I think the in-person skills Lisa was talking about come into play when you are at a conference and got to meet someone in person. Probably in addition to knowing them Online. In person contact, done well, can sway the other party, the link provider, to take action or consider you, since now they ‘know’ you. Unless you were the person hiding under the bar table with spilled beer dripping on your head. hah. Local link buiding could be helped by person to person networking at BNI groups, Rotary, Chamber meetings etc. Being personable in person can almost always be an asset to your online business too.

Very good article. So are you saying linkbuilders who can meet folks in person like local SMB or at conferences and not hide under that table will be more effective than form letters and emails?
Did you secure a link from the Element salesperson? :)

Thanks.

I don’t necessarily think that a good link builder needs great social skills. Unlike communicating face-to-face, socializing online is comfortable for even the most socially awkward people. The pressure of telling that witty “one-liner” or holding a steady conversation is completely irrelevant in an online conversation. You can take any amount of time you need to craft the appropriate pitch/response. Other than this, I think your list is spot on!

Great post, I agree with a lot of the points you have raised,

I think a key point with link building is you need to get the message across in a well written format which makes you look honest and not spammy.

From my experience if you use signatures from SEO companies or Link building your success rate will be lower if you act direct from the company and use something which customers will like it will work better.

Kind Regards.

James Norquay.