Creating buzz for a small business is difficult. Most small companies don't have the time to do their own PR and even fewer have budgets big enough to hire outside marketers. That's where websites like NewsBasis and Help a Reporter Out (HARO) come in. Both claim they make it easier for businesses to connect with reporters who need sources. Today thousands of reporters and businesses find each other on these websites (for free), but will news platforms work for your business? Can you really see a return worth the required time investment, however minimal?
While both HARO and NewsBasis are tight-lipped about their in-house metrics, several users of the sites agreed to share their experiences and tips. Here is wha t they said.
Staying on Topic Pays Off
Evan Fray-Witzer, a lawyer at the law firm Ciampa Fray-Witzer, has been responding to reporters’ requests on HARO for two years. According to Fray-Witzer, who has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and TheStreet.com thanks to HARO, the service is easy to use, doesn't take much time and has generated welcome publicity for his firm.
"I try to be very targeted to reporters' specific requests," said Fray-Witzer. "If someone is looking for an expert in nuclear science, I don't respond and say, ‘I'm not a nuclear scientist, but I've defended them in employment law cases!’ "
Fray-Witzer suggests being sensitive to deadlines, but first and foremost have something interesting to say. "I was able to relate the story of how I helped one of my corporate clients deal with an administrative assistant who had taken to opening her mail with a butcher's knife...
