the not so obvious reason why link generation is important
By now, it may seem obvious that getting people to link to your site is an important part of your web marketing strategy. These links help improve your Internet presence and provide direct traffic from other website to yours. But I’d like to talk a bit about the not-so-obvious reason for getting involved in link generation. That reason: networking.
As business professionals, we often find ourselves at mixers, lectures and other events that are meant to get us together, to broaden our professional networks and get our names out there. After all, for most of us, warm referrals are much less painful than cold calling! But when it comes to the Internet, it is sometimes difficult to see the networking potential - especially when our main focus is often on how to get our information out to the world.
But the Internet can be an amazing tool for starting dialogues and building relationships. In its most basic application, we can use the Internet to locate businesses like ours (or maybe complimentary to ours). These types of websites provide great link building resources, so it’s important to contact the owner and talk link exchange. In doing so, you’ve reached out, sometimes across town, sometimes around the world. You’ve started a relationship that can lead to business and can be mutually beneficial.
So, what’s the bottom line? If you’re not using the Internet to reach out, to get your names out there and to build relationships, you’re not using it to its fullest potential. I should know, I’ve been asked to speak at events and have gotten jobs from people I met through link generation work. I’ve also built some of my most important business relationships with people who I may never meet in person, but would never have been able to connect with any other way!
