Bait strategies to get the right kind of fish (links)

Link Baiting is an old and a popular term that is used for content that gets relevant websites in your sphere to automatically link to your website without you asking for a link. This is often mistaken as a part of viral marketing as it normally does not promote exposure or branding.

There are several ways of creating link baits which are mentioned below –

a) Good content hooks: Good content with catchy title: write focused content important to your business and use catchy titles. If you have a good title, then you have won half the battle of a successful linkbait campaign. Use optimized anchor text as the goal is to have it linked to often, the title will be used as the link in many cases.
b) News Hook: This does not mean generic news – but if you are one of the few people to actually know about new happenings in your industry, then you can be the first one to publish the news and use it as a “hook”.
c) Contrary Hook: When you go against common myths or well established notions and people will be incited to talk about you.
d) Humor Hook. When you have something witty written about anything in your industry niche, influential people etc, in a lighter vein.
e) Tool Hook. When you create free tools and make them available on your website for people to use.
f) Award Hook. When you provide award which are legitimate in your industry and people who have won them, link to your website to legitimatize them selves.
g) Giveaway Hook: When you give away promotional material for free on your website.
h) Research/Statistic Hook: When you have Compiled data, scientific surveys etc., on your website which have great importance in your industry.
i) Ego Hook: When you offer people significant exposure to express their ideas, talk about themselves, their ideas, or their company with your assistance.

As time is passing, people are finding more ways of link baiting. Depending upon the industry and the business model, link baiting technique would vary.