Everything PR News

Bruce Harpham Q & A Haro expertise

Public Relations 5WPR - Who What Why Where When - Everything-pr

Everybody knows that a press release, or a news article, needs to answer these five questions. To make a story complete, also tell your audiences how. (Illustration: © igor - Fotolia.com)

You started a PR challenge in June. What’s the goal and how is it going?

In June 2020, I started a publicity challenge to promote my business. The goal is simple: respond to 100 HARO queries to promote my business. I measure success by the number of replies, links, and relationships I develop. 

That’s a lot of activity to manage. How do you keep it organized?

I have a multi-step process that I use every business day.

Set up my HARO tracker sheet in Google Sheets (see a screenshot of it here: https://bruceharpham.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/HARO-Pitch-Tracker-Screenshot.jpg). The spreadsheet has two sheets: the actual HARO queries and responses and a performance tracker.

Review HARO emails three times per day (morning, mid-day and evening)

Copy and paste direct, and indirect HARO queries to the tracking sheet and note the deadlines

Respond to 6 postings per business day.

What do you mean by direct and indirect PR opportunities?

As I read through the HARO queries, I look for direct and indirect PR opportunities. A direct opportunity would be a posting related to my core services (e.g., content marketing and related disciplines) or target market (i.e., software companies). Indirect opportunities would include broader topics like productivity, where I can add my perspective.

If I find more PR opportunities than I can handle, I prioritize my time by focusing on directly relevant opportunities

What results have you seen from the project so far?

For the week ending June 18, I have responded to 90 postings. So far, I have earned three opportunities, including a quote and two long-form interviews. Additional opportunities are still in the works. Later on, I will start the follow-up process to see if I can build relationships.

What are your lessons learned from this challenge?

I have learned a few lessons from the project so far.

From a time perspective, it takes about 60-90 minutes per day to respond to 6 HARO queries. That time frame helps me to organize my day.

From a quality perspective, I learned the need to slow down and make sure I meet every point. For example, I responded too quickly to a HARO posting and omitted requested information like a link to a headshot photo. That means I probably missed that opportunity.

From a link building perspective, I have focused so far on links to my domain, BruceHarpham.com. The next step will be to promote specific content assets like my guide to SaaS marketing channels (https://bruceharpham.com/saas-marketing-channels-the-only-9-growth-channels-you-need-in-2020/).

What’s next for your PR and content marketing efforts?

I have found that this HARO focused PR strategy is a good fit for my skills, so I am going to keep up going for the foreseeable future. When my SaaS growth book comes out later this year, I will adjust my publicity efforts to promote the book.

About

Bruce Harpham helps software as a service (SaaS) companies get more leads through content marketing. Based in Toronto, he serves clients around the world. Visit his website, BruceHarpham.com, for exclusive interviews with SaaS marketing practitioners.

Exit mobile version