ripped apart? Thought not!

There’s no harm in building upon something someone else has already created if you’ve got additional information to add or an additional point to make but you need to be careful – no one likes a cheat and by ripping off something someone else has created, being labelled a cheat is definitely the risk you’re going to run. OK so I think I’ve made my point regarding the ‘unique’ aspect of link bait creation – here are 4 other top tips to help you create A* link bait.

1. Choose your medium carefully: When it comes to creating link bait, it’s easy to think that infographics are the only option but that’s not true. From viral videos to effective slide shows and presentations, there are loads of options and mediums out there which offer themselves perfectly to link bait – the trick is to find the best option for your particular campaign needs. Look at what’s worked well before and try to identify where there are possible gaps in the market and go from there.

2. Do your research: If you’re about to launch a full scale attack marketing your piece of link bait you need to be sure there’s nothing in it that’s going to turn around and bite you on the bum so you need to research, research and research during the production phase! If you’re going to produce an infographic, make sure you list all your sources at the bottom so if there is an error, it should be clear where you got your information from! Just like journalism, you should get into the practice of finding three different sources which all have the same piece of information – this should help to eliminate the chances of printing incorrect information!

3. Invest time and effort into your link bait: It can be easy to knock up a piece of link bait in a few hours and release it online but in 99% of cases you won’t get the results you’re looking for. Producing high quality link bait takes time, effort and dedication and if you’re not willing to give any of them, you might want to think twice about content marketing as a viable strategy for your business. The best, most successful pieces of link bait have all been professionally produced so if you’re thinking of putting something together yourself and you have absolutely no design or marketing experience, you may want to think again!

4. Share, share, share: The hard work doesn’t just stop when you’ve added the finishing touches to your link bait – you need to invest some time and effort getting the word out there! Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, forums – use whatever you’ve got at your disposal and beg/bribe your contacts into sharing your content with their loyal following too! A great trick is to install social sharing buttons below your link bait and encourage people to share it – after all, the easier you make it, the more likely they are to do it!

Tags: content marketing, link bait, link bait viral marketing, Online Marketing

About the Author

Amy Edwards Amy Edwards is the SEO Manager for Bubble Jobs. With a strong background in online content and copywriting, Amy is responsible all the on-site and off-site SEO of Bubble Jobs and the Bubble Jobs blog. You can follow her on Twitter here or add her to your circles on Google+ here.