What initial link building do you do for a new site?

[10JQKAs]

Directories? Social Media? PR?

[AlanBleiweiss]

1.  Press release (SEO capable, using best practices)

2. set up accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

3. Submit to whatever high quality, topically relevant niche market directories that might be appropriate

Wait a week then 4. Create a blog on the site and set up social bookmarking capabilities on it (Stumble Upon, Google +1, Twitter, Facebook) and then submit that blog feed to appropriate blog directories, and set up an auto-feed to twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for each article that gets published.

5. After a couple articles are posted, send out another press release announcing the blog but don't stop posting articles - have them scheduled out over time so it builds value

6. Get an infographic created - they can be created for just about any topic, boring or otherwise.

7.  Promote the infographic

Following that technique, my team and I typically get stellar results

[evolvingSEO]

Use knowem to find and claim 100s of social profiles, especially on social sites within a niche you might not have been aware of.  The social profiles aren't link building per se (because many aren't followed links) but Alan has listed this #2 and I would agree.  It creates a social web around your site and strengthens trust in the brand.

-Dan

PS - all of Alan's tips are spot on, as always

[AlanBleiweiss]

and grabbing those social profiles through knowem is also good proactive online reputation management

[AlanMosley]

I find local or niche directories, just the free ones if they are local or relevant. If they are nich then by nature no everyone is included.
Matt Cutts has stated that they still give weight to directoreis that dont accept eveyone, he has also stated that local directoreis are a good idea, when mixed with a few quality links.

Paid directoreis are ok, if the fee is justifyed, meaning the review your submission and dont accept all commers.

[10JQKAs]

Thanks for the detailed response! Looks like I'm right around #5.

[10JQKAs]

Thanks for the knowem recommendation! Is the free version sufficient, or is it worth paying for?

[evolvingSEO]

With free you can check if the name has been taken for all of them.  Then you have to registerer yourself.  Paid will just do some registration for your I believe, so I've always stuck with free.

-D

[EGOL]

This reply is worth a LOT of money.