Have you ever read a magazine article or watched television news or talk show and wondered how the quoted “average-person responders” were found? Well in this day and age, many of them are found through HARO.

What is HARO you ask? HARO is an acronym for Help A Reporter Out. The brainchild of Peter Shankman, HARO is a wonderful source that connects average people with media sources and vice versa.

On the HARO website, you can enter your name and email address to be added to the source list. Then, you will begin receiving thrice daily emails from Peter Shankman and HARO. These lists are filled with queries from reporters and other media sources looking for a qoute or more detailed information.

Some of the media sources that use HARO include:

• National magazines, such as Parents, Reader’s Digest and Ladies Home Journal
• Local newspapers
• Television entities such as FOX, The Mike & Juliet Show and Dr. Phil
• Large blogs and websites

And that is just a very small sampling. The opportunities are endless.

Here is an example of a query you’ll find in an average HARO email:

7) Summary: “Me” Time

Category: General

Name: ———

Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Title: Freelance writer

Media Outlet/Publication: Redbook

Anonymous? No

Specific Geographic Region?  No

Region:

Deadline: ————————–

Query:

“Looking to hear from women (mid 20s – mid 50s) about your
15-minutes of “me time.” This is time you carve out for yourself
each day to get a second breath. So, 1. when is your “me time” (I
need an actual time i.e. 7am, 3:15pm, or 1am, for example) 2. what do you do–play guitar; deadhead flowers in your garden; play with your dog, whatever? Finally, what does this little blast of time do for you? Do you emerge calmerer, inspired, rejuvenated, joyful or what? Please include your name, age, city/state & one more thing: I also need a photo of you! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDS!”

Responding to a query is as simple as sending an email. It’s a great way to get your name out there.

If any of our readers have previous experience with HARO, we’d love to hear your thoughts!