HARO (Help A Reporter Out), recently acquired and rebranded as Connectively, is a platform that connects journalists from major publications (like Forbes, The New York Times, and reputable industry blogs) with experts.
The value exchange is simple:
- Journalist: Needs a quote or expert insight for an article they are writing right now.
- You: Provide the quote.
- The Reward: If they use your quote, they typically credit you with a high-authority Backlink to your website.
This is the most “white hat” way to earn links from DR80+ sites that you could never buy.
The “Speed” Rule (The 30-Minute Window)
Journalists often work on incredibly tight deadlines. They might receive 50–100 pitches for a single request.
You must treat HARO requests as “emergency alerts.”
- Monitor: Check the platform (or your email feed) at 10:35 am, 5:35 pm, and 10:35 pm (UK time / EST equivalents).
- Act Fast: Aim to reply within 30 minutes of the request going live. If you reply 4 hours later, the journalist has likely already filed the story.
- Don’t Wait: Do not ask “Can I help?” Just send the help immediately.
The “Copy-Paste” Pitch Structure
Journalists do not want to read your life story. They want a quote they can copy and paste directly into their article.
Do not start with “I am the CEO of…” Start with the answer.
Template:
Subject: Re: [Exact Query Title from HARO]
Hi [Journalist Name],
Here is a quote regarding [Topic] for your article:
“[Insert your 2-3 sentence, punchy, opinionated quote here. Make it sound expert, not generic.]”
Bio for attribution: [Your Name], Founder of [Company Name] Link: [Your Website URL] Headshot: [Link to your LinkedIn or Dropbox photo]
Vetting Opportunities (DR & Traffic)
Not all requests are worth your time. Some are from low-quality “content farms” looking for free content.
Before you write a pitch, copy the outlet’s URL into a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush.
- Domain Rating (DR): Is it above 50? If yes, pitch.
- Traffic: Does the site get real organic traffic? (Avoid sites with DR 70 but 0 traffic – these are often expired domains or spam).
- Relevance: Is the site relevant to your niche? A link from a “Dog Grooming” blog won’t help a “Cybersecurity” firm.
Salesforce
