HARO Strategy for Free PR

What is HARO?

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a free service that connects journalists with expert sources. Three times daily, HARO sends emails with journalist queries across categories like business, tech, lifestyle, and more.

How It Works

1. Journalists submit queries for sources they need
2. HARO sends these queries to subscribers
3. You respond to relevant queries via email
4. If selected, you get quoted (with a link to your company)

Success Potential

HARO can land you coverage in major publications: Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, NYT, and more. But competition is high—popular queries receive 50-200+ responses.

Getting Started

Account Setup

1. Sign up at helpareporter.com
2. Select relevant categories
3. Choose your plan (free tier is fine to start)

Email Schedule

HARO sends emails three times daily (EST):

• 5:35 AM
• 12:35 PM
• 5:35 PM

Time Investment

Expect to spend 15-30 minutes scanning each email and 20-30 minutes crafting a quality response. Budget 1-2 hours daily for active HARO work.

HARO Alternatives

• Qwoted — More context about publications, modern interface
• SourceBottle — Similar to HARO, good for global opportunities
• JournoRequests — Twitter-based journalist requests
• Featured.com — Premium service with higher-quality opportunities

Try multiple platforms to maximize opportunities.

Finding Relevant Queries

Scanning Efficiently

Most HARO emails contain 30-50 queries. Scan for:

• Your industry or expertise keywords
• Publications you'd want to be in
• Queries you can genuinely help with

Evaluating Opportunities

Before responding, check:

• Publication quality: Is it a site you'd want to be on?
• Query specificity: Vague queries = more competition
• Deadline: Can you respond in time?
• Fit: Are you genuinely qualified?

Crafting Winning Responses

Response Structure

1. Opening: Reference the query, establish credentials (2 sentences)
2. Answer: Direct, quotable response (2-3 paragraphs)
3. Credentials: Brief bio establishing expertise (1-2 sentences)
4. Availability: Offer to expand or provide more (1 sentence)

What Makes Responses Win

• Speed: Respond within 30 minutes for best odds
• Specificity: Concrete examples, not generic advice
• Quotability: Write in complete, quotable sentences
• Credentials: Clear expertise relevant to the query

Response Templates

Subject: [Query Topic] - [Your Name], [Company]

Hi [Journalist Name],

Responding to your query about [topic]. As the [Title] of [Company] with [X years] in [industry], I can offer some insight.

[2-3 paragraphs of direct, quotable commentary. Write as if being quoted. Include specific examples or data points.]

Brief bio: [Name] is the [Title] of [Company], [one-line company description]. [One relevant credential.]

Happy to expand on any of this or jump on a call if helpful.

[Name]
[Email]
[Phone]
          

Subject: [Topic] Data - [Your Name], [Company]

Hi,

For your piece on [topic], here's some relevant data from [Company]:

[Specific statistic or finding #1]
[Specific statistic or finding #2]
[Specific statistic or finding #3]

Context: [Brief explanation of how you gathered this data and what it means.]

I can provide additional data, graphics, or commentary as needed.

[Name]
[Title], [Company]
          

Subject: [Topic] - Founder Experience

Hi,

Your query resonates with my experience. When I [relevant situation], I learned that [key insight].

[2-3 paragraphs telling a specific story with concrete details. Include what happened, what you learned, and what you'd do differently.]

Background: I'm [Name], founder of [Company]. [Brief credential.]

Happy to share more details or photos if useful for your story.

[Name]
          

Subject: Source for [Topic] Article

Hi,

For your piece on [topic], [Company] might be worth mentioning.

We [what you do] for [audience]. [Key differentiator or metric.]

[Relevant quote about the topic from you or your CEO]

Happy to provide more information, screenshots, or connect you with customers who can share their experience.

[Name]
          

Common Mistakes

• Being too promotional: Focus on helping the journalist, not selling
• Missing deadlines: Late responses are ignored
• Generic responses: Address the specific query
• No credentials: Prove why you're qualified
• Poor formatting: Make it easy to read and quote

Advanced Tactics

Speed Optimization

• Set up email filters for HARO
• Prepare template responses for common topics
• Check HARO immediately when emails arrive

Building Relationships

After being quoted:

• Thank the journalist on Twitter
• Share the article (tagging them)
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Offer yourself for future stories

Tracking Success

Track every response:

• Query topic and publication
• Date submitted
• Outcome (quoted/not quoted)
• Link to coverage if successful