How can a journalist write a good HARO query? Please share your best tip you wish all HARO journalists knew.

Question

From being thorough to concisely telling the requirements at the top, there are several insights that may help you write a great query.

Janice Wald · Answer

Journalists can write a good HARO query by being thorough. For instance, in the past, I'd forgotten to ask for the Twitter handle. I want to send the published content promotion to the experts who contributed. However, without their Twitter handles, I can't notify them about the published content and ask them on Twitter for a retweet. Cover all your bases. For instance, do you want more social media handles? Do you expect the experts to link to you after publication? Do you expect a certain minimum word length? Before rushing to HARO, make a list of what you need from the experts and ask for those requirements in your query.

Omid Semino · Answer

Journalists understandably want to know details of their responders from what they do, to their qualifications, bio, and even social media handles, however, there are those who do not extend that same courtesy to their respondents, which is why in a good HARO query they should identify themselves and the publications they write for. The internet can be a confusing and sometimes precarious place, and many people are weary of how or where their responses may be used.Journalists who wish to establish trust with those they are reaching out to, can go a long way in accomplishing this by identifying themselves, and the publication they are working with. In addition, by providing links to previous articles they have written, or by stating how the article will be used in their description section, they can put respondents at ease, establish trust, and increase the amount of quality responses.

Kate Lipman · Answer

When answering HARO queries, it can be difficult to determine what length of response is ideal. While there are obviously subjects that require more detail to adequately explain than others, sometimes you can still end up under or overshooting what the query submitter had in mind. Rather than repeatedly having to guess what the desired length is, it'd be much more convenient if it became common practice for query submitters to simply lay out their expectations at the outset.

John Ross · Answer

One of the most effective things a journalist can do in their HARO query is to explain what perspective around a story they’re writing about. For me personally, this always helps to inform my approach in responding. For example, if a journalist simply states that they’re looking for input on a story about eating farmed fish, that doesn’t do much good for the source. What about farmed fish do they want to know exactly? Are they writing about how farmed fish is good for you? Bad for you? Destructive to the environment? In short, by providing more context about the perspective of the article, journalists will get more on-topic pitches that are relevant to their story. It takes the guesswork out of the equation for experts pitching them, and prevents journalists' inboxes from getting flooded with lousy off-topic pitches.

Joel Jackson · Answer

See the subject line as a chance to write a snappy headline, one that incentivizes the submitter to not only read the entire query, but read it with the expectation that it will be a worthy one to respond to. When you write a good query, you will increase your chances of gathering responses that aim to be equally as creative. You’re looking for colorful quotes, so be colorful with your queries. Don’t settle for blandness.

Jeff Goodwin · Answer

Stick to one question that covers the details/ requirements upfront and implies a response will take little time. The queries with multiple follow ups are likely to be passed over in lieu of questions that can be answered faster.For example, put said requirements into the question such as, “Seeking MDs to tell us their best tip for eating heart healthy.”Additionally, “One tip” queries are appreciated, such as “What's your best tip for hiring candidates that will likely do well at your company?” In short, being short hits the spot.

How do you write a HARO query?

Table of Contents

How can a journalist write a good HARO query?

Be Thorough in Your Query

Identify Yourself on HARO to Establish Trust

List the Desired Length

Provide Detail About the Story’s Angle

Be Creative in the Subject Line

Concisely Explain the Requirements in the Query

Submit Your Answer

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