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Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a service owned by Cision (via the merger with Vocus) for reaching out to journalists.https://dudodiprj2sv7.cloudfront.net/product-logos/dr/bw/IIBFEMMSPFKM.PNGExcellent resource to connect experts to reportersI use HARO daily. From checking to see what reporters and outlets are planning to work on, to connecting experts from my non-profit to reporters, Help a Reporter Out is perhaps the best way to stay ahead of the media cycle. With its easy to use email format and straightforward structure to reply, the service is easy and results in excellent stories as well as great opportunities for our organization to gain media exposure by helping reporters when they need a specific quote. I highly recommend signing up and tracking this service.,Connects reporters to experts Allows organization to gain media exposure by helping reporters with specific requests and questions Updates regularly, with three daily emails Establishes relationships between members of your organization and reporters,Make the emails easier to navigate and more friendly to different email servers Allow for forwarding and direct emails, even when someone hasn't signed up for the service,10,Excellent media coverage Connections and relationships with new reporters and outlets Excellent way to stay ahead of the news cycle and be the first to comment,,Cision PR Software, MyMediaInfo, BurrellesLuce WorkflowI landed an AP piece using HARO!I use HARO almost every day looking for opportunities to spread the word about brands in my portfolio. One brand, SD Strong Distilling, is a true startup and working very hard to get the word out. With HARO I know I am contacting people who are looking for content that will be published quickly.,Clear concise format Gives user tips for achieving the best results Love the 3 times per day..keeps my creative energy working.,When someone responds to my inquiry, it would be helpful to have the original query from the reporter included. As I am working several brands at one time, this would help keep everything clear and concise.,9,A hard thing to measure in terms of actual sales dollars, however, being able to provide fresh content is essential to any brand. When someone mentions they saw the published piece or it grows organically from social media, that is a win.,Cision PR Software,Cision PR SoftwareHARO – A Powerful Marketing Tool to Increase Brand AwarenessWe use HARO at Velo IT Group to seek out opportunities to be cited in articles, which is instrumental for generating brand awareness and boosting SEO efforts. It is managed by myself (Marketing) and I frequently request quotes from team members in different departments. These opportunities have provided great social media content which has garnered high levels of engagement and helped our leadership team establish credibility in their areas of expertise.,Provides opportunities for exposure online on highly reputable sites, boosting SEO. Helps our leadership team establish credibility in their areas of expertise. Provides great social media content which has garnered high levels of engagement.,Better follow-up from reporters. The majority of reporters do not take the time to let you know that your quote was used. Better approval/disapproval tracking. I've only had two submissions "rejected" yet only a small percentage of submissions are used.,9,Positively impacted SEO effortsQuickest way to get pressI use HARO not only to find PR opportunities for myself, my clients, and students, but also to monitor trending media topics and to gain media insight.,Pushes PR opportunities right to your desktop several times a day Provides media opportunities for just about every industry and if you monitor it regularly, on just about every topic you can think of Provides an easy way to contact reporters with relevant information,It would be great if there was a way of knowing if a reporter had read your email, so the user would have immediate feedback on the types of pitches that are successful, or not.,10,I average about an 80% success rate for my pitches via HARO. Time very well spent. And since there is no cost, excellent ROI.,Constant Contact, MailerLite,Easy to set up push notifications Easy system for responding to relevant reporter queries via the provided email,In order to get good results from HARO, you need to know best PR practices, and stick to exactly what reporters are asking for.,10A Simple, Basic Interface That Is Reliable and Works Better than the Others I've UsedI often use HARO to find great sources for the stories I'm working on. Almost everyone at Authority Magazine uses it as well. HARO makes it really easy to reach successful people who can comment intelligently on a story we are working on. I would say that a good deal of the success of Authority comes from my experience with HARO.,Helps journalists like me connect with renowned experts It helps people looking for media coverage to connect with journalists It helps to democratize the media - without HARO the media would only be accessed by people who have the keys to the gatekeepers,I think it is really great. The user experience and appearance seems a bit old fashioned, but it works,10,The ROI is incredible- it costs nothing and I have only gained both financially and professionally,Cision PR Software,Adobe Photoshop
  3. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Reviews
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Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
13 Ratings
Score 9.6 out of 101
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Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Reviews

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
13 Ratings
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Score 9.6 out of 101
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Jessica Herrera profile photo
January 14, 2019

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "Excellent resource to connect experts to reporters"

Jessica Herrera
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I use HARO daily. From checking to see what reporters and outlets are planning to work on, to connecting experts from my non-profit to reporters, Help a Reporter Out is perhaps the best way to stay ahead of the media cycle.

With its easy to use email format and straightforward structure to reply, the service is easy and results in excellent stories as well as great opportunities for our organization to gain media exposure by helping reporters when they need a specific quote.

I highly recommend signing up and tracking this service.
  • Connects reporters to experts
  • Allows organization to gain media exposure by helping reporters with specific requests and questions
  • Updates regularly, with three daily emails
  • Establishes relationships between members of your organization and reporters
  • Make the emails easier to navigate and more friendly to different email servers
  • Allow for forwarding and direct emails, even when someone hasn't signed up for the service
Help a Reporter Out is a great way to track what media are planning to report on, and assist organizations in connecting with these reporters when a request matches your organization's expertise.

It is not a great way to try and do PR or get out your specific message -- you are there to assist reporters with specific requests rather than try and get reporters to cover work you are doing.
Read Jessica Herrera's full review
Lisa Strong profile photo
June 28, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "I landed an AP piece using HARO!"

Lisa Strong
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I use HARO almost every day looking for opportunities to spread the word about brands in my portfolio. One brand, SD Strong Distilling, is a true startup and working very hard to get the word out. With HARO I know I am contacting people who are looking for content that will be published quickly.
  • Clear concise format
  • Gives user tips for achieving the best results
  • Love the 3 times per day..keeps my creative energy working.
  • When someone responds to my inquiry, it would be helpful to have the original query from the reporter included. As I am working several brands at one time, this would help keep everything clear and concise.
Especially good for building confidence in reaching out to reporters, journalists, etc. These folks are looking for stories and you are providing them with a direct link to the brands you represent. It's a win-win for both parties if your pitch is considered and accepted.

Be sure to do your diligence to confirm that the outlet is the caliber your client is looking for.
Read Lisa Strong's full review
Crystal McFerran profile photo
June 28, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "HARO – A Powerful Marketing Tool to Increase Brand Awareness"

Crystal McFerran
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use HARO at Velo IT Group to seek out opportunities to be cited in articles, which is instrumental for generating brand awareness and boosting SEO efforts. It is managed by myself (Marketing) and I frequently request quotes from team members in different departments. These opportunities have provided great social media content which has garnered high levels of engagement and helped our leadership team establish credibility in their areas of expertise.
  • Provides opportunities for exposure online on highly reputable sites, boosting SEO.
  • Helps our leadership team establish credibility in their areas of expertise.
  • Provides great social media content which has garnered high levels of engagement.
  • Better follow-up from reporters. The majority of reporters do not take the time to let you know that your quote was used.
  • Better approval/disapproval tracking. I've only had two submissions "rejected" yet only a small percentage of submissions are used.
HARO has been a tremendous success for Velo IT Group! We have been included in numerous articles, which is a powerful marketing tool in that it augments our SEO efforts and increases brand awareness. These opportunities have provided great social media content which has garnered high levels of engagement and helped our leadership team establish credibility in their areas of expertise. We’ve landed mentions in Forbes, Inc, Digital Guardian, USA Today, ABC News and CMS Wire to name a few, and have built up enough content to create an ‘In the News’ page on our website: https://www.velomethod.com/in-the-news/
Read Crystal McFerran's full review
Melanie Downey profile photo
June 28, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "Quickest way to get press"

Melanie Downey
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I use HARO not only to find PR opportunities for myself, my clients, and students, but also to monitor trending media topics and to gain media insight.
  • Pushes PR opportunities right to your desktop several times a day
  • Provides media opportunities for just about every industry and if you monitor it regularly, on just about every topic you can think of
  • Provides an easy way to contact reporters with relevant information
  • It would be great if there was a way of knowing if a reporter had read your email, so the user would have immediate feedback on the types of pitches that are successful, or not.
HARO is great for reactive pitching, can get you some quick press when done right, and can be used to monitor trends for your proactive pitching, as well. It's not meant to be used as a vehicle to sway reporters off of a story idea, though -- I hear many people saying they send pitches that aren't exactly what the reporter asked for, and this is not the place to do that.
Read Melanie Downey's full review
Yitzi Weiner profile photo
June 27, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "A Simple, Basic Interface That Is Reliable and Works Better than the Others I've Used"

Yitzi Weiner
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I often use HARO to find great sources for the stories I'm working on. Almost everyone at Authority Magazine uses it as well. HARO makes it really easy to reach successful people who can comment intelligently on a story we are working on. I would say that a good deal of the success of Authority comes from my experience with HARO.
  • Helps journalists like me connect with renowned experts
  • It helps people looking for media coverage to connect with journalists
  • It helps to democratize the media - without HARO the media would only be accessed by people who have the keys to the gatekeepers
  • I think it is really great. The user experience and appearance seems a bit old fashioned, but it works
I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to find great sources, or for someone looking to generate earned media.
Read Yitzi Weiner's full review
Tom Smith profile photo
June 27, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO): "HARO has helped me build a network of IT, PR, and corporate communications professionals."

Tom Smith
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
As the research analyst for DZone, I use HARO to find IT professionals to interview for our 16 research guides that cover different subsectors of the IT landscape from AI/ML, big data to performance, security, and web development. HARO has helped me connect with more than 400 PR and corporate communications professionals and more than 800 IT professionals.
  • Connects me with senior level IT executives who share their insights on the current and future state of the industry.
  • Helps me build relationships with more than 800 IT professionals.
  • Helps me build relationships with more than 300 PR and corporate communications professionals.
  • I cannot think of any. I think they do a great job of helping me find the people I need to speak with for the articles I am writing.
When you have a specific topic you want to discuss (e.g. internet of things) and you know who you want to talk to (e.g. c-level and V.P.-level IT executives). Media professionals who respond to my HARO queries are much more relevant than the unsolicited queries I receive via email.
Read Tom Smith's full review
No photo available
June 28, 2018

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "Catch a Rising Star or Industry Expert"

Verified User
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
As a contributing editor and freelance writer, I am often given assignments which use my research skills to flush out the desired synopsis assigned by the publisher of a variety of magazines. HARO has been invaluable in helping me find qualified sources in a variety of industries that I may not have personal contacts in. The responses to my requests for interviews and source material has been extremely fast. I've used HARO to obtain quirky pieces of info that make my stories unique, to requests for specific examples to illustrate a larger trend.
  • Obtain interviews with A-list known experts and celebrities.
  • Find sources of data to identify trends.
  • Obtain contacts in new industries.
  • Since the request for info is so open to response, there are always people sending replies that have little to do with the posted topic.
[It's] Well suited to obtain interviews with A-list sources that you may not have access to. Their representatives can reach out to you. Also good to find new contacts in industries to get information on trends. Less appropriate to find specific people or companies. You'll get responses you can cull through however and determine what's best to follow up on. Good for posting a topic but not the publication if it confidential yet.
Read this authenticated review
No photo available
April 13, 2017

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Review: "Help a Reporter Out Proves Beneficial Not Only for the Reporter!"

Verified User
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use Help a Reporter Out particularly in the Communications department as a tool to find media coverage opportunities separate from our standard pitching to local and national media. When I first started working here it was just an extra resource I would check daily to see if there was ever a need by a journalist for something that we could provide insight on if it was specific to our industry/business.
  • It does a great job at staying in touch with users. You receive a daily email with categories that apply to you as well as a separate weekly emails with all categories of queries.
  • The way they organize their emails makes it quick and easy to get right to the section that pertains to you. When you click the links they scroll down to the appropriate section for you.
  • It's very user-friendly. A very simple layout which makes the process straight and to the point. No complex or complicated interface.
  • I've noticed that some queries are incredibly vague to the point where they could or could not apply to me. I feel like they should implement more strict parameters on what the query has to include.
  • Sometimes the outlet is marked anonymous which is not beneficial at all to those who are browsing queries. I think the outlet should be required as that is a pretty essential piece of information to consider.
  • I think they email slightly too often. My inbox gets flooded with HARO emails and I'm not able to go through all of them because they get buried. Maybe explore a new strategy to organize the huge amount of queries that get submitted every day.
I think it's really meant as a supplement for traditional media pitching like I said before. It's definitely not something that could serve as a primary resource to gain media coverage because it can be very hit or miss. In my experience the odds that you find something relevant to you (especially as a company in a very niche industry) is quite slim and even if I do find something I still have to assess whether it's the right outlet and sometimes there is a super short deadline. You have to check HARO very frequently to make the most out of it.
Read this authenticated review

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Scorecard Summary

Likelihood to Recommend (13)
9.6
Usability (1)
10.0

About Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a service owned by Cision (via the merger with Vocus) for reaching out to journalists.
Categories:  Public Relations (PR)

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Technical Details

Operating Systems: Unspecified
Mobile Application:No