How to Win at HARO for Easy Press Wins (Minisode) – Podcast Transcript

Speakers: Lexie Smith

Lexie Smith 

Hey guys, today we are diving into the world of Haro and how to rock and land easy press wins using this free subscription service. First off what the heck is Haro for easy pitching wins going forward, you can go ahead and sign up for a free Haro account. HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out. Side note some people will also call it harrow or Haro. I feel like this it’s this never-ending industry debate. Um, if you’re listening, listening to this, and get driven crazy by how I pronounce it, shoot me a DM I’ll get a kick out of it. Okay, so HAROis an online database that connects journalists with sources, it’s free to register, simply go to help a reporter.com. We’ll put that in the show notes. Once you get to the homepage, you’re going to sign up as a source. If you want to use this tool to pitch fear writer then go ahead and sign up as a journalist. Now, once registered as a source, what will happen every day, typically morning, afternoon, and evening is an email will be sent to your inbox that you register with that details a list of queries that journalists are looking for sources to comment on queries, or basically inquiries or topics that they are writing about. One little tip I have here is to set a filter on these emails and have them funnel into a folder in your inbox because it can get really overwhelming otherwise. Now what to do with these query lists. Once they begin to arrive? Well, you’re going to begin to scan. This can also be a great task to the source to an intern VA or another team member if you don’t have time, nor do you want to. The more practice, the faster you’ll get the basics to talk you through visual visualize with me now, on the left-hand side of the email is the query topic. On the right-hand side, you will see the outlet. So you can start to scan and look for outlets that you care about. If that’s the case, then start on the right side of the page. Or you can scan by topic and get really good at looking for keywords. Haro is also organized into sections such as health business education, General. So you’ll get to understand which sections typically house the best queries for your business. When you find one that you think you might be a fit for, then go ahead and click directly on the query link, you’re going to be dropped down to a later part of that same email. And you’re going to see full query details. This generally includes the deadline for the pitch like when it’s due. The email to pitch to all pitching is done through the Haro subscription, you’ll see once you’re registered, their requirements of the pitch. And the specific journalist filing the query, you can run into the journalist or outlet being listed as anonymous. So just know that’s normal. Totally up to you if you think it’s worth it. I’ve seen it go both ways. Now once reading and verifying you are indeed a good source, then it’s up to you to pitch. So that’s a really quick overview of what is Haro and how to use it. Now let’s review five ways that you can win at Haro. Just a little context, not only do I pitch from the PR side of things, but I also review client pitches daily. And I am a writer so I receive pitches from sources from time to time. And this leads me to my number one tip. Drumroll please. super complicated. Read directions Okay, on each query, you will see a section that says requirements, you would be shocked by how many people clearly skip this step, I would say eight out of 10 pitches that arrive in my inbox, have not met, or have not read my requirements. So make sure that you read those requirements and submit the pitch in the format that the journalist is asking for. If you do that, you’re already way ahead of most others in their inbox. It’s simple but vital.

Lexie Smith 

The second tip I have is to not force a fit, there are 10s of 1000s of people that use Haro. Now, not everyone submits for every query, but it can be loud and crowded when you’re on the receiving end. So please be respectful that if a journalist submits a query, they are looking for a very specific fit and source. If that is not you or your company to a tee, move on. Don’t waste your time and don’t waste their time, there will be another query that comes in at some point, whether it be that day or the next day or a couple of weeks later, that fits you. So my second tip is to not force effect get really, really objective here. Number three, and this might be probably one of my biggest PR pet peeves. Do not make the writer work for it. Here’s what I mean. Do not send a horror pitch that simply says, I have a great client or source or I know someone who would be great for this, let me know if you want more information that happens all the time, it still boggles my mind that is making a writer work for it, we already know that the pitch of the source is something they need, right, they would not have submitted a query otherwise. So don’t play any games and make them have to reach back out to you to even get more information, you’re elongating the process, you know, instead, just upfront, send them exactly what they’re asking for. And remember that if you want to land press, it’s to your benefit to be helpful and make their life easier. Tip number four is another really common mistake I see. And some people just don’t know what they don’t know, which is totally fine. And now you’re listening to this and now you’re going to know. So did you know you can’t send a physical attachment through the horror portal? Because you can’t. Okay, so the mistake I see is when someone goes Hey, such and such, you know, see my photo or their requested headshot attached. Well, guess what, the attachment that you sent gets dropped between your inbox and their inbox. So that’s just how the program works. What you should do instead, if you’re going to send a photo or attachment is uploaded to some sort of shareable folders like Google Drive or Dropbox, and then include that hyperlink in the body of your pitch email. So rather than attach the headshot, or the image or the attachment to the email pitch, you’re going to put a link, I’m going to say here is where you can download, you know, said requested asset. So tip number four, don’t send physical attachments, it’s not going to work rather send a link in the body of your pitch email. My final tip for you is to be proactive after the fact. Now, whether you like it or not, journalists are not required to let you know if your pitches are used. Therefore, you might not know if you end up getting published. One thing I advise my clients to do is to set up Google Alerts on their name their businesses or their products. But in addition to that, I would also say do regular routine Google searches and filter by time. Okay, quick little story here. I had a client who was really frustrated because she had submitted the absolute perfect Haro query to a permanent therapy and she didn’t understand. You know why she didn’t make it. I did a quick Google search for that article. She did make it she was in apartment therapy. So it was kind of, you know, a funny little story there. But sometimes you have to be proactive, and Haro unless it says anonymous, gives you an outlet and the writer’s name. So what you can also do is to start skimming for that piece to see when it goes live. And you’re going to see yourself in it or be if you don’t see yourself in it. You’re going to see what or who did make it and I think that’s really helpful to review and take some notes for future pitching.

Lexie Smith 

Haro distributes more than $50,000 To list queries from highly respected media outlets each year, its straightforward pitching process allows sources to find topics related to their expertise, industry, or experience while allowing journalists and bloggers to spend more time writing and less time sourcing. Haro reaches more than 1 million sources and 75,000 journalists and bloggers making it a vital tool for brands and reporters alike. If you want to use this free resource and goldmine of opportunity, to the best of its ability, tap back and take notes on the five very simple ways to rock Haro. Follow these tips and I promise you’ll be pitching with the best of them. Until next time, cheers Hey guys, if you are enjoying the pitching and sippin’ podcast, please do me a huge favor and leave a review wherever you are listening. If you want to connect with me to learn more about THEPRBAR. You can do so on Instagram at the PR bar underscore Inc. Or you can check out my website at the PR bar ink.com Cheers!