How to Start Link Building Campaigns Fast with a Blitz List

Link building can be time-consuming and tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. With an effective blitz list, you can streamline your outreach efforts and see results within an hour.

Introduction to the blitz list and its importance

Have you ever been caught in the overwhelming cycle of searching for valid email addresses for your outreach campaigns? If so, you're not alone. Fortunately, there's a method designed to save you time and help validate your outreach pitches—the blitz list.

"A blitz list is simply a fully 'ready-to-send' outreach list which is generated based on a sample of your vetted prospects."

A blitz list is essentially a curated, ready-to-send outreach list generated from a sample of your vetted prospects. It's not just about convenience; it’s about increasing the efficiency of your campaigns. By utilizing a blitz list, you can speed up your email finding process, gain valuable insights into the viability of your outreach strategy, and even generate and verify around 60–120 email addresses from a list of 1,000 prospects in as little as 15–30 minutes.

The two purposes of a blitz list

So, what are the main benefits of creating a blitz list? Let's break it down:

• Time Savings: The process of finding emails can be lengthy, comprising various manual searches and verifications. A blitz list leverages tools and automation to generate emails programmatically, significantly reducing the time required to compile a list.
• Campaign Validation: Instead of reaching out to your entire list of prospects, a blitz list allows you to test the waters with a smaller segment. This way, you can quickly gauge the response to your outreach pitch—helping you make informed decisions on whether to proceed with, pivot, or scrap the campaign altogether.

With these advantages, it's easy to see why utilizing a blitz list can be a game-changing strategy for your link-building efforts and overall outreach campaign.

Finding emails of your prospects

Finding email addresses can often feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Typically, you would start by identifying the author of a post you want to contact. Tools like Hunter come in handy at this stage, allowing you to input the author's name and retrieve their email address.

However, when you want to contact someone other than the author, it gets tricky. You might find yourself digging through:

• Team pages
• LinkedIn employee directories
• Facebook About pages

This exhausting process can lead you to generic email addresses or no email at all, prompting a sense of desperation. Many turn to freelance networks to save time, but often that's not the solution they hope for. Issues such as providing personal emails, delivering invalid addresses, or simply generating human errors can hinder your outreach efforts.

Creating your blitz list: three methods

Now that we understand the importance of the blitz list, let’s dive into how to create one efficiently. Here are three methods to generate your blitz list:

1. Using Google Sheets

For those who prefer an easy and flexible approach, using Google Sheets with an App Script is the way to go. Ideally, you'll want the help of a developer to integrate calls to Hunter's Author API and Neverbounce’s verification service. This combination gives you the flexibility to format your data according to your needs.

However, if you want a quicker solution, you can utilize Hunter’s Google Sheets add-on. Here’s how:

• Install the Hunter for Sheets add-on.
• Go to the Finder tab, select author finder, input your URLs, and hit the "Find Email Addresses" button.

While this is straightforward, don’t forget to validate these addresses using Neverbounce to ensure you’re working with deliverable emails.

2. Creating a custom-coded program

If you are planning to scale your email finding efficiently, investing in a custom-coded program is the best route. Although it might come with a higher upfront cost, having your own scalable solution will pay off in the long run.

Both the Hunter and Neverbounce APIs are user-friendly, and you can often create a basic system for under $50, making it a worthy investment for agencies or serious link builders looking for robust processes.

3. Using Google Sheets with a nocode tool like Zapier

Lastly, if coding isn't your forte, consider leveraging a nocode tool like Zapier. This method blends the ease of Google Sheets with the custom flexibility of automated workflows. It may take some time to set up, especially if you're unfamiliar with logic programming, but once it's operational, it can save substantial time and effort.

After you’ve run your URLs through the respective APIs, you’ll have your blitz list ready, filled with valid and programmatically generated email addresses.

Choosing your outreach approach and writing email templates

Before you send out your emails, it’s critical to choose the right outreach approach and construct effective email templates. The first decision is whether to pursue guest post opportunities, resource page links, or broken link replacements. Each approach has its own best practices and tone:

• Guest Post Outreach: Focus on demonstrating expertise and offering fresh, relevant content.
• Resource Page Link Building: Highlight how your existing content complements or enhances current resources.
• Broken Link Reclamation: Identify dead or outdated links, then pitch your content as a perfect replacement.

Next, craft messaging that resonates with your audience and encourages responses. Personalize every email with a clear subject line, concise introduction, and a compelling call to action. By aligning your template to your chosen outreach approach, you’ll dramatically improve your response rate and overall campaign performance.

Conclusion

Quick Takeaway: A blitz list can drastically reduce the time spent on outreach and help validate your email strategy.

• Action Step: Set aside 30 minutes today to run ten URLs through the Hunter and Neverbounce APIs and kick off your blitz list for your next link-building campaign.**

When was the last time you streamlined a tedious process in your work? Consider implementing a blitz list in your next link-building campaign and observe how it transforms your outreach efforts! What challenges have you faced with email finding in your campaigns? Let’s discuss in the comments below!