HARO: Because everyone’s an expert at something.
Peter Shankman has given it some thought and has created Help a Reporter (HARO) for just that reason. If you’re a business woman (or man), then guess what, you’re an expert. You know your product or service inside and out. You know what it’s like to run a business or to handle employees. You have your own life hacks, shortcuts or tools and technology that help you out from day to day. You have a wealth of knowledge that you can share – and that my friends, makes you an expert.
Do you wish you could afford a PR firm? Do you want to get your name out there? Would you like to be the experts the magazines go to for their products or their top stories? Then step up and join HARO. You’ll typically get three emails a day from Peter (sometimes less, but on those very, very rare occasions, maybe one more), Monday through Friday. Each email starts off with a brief quip from Peter and then the subjects of the leads to follow.
If none of those leads fit you or your product or service, then delete. No harm, no foul. But if you’re just the sort of expert that the writer is looking for, then pitch away. You never know what could happen. You could be in the next issue of O Magazine for all you know.
It allows you to be your own PR person for free! All Peter asks in return, to keep the good karma flowing is that you “send a few bucks to an animal hospital or animal rescue society somewhere. Some good places are Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, or The National Search Dog Foundation.”
As Peter himself puts it “Here’s a thought… Everyone out there knows something about something, right? I think one of the main differentiators between HARO and the other service out there is that we’re not limited – We’re not JUST publicists, or JUST agencies. We’ve got auto mechanics, book binders, carpenters, firemen, accountants, lawyers, fishermen, bartenders, makeup artists, detectives, welders, you name it. I think that makes us extremely valuable to journalists, since it massively increases the “expert pool,” as it were. The expert pool is no longer limited to those with a ton of cash who can afford to be included. Reason I bring that up, is that if you’re thinking “Well, gee, who can I encourage to join HARO? The answer is, “EVERYONE!”
Everyone’s an expert at SOMETHING, and at some point, a reporter will be looking for that expert.”
It works! And I tell you this from personal experience. So don’t wait, hop on over to HARO and get on that email list. Here’s hoping that YOU will be the one to help that next reporter out.
Many Successes!
