Email template
Four to seven days after the first email, with no reply. Send this once, not on repeat. Below: the template, a filled-in example, why it works, common mistakes and the follow-up to send if there's no reply.
Subject: Re: {original subject}
Hi {first name},
Bringing this back up in case it got buried. One more thing that might matter for your readers: {new, specific detail: a feature, a price change, a stat}.
If it's not a fit for the post, no problem at all.
Thanks,
{your first name}
The situation: Six days after pitching the researchers' note-taking list, with no reply. The product is Margin, a fictional notes app for researchers.
Subject: Re: Your note-taking apps for researchers list
Hi Lena, Bringing this back up in case it got buried. One more thing that might matter for your readers: Margin now imports highlights from Zotero, so nobody has to start from scratch. If it's not a fit for the post, no problem at all. Thanks, Ana
Send once, four to seven days later, in the same thread. Add one new reason; don't repeat the pitch.
Subject: Re: {original subject}
Hi {first name},
Last note from me on this. If it ever becomes useful for the post, I'm happy to help.
Thanks,
{your first name}
A template saves time on structure, not on research. Every placeholder should become a detail only this editor would recognise: their name, the post, the section and why your product helps their readers. Send it from a properly authenticated outreach domain, one email per prospect, and stop after one or two follow-ups.
Timing matters as much as wording (the glossary entry on follow-ups has the rules of thumb). The link building outreach guide covers the full sequence from first pitch to final nudge, and the outreach volume planner shows how follow-ups count against your sending limits. To get the dates right, the follow-up email planner works out when each nudge is due and skips weekends.
Doing this for dozens of posts a week is where most outreach stalls. BacklinkGenie finds the posts, writes a pitch like the example above for each one, and sends it from a mailbox it manages for you once you approve. See how it works.
Four to seven working days. Editors often batch email, so a reply within a day or two is rare. Waiting a week also lets your follow-up arrive when their inbox is in a different state.
More than two. One thoughtful follow-up recovers a good share of replies; a second, final one is acceptable. After that, close the prospect.
No. Keep it in the same thread so the original is visible, and add one new reason the product helps their readers.
Getting added to a best-of list template
For "best X" and "top tools for Y" posts that rank products like yours but don't include you yet.
Getting into an alternatives or comparison post template
For "{competitor} alternatives" and "A vs B" posts, where readers are actively choosing a tool.
Turning down a paid-link request template
For replies that ask for a fee, a "sponsored post" or a link insertion price.
Link outreach email checker
Paste your filled-in version and see what an editor or spam filter will object to.
Outreach subject line tester
Check the subject for length, mobile cut-off and spam triggers.
All outreach email templates
Every template on one page: 19 situations from listicles to paid-link replies.
Paste your URL. The agent finds lists, comparison pages, resource pages and guides where your product fits, checks each site and finds the editor to contact. Free, no card.
