On this page
- What happened
- Alternatives
- In detail
- HARO vs outreach
- Direct outreach
- Combined strategy
- Writing the pitch
- How to replace HARO
- FAQ
What happened to HARO?
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) launched in 2008 as a free daily email that matched journalists' source requests with experts. Cision acquired it through its 2014 merger with Vocus, rebranded it as Connectively in April 2024 and shut Connectively down in December 2024. On 15 April 2025 Cision sold HARO to Featured.com, which relaunched it on 22 April 2025 as a free, ad-supported daily email at helpareporter.com, with stricter rules against spam, AI-written answers and fake sources.
Is HARO still free?
Yes. The relaunched HARO is free for journalists and sources and is funded by newsletter sponsors. It sends Morning, Afternoon and Evening editions.
Does HARO still work for link building?
It can, but treat it as PR. A quote earns a mention; whether it carries a link, and whether that link is followed, is the publication's choice. Many large publications add nofollow or no link at all. Budget your time accordingly and track which answers actually produce links.
Why people still look for alternatives
- Competition: popular queries receive many answers, so most pitches are not used.
- Unpredictable links: you cannot choose the site or the anchor.
- Time: answering well every day takes hours.
Sources: Cision press release (prnewswire.com, 15 Apr 2025); HARO blog (blog.helpareporter.com, "HARO is back"); Press Gazette, 16 Apr 2025.
HARO alternatives
| Service | How it works | Best for |
|---|
| Qwoted | Journalists post requests; experts pitch | PR and expert commentary |
|---|
| Featured | Answer questions that get published on partner sites | Quotes and links on business sites |
|---|
| Help a B2B Writer | Requests from B2B writers | B2B SaaS and marketing |
|---|
| SourceBottle | Media call-outs, strong in Australia and the UK | Consumer and lifestyle PR |
|---|
| #journorequest on X | Journalists post source requests publicly | Fast, free, UK-heavy |
|---|
| Direct blogger outreach | You pitch editors yourself | Links you control, at any volume |
|---|
Descriptions are summaries; check each service for current terms and pricing.
The HARO alternatives in more detail
Qwoted
Journalists post requests and sources pitch through the platform, with profiles that show your expertise. It suits PR teams and experts who want ongoing relationships with reporters. Free and paid tiers exist; check qwoted.com for current limits.
Featured
Featured (featured.com) publishes expert answers to questions on partner sites and is the company that now owns HARO. It suits founders and specialists who want frequent quotes on business and marketing sites.
Help a B2B Writer
A request service aimed at B2B writers, useful for SaaS, marketing and finance experts whose topics rarely appear in consumer media.
SourceBottle
A media call-out service with strong coverage in Australia and the UK, often used for consumer, lifestyle and small business stories.
#journorequest
Journalists, mostly in the UK, post requests on X with the hashtag. It is free and fast, but you need to monitor it yourself.
Direct outreach
Instead of waiting for a request, you pitch an angle to editors who cover your topic. You pick the sites and follow up, and you can track the result as a deal with an agreed outcome.
HARO vs direct outreach
| HARO and similar | Direct outreach |
|---|
| Who chooses the site | The journalist | You |
|---|
| Link guaranteed | No | Agreed in the deal |
|---|
| Anchor and target page | Publication decides | You propose |
|---|
| Cost | Free (HARO) or subscription (others) | Software + your time + any fees |
|---|
| Volume | Depends on matching queries | As many prospects as you qualify |
|---|
| Best for | Brand mentions on big media | Topical links on niche sites |
|---|
Why direct outreach complements HARO-style services
Source-request services depend on a journalist choosing your answer. Direct outreach lets you choose the sites, pitch your own ideas and follow up. Pink Post handles the direct side: link-building playbooks, follow-ups, a reply inbox and a deal pipeline.
A combined strategy: PR requests plus outreach
Teams that used HARO well rarely relied on it alone. A practical split:
- Daily: scan HARO, Qwoted and Featured for 10–15 minutes and answer only requests where you have real expertise and data.
- Weekly: run one direct outreach campaign, such as guest posts or link insertions on niche sites, from your own mailboxes.
- Monthly: review which channel produced live, followed links and at what cost in time and fees, then shift effort.
Keep the two lists separate in your reporting: PR mentions build brand authority even without a link, while outreach deals should be judged on live links and cost per link.
In Pink Post you can log PR wins as deals next to outreach deals, so the live link check watches both.
How to write a source pitch that gets picked
Whichever service you use, journalists choose quickly. Answer the exact question in the first two lines, give a specific fact, number or example from your own experience, add one line on who you are and why you know, and keep it under 200 words. Generic answers that could come from anyone are ignored.
Speed matters
Requests fill up fast. Set alerts for your topics and answer within a few hours.
Track what you win
Not every quote includes a link. Record each mention, whether it links, and check the article later; in Pink Post you can log these as deals and let the live link check watch them.
How to replace HARO links with outreach
- List the publications that used to quote you or your competitors.
- Find the editors and writers covering your topic.
- Pitch a specific expert angle or data point, not a generic "I can comment".
- Follow up once, then track each mention and link until it is live.
Pink Post