Have you ever heard of HARO? If not, you’re missing out! HARO is a free service that connects reporters with sources for their articles. This is an excellent resource for bloggers because it allows you to get your name and work out there in front of new people.
Journalists get quotes from reliable sources, and bloggers and businesses get valuable press mentions — it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
If you’re a blogger who wants to be quoted in an article, this is for you. If you write or blog for a living and want more exposure, HARO is a great way to get out name out there. And if you love sharing your opinion on exciting things, then HARO is definitely for you!
What is HARO?
HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. It’s a service by Cision dedicated to making connections between reporters and sources in all sorts of niches, from entertainment to technology to lifestyle.
When you sign up, you will begin getting three emails a day, each with dozens of queries across all different industries. The pitch requests include the topic, publication, questions, and a contact email to reach the journalist.
With hundreds of reporters looking for sources every day, there are plenty of opportunities.
How to use HARO
You can sign up to use HARO on https://www.helpareporter.com/ as either a source or a journalist — and both options might make sense if you are a blogger!
You can either sign up for HARO as a blogger to be contacted by reporters, or you can search for opportunities yourself.
To start, we’ll talk about signing up as a source — this is a great way to get published in articles across the web, and build valuable backlinks to your blog. Here’s how to do it:
- Sign up as a source on the HARO website
- You will receive 3 emails a weekday of journalists looking for sources
- When you find a pitch that you want to answer, send an email to the email address for that query
- Be mindful of deadlines — most HARO queries have a deadline a few days in the future, but others are very quick turnarounds
Remember that not all requests are guaranteed to be published or quoted in an article, but the more pitches you send, the better the chance.
Alternatively, bloggers can sign up for HARO as “journalists” and submit pitch requests. Many bloggers do this when they are looking for new products to review or include in their gift guides or if they want quotes from true pros in any industry (like medical doctors!)
Get more out of HARO with less work
Bloggers are already their own copywriters, social media managers, and much more, so sifting through hundreds of requests three times a day can get really tiring, really fast.
What are the benefits of HARO for bloggers?
HARO has so many benefits that you’ll wonder why more bloggers aren’t using it.
Get quoted in top publications:
HARO makes it easy to get your name and work in front of thousands of journalists, reporters, and bloggers. You might even get quoted in a nationally-known publication!
Gain exposure:
HARO is free; you never know when a new opportunity will pop up. This means that all you have to do is sign up and wait for reporters to get your name in front of their audience!
Expand your social media:
You can often ask journalists to link to a social channel instead of a website, so HARO is an excellent way to grow your Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok accounts.
Build backlinks and increase blog authority:
Having your name out there in articles all over the web will give you backlinks and increase your blog authority. And, depending on what you’re quoted about, this could lead to thousands of new readers!
Sell more products or services:
If your blog doubles as a lead generator for your freelance business or Etsy store, HARO is ideal for you. Not only can you get your name out there for exposure, but you can sometimes promote services or products and get in front of new customers.
Whether you’re looking to add diverse new voices to your blog, or looking to build backlinks, HARO is a great option for every blogger.