We increased website traffic by 21% through one successful HARO pitch! 👀
Help a Report Out (HARO) is a FREE online service for journalists to receive helpful tips/feedback from the public.
Through one successful HARO pitch, KOYA steadily increased website traffic by 21%. I am still stunned.
At first, HARO can feel a bit daunting. Queries (journalists looking for sources) arrive in your inbox three times a day by the dozens. 👀
I make it a habit of quickly scanning through each query to see if there is a good fit for KOYA. Honestly, it's sort of like dating. You have to vibe.
Once you find something interesting, read up on the publication and the journalist. If it still feels like it could be a good fit, spend some time crafting your pitch.
Tips to help you craft your pitch:
- Be Personable and Helpful. Start with a brief, yet friendly introduction. Your pitch should feel as though it is adding value.
- Make it easy for the journalist to skim. If your pitch is long, use bullet points or a brief recap at the end.
- Double-check the query. Make sure you give the journalist what they ask for.
- If you haven’t already, make a simple email signature. This will make it easier for writers to find the sourcing details that they need.
- Make sure your subject line is attention-grabbing. Your subject line is the first (and maybe only) thing the journalist will read. Make it count.
- Create a Document to help you craft pitches quicker. While the pitch should be personal and unique to the journalist//publication, it is helpful to keep a running document of previous pitches to speed up the process.
I hope this is helpful! I am not a PR pro by any means, but I am happy to share anything that I know and would love to hear from you (@courtneyruth).
This is awesome, @courtney. I'm really excited that you got those results. I've always found Haro to be super overwhelming because I haven't found good fits I vibed with. This post encouraged me to try again!
@EJClift, I am glad to hear it! Please let me know if you have any questions, I am always happy to help. Truly.
Courtney! Awesome. Congrats. And love that graphic btw...
If you get a sec: Mind sharing the article write up? And perhaps the pitch you wrote?
@harrydry, it's always a pleasure to see a friend on here!
Here is the article write up (it was also syndicated to Yahoo News!, but that doesn't drive as much traffic):
Women's Health Magazine: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a33324972/long-distance-date-ideas/
and
Yahoo: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/youre-sick-zoom-youll-love-150000030.html
I have the pitch, but I am not sure how to attach it to this comment. I'll email it!
I hope you are well! Sending so much goodness your way.
You’ve sent your pitch. Now what?
If you found this to be helpful, you can find me over at @courtneyruth. I am happy to answer your questions.
@ovabi, here are a few things to do after you have pitched!
Great share once again
The patience part is the hardest I'd say but I'll try to follow your guideline. 😶
I think that's true for everything. ;)
Awesome! Thanks for sharing 😊
Hey stranger! It's always fun to see a friend on here. :) I hope you are well!
I'm good! How about you? I have also tried HARO a few times but was not so successful. What is your conversion rate for getting a response?
I've been doing very well. Lots of magic happening as of late w/ KOYA! ✨
For every 5 or so pitches, I usually get placed in at least 1 article. I have tightened up our story and use this as a guide when I pitch, which has helped me pitch rather quickly. That being said, I always craft the narrative for the journalist + publication.
P.S... I know a few sites where you can either get immediate coverage or guest post. It's a little bit of work on your end, but it helps with social proof + your storytelling + gives a glorious backlink. If you ever want a second pair of eyes on your pitches or want to know where to pitch, shoot me an email. I'd love to share any resources that I have discovered along the journey. ([email protected])
Congrats on the bump in traffic. HARO can be a bit daunting, but a 1 in 5 hit rate is great!
I found that I eventually started ignoring the HARO emails with the hundreds of journalist requests per day, so I made ( Help A Source ) to summarize only the relevant requests. Give it a try - I'm curious if it'll help you filter out the noise.
@courtneyruth love that!😍 I will ping you probably next week when I finished my pending guest posts! Appreciate your help
Marvelous! I look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, I'll be looking out for that guest post. :)
I've been wanting to take a crack at some HARO pitches. Curious how long you had been trying and how many pitches you sent out before landing one?
Hello Josh, I have been pleasantly surprised by HARO. While the pitch I mentioned provides a continuous flow of traffic, @koya has received a good amount of coverage through HARO. I would estimate that out of 5 pitches we usually get placed in 1-2 articles. That being said, I only pitch if it truly feels like there could be synergy. Otherwise, I learned through trial and error that it wasn't worth my time.
I am happy to answer any more questions that you might have and am willing to look over a few of your initial pitches if you'd like a second pair of eyes. I also have a fun HARO hack that I plan to share in the next few weeks to help people with their organic growth strategies.
Ah I really appreciate that offer! Will definitely reach out when I find some time to try it :)
I look forward to it!
Thanks for great insights!
I've never used the platform. So, I wonder what do reporters expect exactly? Do they need some expert quotes or a full pitch about the subject? If the answer is it depends, which one do you prefer?
Hey @ovabi! Honestly, it does depend. For the most part, however, reporters are simply looking for a helpful quote instead of a full pitch. In the example I gave above, Women's Health Magazine was looking for fun ideas for couples in long-distant relationships. This was a very specific query, but @koya fits nicely and it was an easy + simple pitch. All I had to do was offer KOYA as a potential resource. Thankfully, most reporters give clear guidelines of what they are looking for.
Depending on your niche, HARO can be a helpful content + acquisition strategy. I am happy to answer any other questions.
Thanks for the detailed explanation Courtney. I am planning to give it a try after reading your post. 💪
Yay! Feel free to reach out with any questions. I hope it goes well for you!