Build  relationships, not links. If you’re in the business of link acquisition  and looking for a new mantra, or a way to be great at your job, there  it is.
Building  relationships is a new beast to tame. It’s not about trying to  influence machines – it’s about trying to influence people. Every human  is a kaleidoscope of attitudes, behaviors, and emotions.
Empathy  – immersing oneself in the prospect’s world – is an asset for fostering  trust, negotiating exchanges, and building lasting relationships.
Here’s  how tapping in to the study of human behavior can help us better  understand people’s actions and build stronger ties in a  post-Penguin/Panda world.
1. Man (and Woman) is a Perpetually Dissatisfied Animal Time  warp back to philosophy class. Karl Marx’s theory of production and  consumption says, “When basic needs have been met, this leads to the  creation of new needs.”
Every  prospect you contact has a need, something they want or they don’t know  they can have – yet. The first step for building relationships is  identifying why the person that you’re trying to foster a connection  with would benefit from a relationship with you.
Robert  Cialdini, author of “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”,  identifies six key principles of persuasion. The very first principle  is reciprocity:  “People tend to return a favor”. The idea is that when someone makes an  effort to do something for us, our moral fabric tends to make us feel  obliged to do something in return.
If  your client sells shoes and you approach a fashion blogger with a free  pair to review, their conscience (and their shoe addiction) will make  them happy to review.
Not only does your offer have to be creative when you approach a prospect, it has to relate to how they can achieve a goal.
This  may mean having to re-evaluate your link acquisition strategy with your  clients, to identify the collateral you can exchange with prospects,  whether free samples and trials, exclusive offers, or expertise.
2. Personality can tell us a Lot about What Motivates People
The  extinct practice of paying for links is now frowned upon by most SEOs,  bloggers, and search engines alike. Since Google’s Penguin/Panda  updates, outreach solely based on “link building” significantly reduce  your response rates and terminates your chances of being considered on  an A-list blog.
Now  you have to work harder to learn more about who you’re contacting and  what you can offer each other in the long-term. There’s a lot more  involved than just evaluating the keyword relevancy or page rank  value of a site.
The  secret to relationships lies in knowing people’s underlying interests,  needs, and values. That’s what helps you determine what motivates them  and how you can help each other in the future.
Every one of your prospects is a potential ally. And empathy is the way you will step into their world, and understand what drives their behavior and how you can influence it.
Fortunately  (for marketers), you can tell a lot about a person by what they post  online. They leave an entire trail of digital footprints for you to  follow, from their “About” page, their blog posts, their LinkedIn  profile, to what kind of stuff they post on Twitter and Facebook. Your  detective work is all laid out for you. It just takes a few extra clicks  and a little curiosity.
3. Identify Relevant “Currencies”; Theirs and Yours
Mind  Tools’ Influence Model talks about using “relevant currencies” in order  to influence people. The model was actually developed for a work  setting, but it’s incredible how these principles can be applied to  relationship building. The idea is to establish what the most meaningful  “currency” is to the person you are reaching out to.
The five currencies below can be great sources of inspiration when you’re negotiating an exchange:
- Inspiration-related currencies.  People who value these currencies want to find meaning in what they’re  doing. To appeal to these people, approach them with a cause, something  that will lead to a greater good.
 - Task-related currencies.  Task-related currencies are often highly valued where supplies and  resources may be scarce. Offer them your client’s expertise on a topic  that’s relevant to their site that they haven’t covered yet.
 - Position-related currencies.  People who value this currency focus on recognition, reputation, and  visibility. Create content relevant to their interests that make an  active attempt to engage them, either directly through the content or  through social channels.
 - Relationship-related currencies.  People who value relationships want to belong. These people want to  feel connected on a personal level, with you or the organization you’re  representing. Show them that they aren’t just a means to an end and  involve them in various initiatives.
 - Personal-related currencies.  These currencies relate to the other person on a personal level. You  should give courtesy and gratitude for the help you receive. It’s as  simple as writing “Thank You” follow up emails, sharing a person’s blog  post, and making it a habit of acknowledging people for their efforts.
 
4. The Medium is the Message
From  email to Google+, Facebook to face-to-face, each of these communication  channels has their own unique characteristics, much like the people who  use them.
Marshall  McLuhan stated that the medium through which we choose to communicate  holds as much value as the message itself. One contact might like IM,  another might always be on Twitter – it’s good to know where people want  to be reached.
5. Influence is Give and Take
In  Francisco Dao’s article Networking is for Losers, he makes a key point  that sums up how you should approach building relationships; a road to quality versus a shooting slope to quantity:
“A few strong relationships can open far more doors than a thousand evenings of glad handing and networking.”
With  that, keep in mind these six steps for building fruitful and lasting  relationships. See if getting to know the person behind the email  address might be worth the time and the nurturing.
Source:  http://searchenginewatch.com