What Is HARO and Why Should You Care?
HARO—Help A Reporter Out—is a free service that connects journalists with expert sources. Reporters post queries (usually three times daily) asking for quotes, data, or insights on specific topics. If your response matches what they need, you get quoted in a published article. No press release required. No publicist needed.
For founders, marketers, and subject-matter experts, HARO is one of the most underrated ways to build credibility and earn backlinks. The catch? Most people respond poorly. They either ignore the queries altogether, or they send generic answers that don't stand out.
This post walks you through a practical system for responding to HARO queries in a way that actually gets you quoted.
How HARO Works: The Basic Flow
Here's what happens:
- A journalist posts a query (e.g., "Expert needed: trends in AI-powered marketing automation")
- You receive it via email digest (usually 3x per day)
- You have 24–48 hours to respond with a quote or expert insight
- The journalist reviews responses and picks the best ones
- Your quote appears in an article with a byline and link back to your site
The timeline is tight. Journalists often get dozens of responses per query. Your speed and clarity matter.
Step 1: Filter for Relevance Before You Respond
Not every HARO query is worth your time. Many are off-topic, fishing expeditions, or too vague to answer well. Develop a quick filter:
- Does it match your actual expertise? If you're a SaaS founder, skip queries about fashion retail unless you have real insight.
- Is the publication credible? Check the reporter's byline and publication. Some HARO users are content mills or low-traffic blogs. Others are Wired, Forbes, or The Wall Street Journal.
- Is the angle specific enough? Vague queries ("Tell us about AI") are harder to answer well than specific ones ("What are three misconceptions about AI in healthcare?").
- Can you answer in 1–2 paragraphs? If the query requires a 500-word essay, it's not HARO-friendly.
Skip the rest. Your time is better spent on queries where you're a strong fit.
Step 2: Respond Fast (But Not Frantically)
Speed is critical. Journalists often sift through responses in the order they arrive. Respond within the first 2–3 hours if possible.
But "fast" doesn't mean "sloppy." Take 10 minutes to craft a clear, quotable answer. A typo-ridden response sent at 9:02 AM loses to a polished one sent at 9:15 AM.
Pro tip: Set a phone reminder when you receive the HARO digest. Don't wait until end of day.
Step 3: Structure Your Response Like a Journalist Would Use It
The reporter needs to copy and paste your answer directly into an article. Make it easy.
Format:
- One strong quote (2–3 sentences max)
- Your name, title, and company on the next line
- Optionally: a 1–2 sentence bio or context
Example:
"Most companies treat customer feedback as a box-ticking exercise, when they should treat it as a product roadmap. If you're not hearing the same request from 10+ customers, you're probably solving the wrong problem."
—Sarah Chen, VP of Product, Acme Corp
That's it. Don't add a paragraph of background. Don't include your website URL in the quote itself (the reporter will add a link if they use you). Just a clean, quotable statement.
Step 4: Make Your Quote Specific and Opinionated
Generic quotes don't get used. Journalists receive dozens of safe, bland responses. Stand out by taking a position.
Weak: "Remote work has changed the way companies operate."
Strong: "Remote work didn't change productivity—it exposed which managers were actually managing people versus just supervising presence."
The second quote is more likely to be used because it's surprising and specific. It says something.
Similarly, avoid corporate jargon. Write like you're talking to a smart friend, not a board of directors.
Step 5: Include Context, But Briefly
Before your quote, add 1–2 sentences explaining why you're qualified to answer. Keep it short.
Example: "I've worked with 200+ B2B SaaS companies on their go-to-market strategy over the past five years. Here's what I've learned about pricing:"
This gives the journalist confidence that you're not just a random person with an opinion.
Step 6: Offer a Unique Angle or Data
If you have proprietary data, a case study, or a unique observation, mention it. Journalists love specifics.
Example: "Based on our analysis of 500 SaaS contracts, companies that raised prices by 15% or more without adding features saw a 22% increase in churn."
This is more valuable than a generic opinion. It gives the journalist something concrete to report.
Step 7: Make It Easy to Contact You
Include your email and phone number. Some journalists prefer to follow up with a quick call to verify the quote or ask a clarifying question. Make that frictionless.
If you're using PitchBud, you can forward HARO digests to your private `opps+[token]@pitchbud.io` address, and the AI will score each query against your expertise profile and draft responses for strong matches. It's a time-saver if you're getting dozens of HARO emails weekly.
Step 8: Track What Gets Published
After you respond, make a note of it. If the article publishes, capture the link and add it to your media page or press kit. Over time, you'll see patterns in which types of queries lead to published quotes.
Some reporters will email you the final article. Others won't. If you don't hear back in 2–3 weeks, assume the query didn't result in a published piece (or your answer wasn't selected).
Common HARO Mistakes to Avoid
- Responding too late. If the deadline has passed, don't send it. Move on.
- Being too promotional. Don't turn your quote into a product pitch. Journalists will reject it immediately.
- Responding to every query. Spray-and-pray doesn't work. Respond to 2–3 per week that are genuinely relevant.
- Sending a canned response. Customize every answer. Generic responses are obvious and get deleted.
- Asking for a link in return. Don't negotiate or ask for SEO value. The journalist decides whether to link to you based on relevance.
- Over-explaining. Your quote should be 2–3 sentences. If you need 10 sentences, you're overthinking it.
HARO as Part of a Larger Strategy
HARO is one piece of earned media. It works best alongside other outreach:
- Publish your own press releases. When you have news, get it out. This gives journalists a reason to cover you.
- Pitch journalists directly. HARO is reactive (you wait for queries). Direct pitches are proactive (you reach out with a story angle).
- Build a newsroom. A branded newsroom with your announcements, team bios, and media assets makes journalists' jobs easier.
If you're serious about media coverage, combine HARO responses with your own announcements. Tools like PitchBud can help you publish releases and find journalists to pitch, but HARO is still one of the fastest ways to land a quote in a major publication.
Final Thoughts
Responding to HARO queries isn't complicated, but it does require discipline. Most people fail because they respond slowly, generically, or to the wrong queries. If you follow the steps above—filter for relevance, respond fast, structure your quote clearly, and make it specific—you'll get quoted more often than 90% of other HARO respondents.
Start this week. Set up the HARO digest, pick one or two queries that match your expertise, and send a strong response. You'll likely see the result in print within 2–4 weeks. That's faster than most other PR channels.