If you operate a website and have become an expert in a particular field, you should consider signing up for the HARO email newsletters. HARO, which stands for “Help A Reporter Out,” is a daily newsletter that lists interview and comment requests from reporters and publications that cover just about every industry and field.
HARO helps reporters connect with experts in their field to help them with articles they are writing. Obviously, if a reporter uses an expert as a source, it can help establish the source as an authority in the field, and it can potentially drive traffic to the source’s website and business.
Here’s a brief synopsis of how the process works using domain investing expertise as an example:
- Reporter fills out a request to ask an expert about the new gTLD domain names
- HARO email newsletter lists the reporter’s request, along with dozens of other requests from other reporters
- Newsletter recipient who is an expert that can answer the reporter’s query responds to the reporter’s request
- Reporter and expert connect
- Article is written and may cite the expert
For people who operate websites in niche verticals, HARO can be a great way to get exposure for a website. There are many major news publications who use HARO to connect with experts, and while links may not be given, it can be great to cite a citation on a major news outlet. Here’s some promotional copy from the HARO website to explain how it may help a website get exposure:
“From The New York Times, to ABC News, to HuffingtonPost.com and everyone in between, nearly 30,000 members of the media have quoted HARO sources in their stories. Everyone’s an expert at something. Sharing your expertise may land you that big media opportunity you’ve been looking for.”
There are a variety of topical newsletters from which subscribers can choose, and if you sign up, you might want to pare down the number of newsletters you receive to avoid overexposure. I have not connected with a reporter as a result of a HARO request, but it seems like a great opportunity for people to expand their reach.
HARO is really a great resource!
Cool stuff, thanks for the tip Elliot
I’ve been using Haro for a number of years and have been used as an expert for a few stories. I like them. The hard part is keeping up with all the leads that don’t apply to you.
Thanks for sharing Elliot.
I thought I had seen pretty much everything that is out there on the Internet, but I had never heard of this. I signed up right away. Thanks!