Would you like some really practical advice you can use in your business or marketing career right now?

I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Heather Whaling, this week’s guest on nateriggs.com.  I met Heather and her husband, Mike, a few years back, as they were planning their move back to Columbus.  Since then, Heather has taken the city by storm.  She’s established herself as a true PR mastermind, savvy entrepreneur, talented speaker and innovative social media practitioner.

Pay attention, folks.  I think you might just learn some new tricks.

Here’s Heather…

5 Tips to Use HARO for Free Media Coverage

A free resource that connects people with reporters who are looking for sources to quote in stories sounds like a dream come true for anyone seeking publicity, right?

Well, you’re in luck. That’s the exact premise behind Help a Reporter Out (a.k.a. HARO), a start-up founded and later sold by Peter Shankman. Anyone can sign up to receive the emails thrice daily, which include queries from 50+ reporters with specific sourcing needs. If you fit the bill, click the link, email your response and wait to see if the reporter contacts you.

Sounds easy, right? Yes… and no. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your HARO experience:

1. Be quick. HARO is sent to approximately 200,000 email addresses, which means reporters are inundated with responses. If you don’t respond quickly, your pitch might get lost in the shuffle. Many reporters don’t read all the responses. They read until they find the source(s) they need and then move on. I’ve secured placements in the New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine and Web Worker Daily (among others), so I can tell you from first-hand experience, the key to effective HARO pitching is being fast. As soon as that email lands in your inbox, open it, skim the queries and respond to the ones that make sense. Speaking of making sense…
2. Be relevant. Don’t pitch off-topic. If a reporter is looking for divorced dads – an actual query from Tuesday morning – don’t pitch a happily married wife. That actually could get you banned from HARO. Twenty-one people were removed from the list earlier this week after pitching “grossly off-topic.” Make sure your pitch answers the questions in the query. Offer some details about what you can add. Make the reporter understand why you’re the best source for their story.
3. Highlight your credentials. Some queries call for “regular people.” However, it seems like most HARO queries are looking for someone with specific expertise. Pitches shouldn’t be overly self-promotional, but you should highlight your credentials. Written a book? Won an award? Regarded as an industry leader? Mention that in your response. Even if you’re not award-winning, explain why your background or life experiences make you an appropriate source.
4. Be findable. If you respond to a query, make sure you’re available to respond to the reporter’s follow-up questions. Include your email, telephone, cell phone and maybe even your Twitter handle in your response. The idea is to make it as easy as possible for the reporter to connect with you.
5. Build relationships. PR is a relationship business. If you are included in a story through HARO, be sure to thank the reporter. If the reporter is on Twitter, include their handle when you tweet it out to your followers. Then, keep in touch with that reporter. Don’t be spammy, but feel free to check in every once in a while. Interact with them on Twitter. Got a story that might interest them? Send it their way. (Bonus points if you’re just being a resource and the story has nothing to do with you.) Pay attention to see if they receive a promotion, change beats or even media outlets. Build a relationship, and the next time they need a source, they may contact you directly. (Seriously. That’s how I ended up in a recent Mashable article. I “met” the writer via a HARO query and stayed in touch via Twitter and email. A few months later, she emailed me requesting a comment for a specific story she was working on.)

Ready to add HARO to your public relations toolbox? Go sign up, read Peter’s five rules of HARO, and get started.

Have you tried HARO? What additional tips would you offer?

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As president of Columbus, OH-based Geben Communication, Heather Whaling provides public relations and social media services to small- and mid-sized businesses. She’s also a public relations blogger, speaker and co-organizer of PR 2.0 Chat (#pr20chat on Twitter). Connect with Heather on Twitter, LinkedIn or by email at heather [at] gebencommunication.com.

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