What Is HARO and Why Should Lawyers Use It?
HARO (or help a reporter out) is an online subscription where journalists ask for insight from professionals to include in their articles. Lawyers should subscribe to get their name out there.
  • HARO
  • Legal Marketing
Meredith Boe
Published on Apr 28, 2021

 

HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out and gives professionals in many different industries the opportunity to expand their reach, build online credibility, and contribute to important conversations. If you have expertise in an area, like the law, you can respond to requests from journalists with your insight.

 

Interested parties can easily sign up for alerts, which are requests of information for articles that come to your email inbox three times a day. If you respond to one of their requests, they may use it in what they write.

 

The basic subscription is completely free and gives you those daily requests to your email. If you decide you want to be able to filter the requests by keyword, create a profile you can use for pitches, receive text alerts, and other benefits, you can pay between $19 and $149 per month.

 

Now let’s walk through the rules for HARO requests and the benefits of getting involved.

 

 

General rules for HARO requests

Because there are many different people and organizations who want to contribute to the HARO requests, they have outlined some basic rules that subscribers must follow:

  • Subscribers will receive three emails Monday through Friday and may respond directly to the anonymous email address provided.
  • Responses cannot be off-topic or spam.
  • Responders may not pitch products unless the request asks for it.
  • Queries can be forwarded to other people via email or social media.
  • Subscribers may not harvest reporter information.
  • Answers must be complete and relevant and include a short bio and contact information.
  • Be upfront if responding on behalf of a client.
  • No attachments should be included.
  • Links may be sent, such as Dropbox, with supplemental information.
  • Due diligence is recommended before responding.
  • Be excellent to each other.

 

 

Benefits of HARO for lawyers

Here are a few benefits of subscribing to HARO and then taking the time to respond:

  • Build SEO for your firm: The reporters will always backlink to your website and give you credit when they quote you.
  • Establish credibility: You will quickly establish yourself as a thought leader in the legal world when you’re quoted in articles.
  • Expand your reach: Potential clients may see your name in an article, which can help you grow your practice.
  • Grow your network: Being quoted in an article helps you become more recognizable to the wider legal community.

 

These requests can also give you lots of insight into what people are talking, writing, and thinking about in the legal and tech worlds so you can keep improving.

 

Sign up for the daily HARO requests and start pitching your ideas!