A few months ago I wrote about how entrepreneurs can access HARO or Help A Reporter Out, which is a free service where you sign up and three times a day an email is sent out with 10 – 15 reporters looking for experts or “journalist sources” to interview and quote for their story. By signing up, you can proactively contact reporters and get PR for your company.
It’s a great way to learn what types of stories are being written about, magazines that may be reaching your target market that you didn’t know about, and make personal connections with reporters who may write about you and your company.
Update March 2011:
I had previously also posted a link to a Canadian “version” similar to HARO which does not seem to exist anymore.
Here is another way you can become a journalist source. PR Newswire offers a service called ProfNet where you can post a profile of yourself for journalists searching for experts to quote in their stories. You can watch a demo video and then you can register for a free profile here.
If you’ve had experience and/or success with either HARO or ProfNet, I’d love to hear about it.
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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Thanks for the mention Elena. Love your site’s design and topics.
Thanks for the info…when I click on the link for HARO, I get an error. Do you have a direct link? I appreciate your blog…the info is fantastic!
I fixed the link and you can try http://www.helpareporterout.com
Glad you like my blog and thanks for reading!
HARO is an amazing service, especially for the solopreneur or small business. I’ve used them a couple of times now – once for a book topic I’m toying with and twice requesting products to review for our “gift guides” at my other site (http://constantchatter.com). All three times I’ve had an overwhelming response. I’m just now started to gather the PR contacts that I’ve received and compile my own list to be used for future giveaways and/or product reviews.
Great podcast. Love this and I also refer my coaching clients to this.
Thanks for your support Pam, that means a lot coming from another PR person! Let me know if you or your clients want me to address a blog post in the future.