There is some confusion about what link baiting is, how to go about it and what relationship it should have with your brand.

Link baiting is the creation of something that attracts links from others. Your creation can be interesting, humorous or shocking. As long as it gets people talking, referring and linking then it’s fulfilling its purpose.

It can be an article, blog or video. Or a game. Really, just anything that gets discussion going and makes people want to show others.

Many companies do not understand the relationship between link baiting and their brand. Indeed brand images become blurred when entering the realm of link baiting – viral videos are a classic example, with the Cadbury’s drum-playing gorilla being the point in case. Does it make you want to buy chocolate? No. Unless you like to use your chocolate bars as drum sticks and the sight of hairy mammals makes your sweet tooth pang. But does it make you talk and show your friends? Yes.

Whether you now associate gorillas and talented animals with the Cadbury brand or not doesn’t matter – it does the brand no harm and if the intention of the campaign had been to get a load of backlinks then it would have passed with flying colours.

Now imagine a viral video that had tried to reinforce the quality of Cadbury and their commitment to the sense of community.

Yawn.

Brand does not have to envelop link bait, and in fact if it does, the link baiting campaign will usually be unsuccessful.

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