The process of establishing links and securing press coverage for your business can be taxing. It is a time-consuming and tedious task, and the cost of employing a link-building agency can be substantial. Nevertheless, there is HARO (Help A Reporter Out), the most effective link-building instrument for obtaining free press and links for your business.
Initially, it may appear that the market is oversaturated with individuals attempting to gain entry into media outlets. However, by employing the appropriate link-building strategies, it is possible to acquire high-authority links from journalists who are seeking stories similar to yours.
Let us assist you in obtaining the links you need by providing you with helpful whitehat link-building guidelines. These tips will provide you with an understanding of HARO, its advantages, and how you can utilize it to obtain free links for your business.
What Is HARO?
Peter Shankman established Help A Reporter Out (HARO) in 2008 as a Facebook group to facilitate the connection between journalists and sources.
Currently, it is one of the most frequently employed link-building tools, serving as a virtual bulletin board where reporters post queries seeking sources and potential interviewees to respond. This mailing list includes over 1 million sources and 75,000 journalists.
In this regard, HARO is one of the most effective whitehat link-building tools for brands and obtaining press coverage, providing a mutually beneficial situation for reporters and businesses that lack the resources to invest in traditional public relations (PR) activities or an extensive media contact list.
Journalists who are unaware of your organization may be intrigued by the prospect of writing about it.
How Does It Work?
HARO is a remarkable link-building tool for digital marketing campaigns that facilitates the connection between journalists and sources who are seeking interviews and stories.
Journalists will be able to rapidly access expert information by posting queries on the platform. Subsequently, sources may respond to the inquiry by furnishing pertinent information, facts, or hyperlinks that could be utilized in a narrative.
Certainly, there are alternative link-building tools available, including:
- Terkel
- Help a B2B Writer
- Qwoted
The platform simplifies the process of connecting sources, journalists, and link-building agencies without necessitating an excessive amount of resources for media exposure and link-building.
Signing Up as a Source and Start Pitching
We will refrain from discussing the process of enrolling as a journalist in HARO, as it is necessary to present your proposal to journalists and public relations professionals. However, it is imperative that you are aware of the process by which sources can register on the platform to establish their link-building strategies.
Step 1: Create an Account
To begin, navigate to helpareporter.com and select the “Sign Up” button located in the upper right corner of the site. Basic information, including:
- Name
- Email address
- Password
- Industry
- Location
Once you have completed the necessary information, click on the “Create Account” button to initiate the process.
Step 2: Confirm Your Email and Edit Your Profile
Subsequently, you will receive an email from HARO that verifies your account. Confirm your account and activate it by clicking the link in the email. Subsequently, you may commence the process of updating your profile by providing a concise biography and any social media links that you wish to distribute to journalists and PR professionals.
Step 3: Monitor Source Requests
Afterward, you may commence monitoring the source requests. In order to ensure that you are informed of any new inquiries or sources that are pertinent to your industry, HARO sends out three emails each day: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening.
Step 4: Submit Pitches to Reporters
If you identify a query that aligns with your area of expertise, you may submit your HARO proposal. Provide sufficient information about yourself and the reasons you are the appropriate source for the story while maintaining brevity.
Wait for the journalist to respond with additional information about the topic or to request an interview after you have submitted your HARO pitch.
Pitch-Winning Strategies for HARO
If you reflect, you will observe that you are in competition with hundreds or even thousands of other sources who also submit HARO proposals to the same query. That is why possessing an effective HARO proposal (or, conversely, an inadequate one) is insufficient. You require an exceptional one that distinguishes itself from the competition.
The following are some HARO link-building strategies that can be used to create successful HARO pitches:
Make Sure Your Pitch Is Relevant
Off-topic responses or irrelevant HARO proposals that waste your and their time will never be considered one of the best white link-building strategies.
This will only serve to diminish your likelihood of success.
Therefore, it is imperative that you conduct a thorough investigation, read the reporter’s query in its entirety, and comprehend the information they are seeking prior to clicking “send.”
Additionally, Del Rosario advised that individuals should communicate from their own experiences rather than relying on information that can be easily sourced online or in a book.
By emphasizing your authority and relevance in response to journalist inquiries, you will significantly increase your likelihood of being featured.
It is probable that your response will be deleted or disregarded if you neglect to ensure that it is pertinent.
Craft Engaging Subject Lines
What is the subsequent action? Perfect the subject line! It is essential to distinguish oneself from the crowd, as the majority of correspondents receive hundreds of emails daily regarding their inquiries.
Ensure that your subject line is both engaging and properly formatted to capture the reader’s attention (e.g., “SEO Expert Shares Insights on Improving Rankings”).
To commence, it is recommended that you adhere to the following format:
[Your Name] / [Job Title] / [Query]: [Title of Your Pitch]
Refrain from employing excessively lengthy sentences or superfluous terms. These are indicators that journalists may disregard your email and proceed to the subsequent item in their inbox.
Consider it akin to an elevator pitch: the objective is to captivate the reader’s attention in a brief amount of time, ensuring that they read the entire email.
Present Yourself as an Expert
Include any pertinent credentials or experience that are pertinent to the reporter’s inquiry at the outset of your proposal. This will increase the confidence of reporters in your expertise as a source, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will accept your invitation for an interview or remark.
Additionally, guarantee that the credentials you submit are supported by substantive evidence. The most effective method is to provide a hyperlink to a website or portfolio that contains case studies and references.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Even if you believe it to be a jewel, reporters have busy schedules and are likely to disregard a lengthy essay. Therefore, it is imperative to be concise and to the point.
Focus on delivering pertinent information and crucial insights that will be beneficial to their article or narrative.
Additionally, it is advisable to refrain from including attachments in your proposal, as the majority of journalists prefer to receive the email directly, which saves them time.
Follow the Inquiry Guidelines to Perfection
It is imperative that you adhere to the terms and conditions of the majority of the inquiries you receive, as they will be specific. This will demonstrate to reporters that you have invested the necessary time to read and comprehend their requests, thereby enhancing your likelihood of success.
For instance, adhere to the format they have established for submitting your proposal. If they require a particular bit of information, include it.
Additionally, there are guidelines established by HARO that must be adhered to, such as:
- Link exchanges are not available.
- There should be no payment for backlinks.
- All images must be linked and not sent as an attachment.
- Similarly, attachments are prohibited.
Your response may be flagged as spam and your likelihood of reaching the reporter’s inbox may be reduced if you fail to adhere to these link-building tips and guidelines.
Provide Value in Your Answer
Lastly, and this is a no-brainer, ensure that your response is valuable.
HARO is no exception to the high quality and effort required by all link-building techniques.
By providing industry-specific knowledge and statistics, being honest and transparent about prospective problems or issues, offering new insights, and providing practical advice on how to resolve the issue at hand, you can achieve this.
Standing out from the throng is more likely when your responses are more detailed and helpful.
It is important to remember that, despite the fact that “Help A Reporter Out” is the most effective link-building instrument, the primary objective is to establish relationships between journalists and sources. Therefore, capitalize on the opportunity by demonstrating your distinctive expertise and establishing rapport with journalists.
If you require assistance in determining the contents of your pitch, you may consult with SEO consultants or utilize SEO content writing services to optimize your HARO presentation.
