Regular readers here at Search Engine Guide know that I often equate good link building with relationship building. Since a link basically serves as an online recommendation of services, site owners have to be willing to stake their own reputation on what their users will find after the click. That's why good link building goes beyond simply putting together great content or a great product. It focuses on securing a relationship between two individuals so that the link follows naturally.

That's why I think it's important to sometimes share examples of what good relationship building looks like.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader of my pet project site, The Lactivist. The reader wrote to compliment me on a particular blog post and made mention of her own experience on the subject. I responded with some additional thoughts of my own. She responded back and made mention of a product that she sells that addresses the issue we were discussing. She offered to send me one of the products if I would be interested in reviewing it.

She build a bridge to a relationship and THEN she approached the link building aspect. Smart lady.

A few days later, a package arrived at my doorstep containing the product and a letter. The letter made me smile and sort of made me wonder if she reads my ranting on this site about good relationship building.

Here's what it said (with some phrases changed to keep it generic)...

Dear Jennifer,

Thanks so much for offering to review our new product. We're proud of it and look forward to your feedback. Every product can be made better and we are certainly open to suggestions for improvements.

As promised, enclosed is the [product name] for your review. I look forward to your honest assessment and hope you can find a good use for it when you have finished. By the way, consistent with our corporate mission, we have committed to donating a portion of our profits to [well known charity related to product] so we can do our part to support breastfeeding women everywhere.

Keep up the good work that you are doing on your Lactivist site! New moms or those new to breastfeeding need all the encouragement, information and assistance they can get and I'm very happy to see all the wonderful breastfeeding sites that do just that. I certainly wish they had been available 30 years ago when I nursed my children but I'm glad my daughter has access to so much good information now. She introduced me to your site.

Please feel free to call me at [phone number] if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

[person's name]

Now let me make a quick list of the things that she did right...

1.) She thanked me for the time that I'll spend on this.
2.) She made it clear that she's open to feedback since I fall into her target product market.
3.) She reminded me of the product name and why it was being sent.
4.) She pointed out her company's involvement in supporting a non-profit group.
5.) She complimented me on my site and showed that she'd taken time to read it.
6.) She made it personal by mentioning her own experience and her daughter.
7.) She shared a phone number where I could contact her directly if I had questions.
8.) She maintained a warm, friendly tone through the entire letter.

This wasn't a complicated letter to write. It probably took her a few minutes to write up and print out before signing her name and including it in the package. There's a good chance that this wasn't even a marketing ploy, it's just who she is and how she communicates.

But contrast that letter with a product that shows up with a form letter that says "If you have questions, here's our email" and nothing more and you can see a big difference. While I (and most other bloggers) are obviously going to review a product based on its own merits, it's important to remember that personal communication can really color the glasses that someone looks at your product through. 

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