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Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Overview

What is 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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, is widely used by professionals across various industries for its valuable features and benefits. Users turn …
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Pricing

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What is 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.

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  • No setup fee

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  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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What is Muck Rack?

Muck Rack is a public relations offering from Sawhorse Media.

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Product Details

What is Help a Reporter Out (HARO)?

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(19)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, is widely used by professionals across various industries for its valuable features and benefits. Users turn to HARO to find great sources and reach successful people who can provide intelligent comments for their stories. The platform is especially popular among journalists and writers who use it to discover PR opportunities and monitor trending media topics. With its email format and straightforward structure, HARO makes it easy for users to reply and generate excellent stories and media exposure opportunities. This simplicity has earned it high recommendations from many users who rely on HARO almost daily to spread the word about brands and startups. Startups specifically find value in using HARO as an alternative to investing in a PR agency, as it allows them to find media appearance opportunities and gain brand awareness and exposure. Freelance writers and editors also benefit significantly from HARO, as it helps them find qualified sources across various industries and obtain specific information for their assignments. Overall, HARO's versatility and efficiency make it an invaluable tool for professionals seeking media coverage opportunities, insightful comments, and targeted industry information. Whether you're in PR, journalism, research, or simply looking to enhance your brand's visibility, HARO provides a reliable platform that streamlines communication with relevant sources and amplifies exposure efforts.

Helpful in connecting journalists with renowned experts: Users have found the product helpful in connecting journalists with renowned experts, providing access to people who are looking for media coverage.

Pushes PR opportunities directly to the user's desktop: Reviewers appreciate that the product pushes public relations opportunities directly to their desktop multiple times a day, offering media opportunities for various industries and topics.

Easy way to contact reporters with relevant information: The product offers an easy way for users to contact reporters with relevant information. Several reviewers have mentioned that they appreciate this feature and find it convenient for their PR efforts. The product also provides insight into what reporters are interested in discussing and gives visibility into the process of story creation, helping users stay updated with industry conversations and establish relationships between their organization and reporters.

Outdated User Experience: A significant number of users have expressed dissatisfaction with the old-fashioned user experience and appearance of the product. They suggest that it needs to be updated to meet modern design standards, which would greatly enhance their overall satisfaction with the product.

Lack of Feedback from Journalists: Many users have mentioned experiencing a lack of feedback and responses from journalists when using the product's services. This has resulted in frustration for these users, as they value clear communication and engagement between themselves and reporters.

Overwhelming HARO Emails: Numerous users have reported feeling overwhelmed by the frequency of emails received through HARO, also known as Help a Reporter Out. These users suggest implementing a new strategy for organizing queries to ensure they can manage them more effectively, improving their overall experience with the platform.

Based on user reviews, here are the top recommendations for HARO:

  1. Set aside time each day to review HARO offerings. Users have found it valuable to dedicate regular time to review the opportunities provided by HARO.

  2. Subscribe to the daily emails and consider opting for an industry-specific HARO email. Many users recommend getting the daily emails as it helps them stay updated and also suggest using industry-specific emails for more relevant opportunities.

  3. Have a strategy in place for effective outreach to reporters. Users advise having a well-thought-out strategy when reaching out to reporters in order to maximize the chances of success.

Additionally, some users have recommended other strategies such as tightening up the media outlet list, doing research before sending samples, filtering results based on clients' needs, and splitting HAROs between two-three people to cover different editions. Overall, HARO is considered a valuable tool for public relations professionals looking for story opportunities and media coverage.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-11 of 11)
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I believe I explained the main scenarios. Haro is a simple tool that pretty much gives you feedback on media opportunities you can pitch for and allows you to get in touch with the reporter, so you can get exposure and they can find people for their news. It's better suited for b2c or smb-focused companies for sure.
Chandler Elmore | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
This tool is great to get you into the conversations that are being reported on in your industry. It does the heavier and time-consuming work of finding which reporter to reach out to with your expertise, they come to you instead. It is one of the tools that are always there to allow you to jump into the conversation if needed or able.
Dan Lobring | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Best suited for resources interested in opportunities to comment and/or for journalists in need of a source without a previous relationship and/or having to do a ton of desktop research on their own to find a resource.
Melanie Downey | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Jessica Herrera | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
[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.
Lisa Strong | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Crystal McFerran | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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/
Tom Smith | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
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