How To Use HARO For Link Building And PR
With the right techniques, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) can help you build links and brand awareness for PR efforts, no matter your industry.
Owned by PR/communications giant Cision, the HARO platform connects journalists looking for information with relevant sources willing to provide that information.
The journalists come from different platforms, from the New York Times to Forbes to niche bloggers.
HARO Stories can cover anything from real-time news stories to blogs looking for quotes on specific topics like SEO.
HARO is a great tool because both sides benefit from it; Reporters get their source and respondents get a link.
Unfortunately, the HARO system has become overloaded over the years, making it much more difficult to get an answer to an inquiry than it used to be.
But used correctly, HARO offers a valuable system for link acquisition and building valuable business relationships, even when competition has increased.
I know this platform from both sides, as a linking/branding tool for clients and private companies – and as a journalist looking for information for articles I’ve worked on for different sectors.
This article offers some unique insights from both sides of the platform.
The following tips can help you achieve successful link building and brand awareness results with HARO.
How to filter HARO results
If you subscribe to HARO’s main list, you will be bombarded with hundreds of requests every day that are difficult to search through.
At the very least, I recommend setting up a filter in Gmail for all pending HARO emails, setting them to read and forwarding them to a specific label.
You can also try setting up a more granular filter in Gmail, filtering all emails with the address [email protected] and any relevant keywords and automatically sending them to a labeled inbox.
Both strategies ensure that you are not overwhelmed by daily emails, which helps keep productivity high, and the latter helps you filter emails for specific keywords.
In addition, HARO offers the option to upgrade to a paid plan where you will only receive email queries that match specific keywords you wish to respond to.
In general, you should only respond to requests that meet the following criteria:
- You are qualified to respond to them.
- They are relevant to your industry.
- You have read the guidelines carefully.
- You can add unique value to them.
You increase your chances of getting published by answering the right questions.
Now let’s talk about how to create the perfect pitch.
This is how the perfect HARO pitch is created
Start with the right subject line
In order to get a response to your HARO reply, you must first create an appropriate subject line that will not be thrashed.
Keep things simple by using brackets to stand out from the other subject lines and establish instant credibility:
[HARO Response] My Job Title/Expertise + Powerful Adjective + Repeated Query Subject
For example, let’s say I responded to an inquiry looking for a quote on productivity tips for entrepreneurs. I would write a response line like this: “[HARO Repsonse] CEO/Author Productivity Tips for Entrepreneurs.”
You can also experiment with subject lines to grab attention, e.g. B. “Time management tips you won’t get from anyone else.”
Keep testing to see which usually has the highest conversion.
Lead with expertise and references
Next, start your answer with some background information.
Responses should begin with a one- to two-sentence paragraph bragging about your credentials in order to get selected. Reporters love reliable sources, so don’t be afraid to brag — just don’t be spammy or salesy.
Follow these guidelines to create the perfect introduction:
- List yours Name and current job title.
- Cite all publications They were featured in
- Link to any company or websites you operate.
- Mention any credentials that help you stand out.
For example, your response might start like this:
“Hello (author of the request),
I hope everything is ok.
Ron Lieback here, author of 365 to Vision: Modern Writer’s Guide and CEO/Founder of ContentMender. My articles have been featured in several top publications worldwide, from Forbes to Search Engine Journal to Cycle World…”
After your introduction, you will suggest an answer that should meet the requirements of the query.
Know how to format your answer
The key to a perfect answer is to give journalists exactly what they want. These requirements include:
- A short answer (1 paragraph, 2-3 sentences).
- A good quote (actionable information).
- correct grammar (Spell check and correct punctuation).
- Concise writing (no fluff or BS, ever).
- Easy to scan answer [spaced nicely, easy to follow, incorporates bullets (optional)].
Get the formatting and then you can create the perfect template for your pitches and tweak your responses.
Set up a unique angle
The added value is key to getting your quote or answer into a story.
However, they don’t do much to stand out from the crowd by adding mundane or recycled information.
Here are a few pitches to try and get your answer into a reporter’s story:
- Quote personal anecdotes related to your company or job title.
- Cite original research you or your company have completed.
- Add a controversial point that goes against the grain.
You could take a dozen angles, but ultimately, an original answer will help you stand out from the crowd.
If the journalist’s name is listed on the HARO request, research it and add some personal notes.
This shows that you put effort into the answer, which will stand out from the noise.
Read and follow the rules of the field carefully
This goes without saying, but be sure to respond directly to the terms of the request.
When people use templates or try to play the system, they often hurt themselves.
And if a name or publication is listed on the HARO request, please use that. Again, the more personal it sounds, the more appealing it will be.
Read HARO requirements
This last point is important as many people skip these points and end up ruining their answers by breaking one of the HARO rules.
When answering a HARO request, please note the following:
- No consideration (Link exchange or payment for a link).
- No pitching products.
- Link all images (The HARO system cannot render images).
- No attachments (HARO will mark your reply as spam).
While HARO is an effective system for link building, I have a few more tips to help you reap greater benefits from this type of PR link building.
5 tips to use HARO more effectively
1. Answer emails quickly
According to HARO, the HARO infrastructure reaches around 75,000 journalists and over 1 million sources.
With this amount of competition from other link builders and entrepreneurs, you need to respond to inquiries quickly and effectively.
While creating a template can help with formatting, I recommend simply creating a template for your introduction and then practicing quick responses to HARO requests.
Responding to inquiries on the same day can significantly increase your chances of being mentioned in an online publication.
2. Choose quality over quantity
HARO sends three e-mails a day with seemingly endless inquiries. If you’re trying to respond to hundreds of requests as quickly as possible, make sure you don’t get a single response.
Instead, focus on a few a day, give yourself the time you need to think, and add a valuable answer.
It may feel like an inefficient use of your time, but I guarantee you will get a higher conversion rate with this strategy.
3. Build relationships with journalists
The best link building strategies are those that build fruitful relationships for your business or brand.
Just because you were featured in an article doesn’t mean you have to end the relationship there.
Consider the following strategies to become a repeat source in a blogger’s or journalist’s articles:
- Share and promote published contenttag the journalist directly.
- Send a follow-up email Forwarding your interest in future articles when sources are needed.
- Please speak to the reporter or bloggers directly with their personal email.
I’ve even used HARO to attract new customers and build relationships that led to future business opportunities by staying in touch with journalists and bloggers.
4. Keep an eye on contacts
Streamline your HARO link building strategy by collecting contact information for all sources you receive links from, so you can contact them at a later date.
Create a spreadsheet and keep track of the stories and contact information related to your HARO reporter list.
You can also cross-reference your sheet with your link building software to see which backlinks are generating the most traffic and which sources are valuable to use again in the future.
5. Contact people outside of HARO
Finally, if you want to improve your conversion rate through PR link building, consider contacting reporters outside of HARO.
Many reporters are bombarded with replies on the HARO system, so it’s easy to stand out by emailing reporters directly.
Use a site operator search on the company website they write for to uncover their email address. This strategy is not guaranteed to work, but it can be a way to stand out.
Conclusion
HARO is a valuable link building tool that can be difficult for beginners to master.
Although conversion rates are usually low, these backlinks are often a valuable source of traffic and tie equity to websites, helping them to scale their business over the long term.
Use HARO and other strategies to promote your brand and take your business to the next level.
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