Nobody can tell our story and the value HARO provides better than the people who benefit from it.
So, rather than take up a bunch of space with a bunch of marketing jargon and self-important language, we thought we’d just let you hear right from the folks who use HARO…why they use it, and how it’s helped them. Frankly, we’d rather you make your decision to join the HARO family based on feedback from your peers, than from us anyway. So here it goes…in their words, not ours.
"Peter Shankman has changed journalism. Back in the day, when I was looking for "just plain folks" to talk to for a story, I would too often find myself stuck in the circle of acquaintances-of-neighbors-of-colleagues-of-friends. Peter has created a wide-net, and HARO is often the first place I start when trying to find sources who I don't already know."Lisa Belkin
The Motherlode / NYTimes.com
"I just wanted to thank you guys at HARO for helping me with my story on Baby Boomers. I didn't expect such prompt and voluminous replies while posting my request. And was pleasantly surprised when so many people wrote back offering to share their thoughts with me. The site seems to be a god-send for reporters working on tight deadlines."Mihir Dalal
ThomsonReuters
"Just wanted to say thanks for the HARO service. I recently queried Profnet about a story I'm doing on resume fraud pertaining to diploma mills and got a few off-target responses. Then I tried HARO with a similarly worded query, and received some very strong, quotable sources, right on-point."Lorna Collier
GetEducated.com
"Thank you so much for your service. Help a Reporter Out produced 15 responses to my request for experts who could talk about children reading to therapy dogs. I used two of them in my article and I will definitely turn to Help a Reporter Out when I need sources for future articles."John Piekarski
SoSara
"I just had to write you and thank you for your wonderful Web site/service. A friend referred me to your site for a story I am working on about landmark locations for weddings and I received almost 200 emails from locations all over the world -it was very hard to narrow down the story to only 14 hotels.\r\nI know that I would never have found so many amazing locales if not for helpareporter.com, and I plan to keep using your site for stories in the future."Anne Chertoff
Conde Nast
"Already I'm receiving loads of leads, and my request just went out today. THANK YOU...HARO is a journalist's godsend!"Mandy Oaklander
BusinessWeek
"I often use HARO as a source, but for the first time, I recently used HARO as a journalist. Below is the career advice piece I wrote for CNBC.com Executive Careers using 4 HARO sources. I got a number of great responses from HARO. Thank you!"Caroline Ceniza-Levine
Partner, SixFigureStart
"I started using HARO in the Fall of 2008 when writing for the Albany Student Press, the college newspaper of UAlbany. At the time, I didn't expect much, but HARO has quickly, consistently and reliably delivered quality sources for me to use. These sources have been so good, I continue to use them today when writing for Mashable, The Huffington Post, and other media outlets."Brandon Mendelson
www.soapboxincluded.com
"HARO provides fast responses, quality sources. If your deadline is really tight, HARO is great about Tweeting your source needs to a massive following on Twitter. HARO also screens sources and punishes spammers thereby eliminating junk and off-point responses to your queries. Their reporter query submission form is streamlined and easy to use."Pam Baker
Freelance journalist
"As a columnist who writes about everything from bioterrorism to Barbie, I can't rely on my "same old sources," ever! That's why HARO is so important to me: I can find an expert about absolutely anything ON DEADLINE. A lot of experts, in fact. And some of them eventually become my "same old sources," because they're so smart about so many different things. HARO has given me so many great quotes, story leads and ideas.I LOVE HARO!"Lenore Skenazy
Columnist, founder of www.freerangekids.com
"Once again HARO is a gem. My new celeb blog site is buzzing and HARO has really helped fill in the gaps when I need a source. Thanks."Josh
Concepts In Success
"I used HARO to find guests for my radio show who have had success using feng shui and for people looking for on-air feng shui makeovers. To be honest I didn't expect to get too many replies. Instead I was bombarded with e-mails. I couldn't even use all the stories and people that responded back! Who would have thought it? Not me."Chris Barr
Palm Beach Feng Shui
"I had to drop you a note to let you know how much HARO helped me write\nthis story, a 3,000 word cover for our magazine. It was one of the most\ncomplicated I've ever written and the topic was outside of my usual\nbeat, to boot. I received a ton of on-topic pitches, several of which\nled to excellent interviews. Better yet, almost everyone who was\npitching a product put me in touch with a "real person" who is using\nthat product as I requested in my original query."Gienna Shaw
HC Pro
"HARO was at the heart of generating unprecedented national exposure\nand catapulting my career. As the PR Director at Jobing.com, I posted a request on HARO, and within hours had what I needed to pull the trigger on a national pitch that landed feature stories in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Good Morning America, CNN, FBN, and dozens of TV stations across the country- even Inside Edition did a segment. The story was the "most watched" clip on CNN.com that week- it generated so much traffic to the site we had to scramble to get an emergency server because the volume was overloading the site's infrastructure. Estimated media impressions topped 13 million. I can't think of any other resource that could help us do this in a matter of hours!"Joe Cockrell
JoePRGuy
"I am a small biz owner with a positive gift & accessory line - Just thought I'd share this. I sign up to get HARO queries. I answered a 2008 query for entrants in startupnation.com's "Top 100 Home-Based Businesses" contest. I got into the top 5 in the "wackiest" category. A short time passes; a producer from Mark Burnett finds the listing on Google, and I get invited to participate on ABC's "Shark Tank". I and my company are seen by more than 5 million people. The shows "sharks do not invest in my company...but I take over 10,000 orders on my website, receive coverage on national syndicated radio shows and in The Wall Street Journal, and I wind up with 600 new Facebook fans, an additional 1,000 people on my email marketing list, and am now in discussions with a national sales and distribution company to get my product into major retailers. And it's STILL going.\n\nThanks HARO - love, love LOVE you guys!"Gina Cotroneo
Soul's Calling, Inc.
"HARO has helped put us on the map! From responding to journalist's inquiries, we have gotten articles posted, radio interviews, and an opportunity to drive members to our knowledge network. HARO is a real resource and a door opener for business."Amy Kopelan
The Guru Nation
"I have been on your HARO list for about 6 months or so and have had nothing but good experiences. In that time, there have been many reviews written about my ReUse Apparel company, STAY VOCAL, not to mention one of our t-shirts was featured on Good Morning America. And most recently, SV was nominated a top ten finalist in Green America's People's Choice Award. Certainly what you have created has helped way more than I ever expected. All that said, THANK YOU!"Alex Eaves
Stay Vocal
"If an article in The Wall Street Journal qualifies as a huge feature in a national media outlet, Coldsweep falls squarely into that category. The reporter left a message on my cell phone. When I contacted her I specifically asked if she used HARO on a regular basis for her WSJ assignments. She said yes, and then interviewed me for over an hour by phone. The story ran later that week with photos and everything. Probably a tough act to follow, but I am HARO believer, and look forward to more success in the media from this great service."Randell Heath
Coldsweep, Inc.
"I have had tremendous success with HARO.\n\nWe are a small business operating an online travel company in Canada\nand have most recently been featured on msnbc.com & Globe and Mail\nwith the help of HARO."Jason L. Sarracini
Target Vacations Limited
"HARO has gotten us incredible coverage. Probably the biggest was a\nnational TV segment from a company in Washington DC that films the\nsegments for news programs. The segment in which we participated was\non just before Christmas, and was sold to about half the markets in\nthe U.S.\n\nBeyond that, we've been in magazines, blogs etc. as a result of\ndozens of HARO connections."Lynn Colwell
Celebrate Green
"HARO is a primary tool in the arsenal of solutions offered in my sales and marketing services business. The results are remarkable! I support multiple clients in a variety of industries and there is a story every week that qualifies as a potential good PR opportunity for one of them. There is no other way I could get this type of access to global media or have my client's considered as sources in real time. It saves me and my client's time and money and gives me access to media like no other tool available today. In the past year, I have had my clients on television, in national print publications, sourced in a book and as major sources for two of the four national cable news stations -- all because of HARO. If PR people aren't watching HARO every day, they miss out on what's hot news and in my opinion they are doing a disservice to their clients."Jamie Glass
Artful Thinkers, LLC
"I want to share a recent bit of publicity that has resulted in a significant amount of attention and has generated numerous leads and new business for a small company based in Orange County, California. After responding to a query on HARO, I let the reporter know that while most companies are experiencing tough times, Newport Beach, Calif-based, Daddy Cakes, which produces a line of nine flavors of pancake mixes, grew exponentially over the past year.\n\nThis resulted in Daddy Cakes being featured on Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.com. This piece sealed the deal on Daddy Cakes' expanding their distribution from a few small markets in Orange County, to larger chains that take us into Los Angeles, including Whole Foods Market, and Sprouts Farmers Markets.\n\nNot only was HARO a publicity machine for Daddy Cakes, but it became a real market maker. Now that's leveraging free PR to the best possible outcome!"Mona Shah
Moxxe PR
"15 years ago I was a TV exec. 14 years ago I ended up homeless on Hollywood Blvd. I now have 14 years sober and have been rebuilding my life. Among other things, I took a job in Los Angeles, moved there, and was laid off. With $45, a small camera and a laptop, I started http://invisiblepeople.tv - it is a homeless awareness vlog - I had to do something. Since answering a number of HARO queries, I've been able to raise awareness about homelessness in America.\n\nHARO is AWESOME! It opens the doors for a little guy like me who has limited resources to connect with the right media people."Mark Horvath
Invisible People
"We're a 20 person HR Outsourcing and Consulting firm in Stamford, CT. We do all our PR in-house. HARO has been awesome.\n\nOur participation as a HARO subscriber has landed us several substantial opportunities for coverage. Our firm has been tapped as subject matter experts by The NY Times, Reuters and MSNBC to name a few. We've also appeared locally on several radio news outlets. The PR we have secured delivers instant credibility and a huge boost for\nour marketing content."David Lewis
Operations Inc - Human Resources Consulting
"We've gotten so much great press as a result of HARO, it's crazy!!\n\nMy husband and I own a small online and bricks/mortar retail knitting business. I am responsible for the PR & Marketing of the business and have been a HARO subscriber for about a year now (and I had ZERO PR/Marketing experience before then). As a result, we've had our products featured on women-centric blogs & websites and have\nreceived mentions (and features) on usatoday.com, forbes.com and most recently The Wall Street Journal (print and online).\n\nAs a small business that can't afford to hire a PR agency, I simply don't know what I'd do without HARO. It has definitely changed our lives -and our business."Laura Zander
Jimmy Beans Wool
"Thanks to you, HARO, my profile is on MSN's Career Switch Success Stories this morning. Paypal orders are pouring in! You provide an invaluable service for entrepreneurs like myself. A profile like this will make all the difference!"
"As a result of placing an ad with HARO, I was contacted by a PR person who does television placements. She happens to believe that my company will fit well with regional (and possibly national) news programs doing pieces on holiday gift-giving ideas. If this pans out...it would be a boon for a small business like mine. Goes to show you how HARO is creating opportunities that previously did not exist for businesses just getting started.\r\n\r\nI will keep you posted."Karen Gallagher
The Lollipop Book Club
"Thank you thank you thank you!! My new book, The Connectors, was advertised this morning in HARO. Today is the release date for the book. Within 3 hours I went from 252,000 on Amazon rankings to 3,100. And, the book is now #3 in Customer Service books as well as ranking in the top 30 for Marketing and Motivation on Amazon! \nHARO, and HARO readers are so incredible!!!"Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA
Red Zone Marketing
"Today was the biggest day in the history of iwearyourshirt.com and I owe it all to Help A Reporter Out (HARO). I was featured in the afternoon HARO and from 12pm until 12am (12 hours), 32 days sold!! Wow. The power of HARO is unbelievable and I encourage people to subscribe and support."Jason Sadler
IWearYourShirt
"HARO readers are among the most refined, technologically sophisticated, social media savvy and forward thinking marketing and public relations people - and because of that, Vocus' sponsorship of HARO has been extremely beneficial. HARO has been one of the most cost-effective and measurable marketing vehicles we have found in some time."Inga Broerman
Vocus
"100,000 subscribers and every one of them looking forward to the next email. I mean, duh... it has been a no brainer for The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur to be a sponsor. Oh yeah, and the results... let me just say for every dollar I have spent, $100 dollars of sales have come back. I love HARO."Mike Michalowicz
Founder, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
"VIPdesk has run two ads in HARO and received an incredible response- literally thousands of click-thrus from the HARO ad to our website to find out more about work-at-home opportunities available with VIPdesk. We definitely plan to keep HARO in our advertising plans for the future!"Linda Dickerhoof
PR Director, VIPdesk
"I''ve got to tell you, sponsoring a HARO email is like ordering a second Christmas! Yesterday was SO MUCH FUN. A friend just happened to call right after my ad came out, and while we were on the phone I kept my email open. List sign-ups were pouring into my inbox like rain, and while we were talking I kept shouting, I just made another sale! over and over and over again. I made $500 during our 45 minute conversation. It was wild! We were both drunk with the joy of it. Needless to say, the orders kept coming in after I got off the phone. I''ve advertised in HARO twice, and I will absolutely be doing it again."Julie Isaac
The WritingSpirit Book Writers Community
"Okay, so get this. Our website saw a HUGE traffic spike yesterday (like a 1000% knock you off your ass traffic increase) They were very engaged and stayed on the site for a while. It happened right around 9 AM (PT) which means it started coming the second after our HARO went out. We're also up to 25 people who want the widget and want to partner with us. You can't hear me, but I'm squealing right now. THANK YOU!!!!"Alison Risso
Director, Communications, KaBOOM!
"When my ad ran, my website was overwhelmed. I received about a 2,000% increase in website hits that afternoon and into the next day. The ad paid for itself that day. I haven't seen any advertising venue even half as successful as sponsoring a HARO. Even better than that, I have been published in a book and several other major publications just by responding to a HARO query."Michael Jordan
Owner, BullyStickDirect.com
"After thousands of wasted advertising dollars, I got my money's worth and much more with HARO! One HARO endorsement, and Impel Ink had immediate responses from customers, retailers and the media. Thank you so much for doing what you do!!"Ginger King
Impel Ink
"Card Cubby + HARO ad = MINDBLOWING results. Once again a HARO ad blows the lid off a website, ROCKS sales (and crashes a coupon code). Thank you HARO for our amazing results! If you missed it Monday, get the hottest biz tool at Out of the Blue Delivered http://www.outofthebluedelivered.com/ecommerce/cardcubby.html 10% with code: HARO (it's working, promise)."Dawn Veselka
Out of the Blue Delivered
"Within a few hours after my HARO sponsorship ad debuted, my just released\nbook "Live Like Your Nail Color, Even If You Have Naked Nails" became an\nAmazon Best Seller in Beauty & Fashion, Self-Esteem & Success! Sales were\ngood, Amazon creds even better. Thanks HARO!"
""I just wanted to send a quick thank you ? the ad was a huge success for us. It was the best-performing ad we have ever run by orders of magnitude. We look forward to working again with HARO.""Sign Up Today!
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We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you think of HARO. We truly did create this service to “help” you, so…if that isn’t what you’re experiencing, or you have suggestions that will help us improve your experience; we’re all ears. We need to hear from you so we can make HARO better, and hopefully, have you love us more than you already do. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Promise it’ll pay off.
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