Pre-Writing Analysis
1. What most Nashville businesses get wrong: The assumption that HARO is only for national brands or PR agencies. Nashville small business owners ignore journalist requests that specifically seek local experts. A Nashville plumber quoted in a home improvement article earns the same link as a national chain, often with less competition for the opportunity.
2. The underlying mechanism: Journalists need expert sources for articles. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and similar platforms connect journalists with sources. When quoted, sources typically receive attribution with a link. These editorial links from media sites are among the highest-quality links available.
3. The differentiating Nashville angle: Nashville’s status as a healthcare, music, and hospitality hub creates demand for Nashville-specific expertise. Journalists covering healthcare industry news often want Nashville perspectives. Music industry coverage seeks Nashville sources. Local angle requirements in regional publications specifically need Nashville experts.
HARO and expert sourcing platforms provide access to journalists who need your expertise. The link comes as byproduct of providing value to their reporting. Nashville businesses have expertise journalists want; the challenge is responding quickly and effectively.
HARO Strategy
Help A Reporter Out fundamentals:
What is HARO:
- Free service connecting journalists and sources
- Three daily emails with journalist queries
- Categories: Business, Tech, Health, Lifestyle, etc.
- Response goes directly to journalist
- If quoted, typically includes link to source website
HARO subscription:
- Free tier: Three daily emails
- Paid tiers: Earlier access, keyword alerts, profile features
- Free tier sufficient for most Nashville businesses
- Paid worthwhile for aggressive PR campaigns
Query categories relevant to Nashville businesses:
Business and Finance:
- Small business topics
- Industry-specific queries
- Economic trends
- Entrepreneurship
Lifestyle and Fitness:
- Home improvement
- Health and wellness
- Consumer advice
- Seasonal topics
High Tech:
- Technology for business
- SaaS and software
- Digital trends
General:
- Local business queries
- Regional publication needs
- Specific expertise requests
Nashville-specific HARO queries:
Some queries specifically request:
- Sources in specific cities (Nashville)
- Sources in specific regions (Southeast, Tennessee)
- Sources in specific industries (healthcare, music)
These are highest-opportunity queries for Nashville businesses.
Response Strategy
Crafting effective HARO responses:
Speed matters:
Journalists receive hundreds of responses.
First quality responses get priority.
Respond within 2-4 hours of email receipt.
Set up alerts or check emails immediately.
Response structure:
Subject line: Exactly as specified in query
Many queries specify subject line format.
“[HARO] [Query Title] – [Your Name/Company]”
Opening: Direct answer to question
Don’t bury the lead.
Answer their specific question immediately.
Be concise and quotable.
Middle: Supporting context
Brief credentials establishing expertise.
Additional relevant points.
Nashville angle if relevant.
Close: Availability
Offer for follow-up questions.
Phone number for quick contact.
Timezone and availability windows.
Response example:
Query: “Looking for plumbing experts to share common winter plumbing mistakes homeowners make”
Response:
“Hi [Name],
The biggest winter plumbing mistake I see in Nashville is disconnected outdoor hoses. Tennessee homeowners don’t always think of Nashville as ‘cold enough’ for pipes to freeze, but we hit teens and single digits multiple times each winter.
I’m [Name], owner of [Company] in Nashville with 18 years of local experience. We respond to 50+ frozen pipe calls each January, and 90% could have been prevented with basic preparation.
Three winter mistakes I see constantly:
- Leaving garden hoses connected (creates ice backup)
- Closing foundation vents completely (traps moisture)
- Keeping garage doors open (exposes pipes in attached garages)
I’m available for follow-up at [phone] or [email]. Central Time, typically available 7am-7pm.
[Name]
[Title], [Company]
[Website]
[Phone]”
Response mistakes:
- Generic responses not answering specific question
- Lengthy pitches instead of useful information
- No credentials or reason to trust you
- Delayed responses (next day too late)
- Overly promotional tone
- Not following query instructions
Connectively and Alternatives
Beyond HARO:
Connectively (formerly Qwoted):
- Similar to HARO
- Free and paid tiers
- Different journalist pool
- Less competition on some queries
SourceBottle:
- Australian-based but international reach
- Different query mix
- Worth monitoring for relevant opportunities
ProfNet:
- PR Newswire service
- Higher-end journalists
- Paid service
- Best for larger PR efforts
Terkel:
- Expert sourcing platform
- Different format than HARO
- Some Nashville-relevant opportunities
Twitter/X journalist requests:
- Journalists post #journorequest
- Follow Nashville media contacts
- Monitor industry hashtags
- Faster response often needed
Direct journalist relationships:
Build relationships with:
- Nashville Business Journal reporters
- Tennessean business writers
- Industry publication journalists
- Trade magazine editors
Once you’re a known reliable source, journalists contact you directly.
Expert Positioning
Positioning yourself as quotable Nashville expert:
Expertise signals:
Credentials:
- Licenses and certifications
- Years in Nashville market
- Industry association positions
- Published work or speaking
Authority:
- Previous media coverage
- Thought leadership content
- Industry recognition
- Community involvement
Availability:
- Quick response time
- Professional communication
- Quotable sound bites ready
- Photography available
Nashville expert angles:
Local expertise:
“As a Nashville [professional] since [year]…”
“In the Nashville market, we see…”
“Tennessee specifically requires…”
Industry intersection:
“Nashville’s healthcare industry creates unique [topic]…”
“The music industry in Nashville affects [topic]…”
“Nashville’s growth means [topic]…”
Regional knowledge:
“Middle Tennessee homeowners should know…”
“In the Nashville metro area, the trend is…”
“Davidson and Williamson County differ in…”
Sound bite preparation:
Journalists want quotable responses.
Prepare memorable, concise statements:
- Statistics specific to Nashville
- Counter-intuitive insights
- Practical advice in one sentence
- Colorful analogies or examples
“In Nashville, the average home is 40 years old, which means most plumbing systems are approaching their expiration date.”
Response Tracking
Managing HARO and expert source campaigns:
Tracking system:
Spreadsheet fields:
- Query date
- Publication/journalist
- Topic
- Response sent (yes/no)
- Response date
- Follow-up status
- Published (yes/no)
- Publication date
- Link earned (URL)
- Link type (dofollow/nofollow)
Success metrics:
- Queries responded to per month
- Response rate (responses/relevant queries)
- Placement rate (published/responses)
- Link earn rate (links/published)
- Link quality (DA of publications)
Realistic expectations:
- 100 queries reviewed → 10-20 relevant
- 10-20 responses → 2-5 placements
- 2-5 placements → 1-3 links
5-10% response-to-link rate is good.
Volume matters; respond to more queries.
Time investment:
- Review HARO emails: 15-30 min/day
- Respond to relevant queries: 15-30 min each
- Total: 5-10 hours/month for active program
ROI calculation:
Time investment: 10 hours/month
Average links earned: 2-3/month
Link value: $200-500+ each (based on DA)
Effective hourly rate: $40-150/hour
Plus brand exposure, traffic, and credibility benefits.
Link Quality Assessment
Evaluating HARO link quality:
High-value HARO links:
Major publications:
- National newspapers
- Major online publications
- Industry-leading trade publications
- High DA sites (60+)
Relevant publications:
- Nashville media outlets
- Industry-specific publications
- Target audience publications
Medium-value HARO links:
Regional publications:
- Regional newspapers
- Regional business journals
- State-level publications
Niche publications:
- Smaller industry sites
- Blog networks
- Medium DA sites (30-60)
Lower-value HARO links:
Content farms:
- Sites that exist mainly for content volume
- Low editorial standards
- High publication rate, low quality
- DA under 30
Irrelevant sites:
- No connection to your industry
- No Nashville relevance
- Unlikely to send relevant traffic
Should you respond to lower-quality queries?
Consider:
- Time investment vs. potential value
- Whether link could help or hurt
- Opportunity cost (time spent here vs. elsewhere)
Generally:
- Always respond to high-quality opportunities
- Selectively respond to medium opportunities
- Skip low-quality or irrelevant queries
Link verification:
After publication:
- Check if link was included
- Verify link is dofollow (if claimed)
- Screenshot and save for records
- Add to backlink tracking
Some publications don’t include links.
Some include nofollow links.
Adjust expectations based on publication patterns.