Everyone wants links. But how do you get them if you are faced with doing things offline -- or rather, if you want to be unconventional and gather links in person, how do you do that?
A WebmasterWorld thread discusses some strategies you may not have thought of. One I did know about: going to industry conferences (ever see my link post?) But you can also give away free information offline (and over the phone) and be available for inquiries. In return, you can ask for a link. Some even resort to fax machines for this request.
Gather whois information and start calling -- sure, it's cold calling, but so is asking for links at times.
Don't be afraid to use the phone. Most of the later generation doesn't value it as much as the electronic communication, but it can be more potent when speaking to a person.
Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.
