What is HARO and How Can It Help Your Business?

For a small business, you know the importance of getting your name out there to attract customers. Word of mouth is great, but you need to get your brand out to as many people as possible to see the best results. To help your business, without spending a lot on advertising, you should consider HARO (Help a Reporter Out).

What is HARO?

Help a Reporter Out, also referred to as HARO, was created by journalists and reporters as a site to gain feedback on a larger scale. This allows them to not only obtain information from readers, but also build bridges with experts in a wide range of fields. That is particularly important when it comes to smaller, more niche topics, because it allows them to more easily find reliable sources.

HARO becomes crucial for writing accurate stories on topics of all kinds, especially when you don’t have a lot of time.

How can HARO help your business?

HARO isn’t just a must for journalists and reporters. Small businesses can also greatly benefit from using the platform.

Establish Your Expertise

One of the best reasons for you to use HARO is that it allows you to establish your credibility and expertise. Reporters and journalists rely on HARO to find people who know about the topics they are writing about and can contribute information on the subject. When you provide information and feedback on HARO, you are essentially being viewed as an expert on the subject you are commenting on.

If you are a small business owner, this is a great way to get some publicity. You can also take the chance to show off your knowledge about the industry. This allows for greater credibility on your part and people to look more positively at your business over others that have not been cited in articles.

It is important however, that you make sure you are providing clear and accurate information. Your answers should be detailed yet concise, making it easy to understand the points you are making. If you are overly wordy, or don’t seem to be making a clear point, journalists will not want to use you as a cited source.

You should also avoid spamming the site, as this can lead to you being blocked or just ignored for seeming to overdo it. Spamming also makes you look desperate and may make the journalists question just how much of a professional you are. If you do submit to HARO, be active in checking your email and respond in a timely manner so a writer can include you. If you don’t respond to them, they may not feel comfortable using your information and may opt for someone else.

Get Your Name Out

For anyone reading that article, you are now seen as a credible source on that topic. If someone is reading an article on a specific subject, they are more likely to search for further information. By seeing your name in the article, they are far more likely to look you up next, thereby bringing traffic to your site or business. Even if someone isn’t interested in the subject, your name is still out there, meaning that they can refer back to you if they need information in the future. Once the article is out, your name is out there with it forever.

Form Connections

Using HARO doesn’t just help you to get featured and cited in articles. The site also allows you to form connections with both the journalists, and other people in your field. You can become a reliable and vital source for reporters and journalists, even having them reach out to you for further information in the future or for other articles.

HARO can also help you to connect with others in similar fields and compare notes to better your business and your knowledge of your field. This is especially helpful because HARO connects people all over the world, making it perfect for analyzing how different areas handle the same type of business.

If you have a business that is in a newer, or more niche field, these connections can become vital for success. Readers of the article you are cited in can also reach out, allowing you to build bridges that way as well.

Increase SEO Through Backlinks

When journalists cite you in an article, they almost always include a backlink to your website. In this way, HARO can help to increase your SEO ranking, making your site more visible in search engines. This can increase traffic to your site and potential sales.

In Summary

HARO is a great way to get your business more press, while also forming good relationships with reporters. You can easily boost your brand and your reputation, while also getting more people to see you as a reputable and credible source in the industry. Whether you are a new business, or have been around for years, every small business can benefit from HARO. Get in touch with the best Orlando SEO company to see how we can help you secure more publicity and leverage HARO for your business’ advantage.