With Connectively (formerly HARO – Help a Reporter Out) closing its doors on December 9, 2024, PR professionals and marketing managers are now looking for fresh ways to maintain their media outreach efforts
We took this opportunity and thought of helping publishers and marketers like you with a list of 9 Best HARO alternatives platforms.
Stay with me till the end as I am also going to uncover some proven ways you can drive better and more conversions from your outreach campaigns.
Let’s get started.
Those working on B2B assets, sales, marketing, technology, and content marketing. If your startup operates on a limited budget, this platform may well be included in your media outreach toolkit.
HaB2BW is run by Superpath, the world’s best content marketing community. It works like HARO but takes a different approach, which may intrigue you. Unlike HARO, it provides basic SEO metrics and a great conversion rate.
What sets Help a B2B Writer apart is that it’s a free platform where you can find quality marketing opportunities. It connects you with subject matter experts and secures high-quality backlinks and media placements without any cost.
It’s an entirely free platform and is worth checking out.
Brand24, a social media monitoring tool, increased its media coverage and drove tangible results upon engagement with HaB2BW. The marketing team secured valuable backlinks by connecting with writers seeking expert insights on social media, digital marketing, and analytics topics.
Subject matter experts for themselves or their startups, PR and marketing pros seeking exclusive relationships with elite members of the media, such as reporters, writers, podcasters, producers, and event organisers, to secure substantial press coverage.
What makes Qwoted stand out is that it focuses on quality over quantity. Unlike HARO, it’s one of the best paid PR outreach platforms that lets you uncover the hidden gems of knowledge from rigorously selected contributors.
First, you can opt for a free plan (2 pitches a month with a 2-hour delay before your request to be seen). After that, you will have to pay $100 per month for the basic paid plan and $149.99 per month for the pro plan. Custom pricing is also available.
Let’s see if the hefty price tag is worth it with a real-world example.
Bospar, a media-savvy public relations agency, recognised Qwoted’s potential to achieve ground-breaking media coverage, including features in major publications like Forbes.
In fact, they were recently honoured with the Qwoted 100 accolade, meaning they are the top 100 PR professionals in the industry. They mentioned that Qwoted’s advanced technology and AI helped them achieve this goal of becoming a prominent media player.
If you are a tech-savvy PR professional looking to earn valuable media placements, then OnePitch would be an excellent alternative option to HARO. This niche site connects you with tech journalists without burning a hole in your pocket.
What you are getting from this platform is well worth every penny. It’s affordable, value for money, and suitable for budding startups, too. At just $50 a month, you can start building connections with the most relevant journalists.
Unito, a B2B SaaS startup, was ready to make waves in the tech world. They had the right tools, a passionate team, and a vision to transform workflows. But how could they get their story heard above the noise?
They decided to try OnePitch to simplify their media outreach. With OnePitch’s intuitive tools, Unito was able to connect with the right journalists, craft compelling pitches, and land those coveted media placements.
The result? High-profile media coverage that boosted their brand visibility and attracted potential customers.
Here are some kind words from Jillian Amyot, a Marketing Specialist at Unito herself. She says, “OnePitch took me from a PR rookie to landing pieces in tier 1 publications.”
Small businesses and entrepreneurs with budget constraints.
It’s a free platform that makes connecting with journalists easier than ever. PR professionals and subject-matter experts looking for publicity opportunities will greatly benefit from SourceBottle. This pitching platform is heavily relied on by Australian media, and you will receive feature requests from The Guardian and ABC Australia.
The free and paid plans allow you to customize your outreach media strategy. The platform’s “Drink Up” subscription costs $5.95 a month and allows you to receive instant email alerts on new pitch opportunities.
Plus, event managers and PR professionals can opt for a $25 monthly subscription plan for:
Meltwater, being a robust media intelligence platform, offers a suite of tools for monitoring media coverage, analysing sentiment, and identifying relevant journalists and influencers. It’s a paid HARO alternative if you want to:
The average cost is around twelve thousand dollars per user per year. However, the price can vary, with the lowest price being around eight thousand dollars, and the highest price exceeding 30 or 40 thousand dollars a year per user.
You can find more about Meltwater’s Pricing from this blog.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global humanitarian aid organization, turned to Meltwater to streamline its global communications. The platform’s AI-powered tools provided real-time insights into instant media monitoring and sentiment analysis.
As a result, IRC benefitted by improved coordination, reduced duplication, and increased impactful media coverage.
Large-scale organisations or enterprises and medium-sized businesses that prioritise quality over quantity and have a decent budget for media outreach.
Imagine using a platform where relevant journalists, actively seeking your expertise, land in your inbox every day. ProfNet, a service offered by PR Newswire, has a 20-year track record of connecting PR and marketing professionals with the media (eager journalists, publishers) to save you time and hassle of endless cold pitching.
So, if you want to try your luck with ProfNet for valuable media coverage and quality placements, consider the perks and flaws before diving in.
Membership Options:
For those looking for more customized solutions, ProfNet offers industry-specific access, which starts at $1,500 per segment . This package includes five accounts for information officers, making it ideal for teams that need to collaborate on media outreach.
Beth Silver, the managing director of Doubet Consulting, a management and marketing consulting firm based in New York City, says,
“The return on investment has been well worth the cost for the ProfNet service. I am better able to see trends based on the requests journalists are making, which I think makes me a sharper marketer.
I waited two years to make a decision to call PR Newswire to see how my business could benefit from its services. I regret not having followed my gut and calling sooner.”
Startups (any industry), freelancers, and small PR teams that need to act fast on opportunities in the UK’s top-tier publications. Although it may not be as fruitful for those looking for international media coverage.
As the majority of the platform users are UK-based, Editorielle does have a growing number of international members. If journalists are seeking non-UK-based products and experiences, they can specify this in their requests.
What if you had access to a daily newsletter that allows you to get featured in Forbes, BBC, and more? Editorielle, a paid platform based in the UK, makes it simple to find instant press opportunities to get featured fast. All you need is to pay 5 euro per Instant Category to receive round-the-clock alerts in real-time via email.
It also provides you with daily updates on press opportunities from top-tier publications like Grazia, Daily Mail, and more.
The basic membership plan allows you to connect with journalists for only £10 monthly. It includes access to daily press opportunities. You need to pay £5 per category per month for instant alerts on specific requests.
There’s no obligation; the platform allows you to cancel the plan at any time.
By strategically using Editorielle, MyBeautySquad, a leading beauty service provider in the UK, successfully leveraged a press opportunity for “Worldwide Beauty Experts” to secure a coveted spot in one of the world’s most influential fashion magazines, ELLE UK.
Digital marketing agencies, SEO specialists, and established enterprises looking to streamline their influencer outreach and backlink building efforts.
While HARO was all about journalists posting queries for contributors, PitchBox gives you better control over the outreach process. As an all-in-one influencer and outreach platform, it simplifies critical aspects of digital marketing, including:
Its seamless integration with powerful tools like Ahrefs, Google Analytics, and SEMrush sets it apart from HARO. These integrations allow marketers to prioritise targets based on key metrics, ensuring efficient and data-driven outreach.
The platform’s advanced automation and analytics capabilities make it a scalable solution perfect for handling both small—and large-scale campaigns.
Hive19, a growing link-building agency, turned to PitchBox to scale its outreach without overspending. Here’s how PitchBox made a difference:
The results?
Enterprises and mid-sized companies will benefit from this effective journalist enquiry system.
Enhancing a brand’s media presence requires hot leads and meaningful relationships with journalists. Response Source is the secret weapon in your arsenal, connecting you directly with journalists who are actively seeking experts like you.
The pay-as-you-go plan needs you to pay a flat fee of £85 per release. PR and marketing teams who want to distribute press releases regularly can choose from the following:
Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent retailer of used vehicles, wanted to increase the number of articles written about them in the news. They wanted to be seen as experts in the vehicle industry.
“Since we subscribed to the Journalist Enquiry Service at the end of 2022, we’ve been able to
secure some incredibly valuable coverage and links through the platform, says Lizzie Parr, Digital PR Lead at Motorpoint.
“Some of the most notable include a broadcast feature on ITV Tonight discussing if now is a
good time to buy an electric vehicle, commentary in the Express about the ULEZ expansion,
and print coverage in Women’s Own about common car cleaning mistakes.”
Imagine pouring hours of your life into crafting that perfect pitch, only to watch it land in the bin without a glance. Does it make you wonder if all that effort was truly worth it?
You are confident you will get replies, but your inbox says different. Then what went wrong? We all know that it’s not easy to run PR outreach campaigns. But with the right approach, it is very much achievable and you can do it too.
Here’s a tried-and-true guide to ensure your outreach does not end up in the digital trash can:
Picture receiving an email that feels like it was written for you and you only. That’s what personalisation looks like. Instead of generic pitches, spend time researching the journalist’s recent work, interests, or the beats they cover. A simple Google search or LinkedIn research can help you get an insight into their style and preferences.
A pitch referencing a recent article they wrote will stand out in a sea of copy-paste emails. Remember, people respond to authenticity. Show that you care enough to tailor your message.
First impressions matter. Nothing will happen if your subject line does not intrigue the person on the other side. A concise and curiosity-piquing subject line matters most, as journalists receive hundreds of pitches weekly.
For example, “Exclusive Data: The Surprising Trend Redefining [Industry]” works better than “Press Release.” So, keep your subject line relevant and intriguing; after all, you only have a few seconds to grab attention.
Journalists have a soft spot for stories that are fresh, exclusive, or backed by strong data. If you are pitching, offer something only you can offer—whether it’s breaking news, a compelling visual, or a fresh perspective. Make it clear that your content is not just another spin but a true value-add.
What makes you remember a good book, movie, or TV series? A story that speaks to your heart. It’s the same when you are pitching. Instead of dumping data, weave a narrative. How did your startup deal with a major challenge? Stories with emotional hooks are more likely to resonate with journalists and their audiences. Keep it concise yet impactful.
Finally, think of outreach as planting seeds. Don’t expect instant results. Invest in building genuine connections, engaging with their work on social media, sharing thoughtful comments on their articles, and offering help beyond self-promotion. It takes time and a lot of effort, but the long-term payoff is worth it.
Great PR is not just about shouting into the void; it’s about meaningful conversations. So, focus on personalisation, storytelling, and building relationships. The rest will work out automatically.
Unlike Connectively HARO’s mass-pitching approach, the alternatives mentioned today open the door to something much more meaningful: genuine relationships with reporters and media people. Building these connections takes time. When you invest in quality relationships, your PR efforts become not just streamlined but also much more effective.
With the tips shared here, you are laying the foundation for long-term success. PR is not just about getting numerous media mentions– it’s about creating partnerships. Once you do, rewards will keep coming!
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