Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is a free service that you can use to get additional publicity for yourself or your work. Signing up is easy. Just visit HelpaReporter.com and fill out the simple form. Once you add your information, you will start to get inquiries. Putting together a pitch that stands out could help you get chosen as a source for a podcast or future article. If you are new to the platform or haven’t been seeing the results that you want, the tips below will improve your odds of getting chosen for media coverage.

1. Show off your achievements.

Girl Scouts track and show off their accomplishments through the use of badges. Whenever they master a new skill like camping, learning first aid, or becoming an outstanding citizen, they earn a badge. These badges are then sewn onto their clothing so that everyone can see what they have accomplished. As they accumulate more and more badges, their achievements seem increasingly impressive.

You can apply the same concept to your online persona. While you can’t parade around in a badge-covered sash to show off your accomplishments like a Girl Scout, you can find ways to point out some of the things that you have achieved. If you want to establish yourself as an authoritative source, a good place to start is by trying to get one of the leading media outlets to mention you. Anytime you get a mention like this, add it to your LinkedIn profile, your resume, or your website. When someone sees that a well-known publication has used you as a source, they are more likely to trust you, as well.

If you haven’t been mentioned by the media yet, find other achievements that you can showcase when you send in a pitch. One easy way to include them is by adding them underneath your name. In your closing, sign your name, include a link to your site and your social media accounts, and add any other information that will help boost your credibility. For instance, if you recently received an award, include that under your name. Information like this makes you seem more trustworthy and authoritative. It also makes it easier for journalists to learn more about you. Include a link so that they can easily check your credentials. They are more likely to pick you if you make it as easy as possible for them to learn more about you.

2. Make Sure Your Pitch Is Relevant

When you receive a query and respond with an unrelated pitch, the only thing that you will do is irritate the original sender. Remember, their time is valuable. They are trying to meet tight deadlines and have a lot of pitches to sort through before they can begin writing. Responding with off-topic information makes it more challenging for them to meet their goals. There is no faster way to make a negative impression than to waste someone’s time. Before sending in your pitch, go over the details of the query carefully. Consider having the query text open when you are writing your response so that you can make sure you address all of their questions.

3. Make Sure You Are Qualified

Only answer queries that are a good fit for your expertise. Trying to take on topics that you don’t know or understand well wastes everyone’s time. For instance, if they request five recipes for gluten-free pancakes, make sure that is exactly what you send them. If they want to learn more about how to save money with a Capital One 360 account, don’t reply with details about how you save with Bank of America.

Since so many people are competing for the same topics, you may feel tempted to rush. Although it is important to send out a reply right away, take the time to thoroughly understand their request and to make sure that your answer is on topic. Don’t just go by the title alone. Instead, read the details in the description to make sure that your knowledge is a good fit for their requirements.