The Easiest Way to Do Your Own PR: 5 Media Sourcing Tools That Make Getting Press a Breeze

Public relations isn’t just for the big brands with expensive agencies. If you’re an entrepreneur, small business owner, or consultant looking to do your own PR and get some easy media wins, the right tools can open doors to major publications, podcasts, and even TV. All it takes is a little hustle and knowing where to look.

Fortunately, media sourcing platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO), Radio Guest List, PitchRate, Featured.com, Qwoted, and Help a B2B Reporter make it incredibly easy to find press opportunities that are actively looking for expert insights. These are journalists, podcasters, and editors asking for your opinion—not cold pitching. That’s the magic of DIY PR.

Let’s break down how each platform works and how you can start using them to get featured in media—no publicist required.

1. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) – The OG of Media Sourcing (Acquired by Featured.com)

Website: https://www.helpareporter.com

HARO is the original crowdsourced media request service, and it remains one of the best tools for doing your own PR. Once you sign up as a source, you’ll receive daily emails with queries from journalists at outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Inc. who are looking for experts to quote.

You’ll get categorized queries (business, health, tech, lifestyle, etc.), and your job is to scan for relevant topics and pitch your expertise. HARO was acquired by Cision and now offers premium subscriptions for faster access to opportunities, but the free version is still powerful—especially if you’re pitching regularly.

Why it’s great for DIY PR:

• Trusted by top-tier media

• Easy to sign up and pitch

• You can practice writing compelling, expert-level responses

💡 Pro Tip: Include your full name, title, company, and location in your pitch. Most reporters won’t reach out if they don’t have that info.

2. Radio Guest List – For Podcasters, Authors, Coaches, and Experts

Website: https://www.radioguestlist.com

This platform focuses specifically on radio shows, podcasts, and talk shows. You can subscribe for daily updates on shows looking for guests in your niche—from wellness to finance to personal development.

Radio Guest List lets you reply to open guest calls with your bio, expertise, and potential talking points. They even have a premium tier starting at just $4.99/month if you want priority listings or additional exposure.

Why it’s great for easy media:

• More laid-back pitching process

• Excellent for building a speaker reel and podcast resume

• Great for niche audiences that convert

📣 Pitch Tip: Use a four-point pitch model—intro, value statement, bullet point takeaways, and a clear call to action like “When’s a good time to schedule the interview?”

3. PitchRate – Underrated but Effective for DIY Publicity

Website: https://www.pitchrate.com

Think of PitchRate as HARO’s quiet cousin. It also aggregates requests from reporters and publications looking for sources, but the format is sometimes more structured—interviews often come with a list of questions for you to answer directly.

PitchRate can be especially valuable for experts with specific experience or credentials. You’ll still want to tailor your pitch to the outlet’s audience, but sometimes it's as simple as answering a few questions.

Why it’s great:

• Interview-style queries make it easy to focus your response

• Less competition than HARO = higher visibility

• A great way to practice thought leadership and storytelling

4. Featured.com (formerly Terkel) – Quote-Based Articles With Less Stress

Website: https://www.featured.com

Formerly known as Terkel, Featured.com gives you a clean and streamlined way to share expert advice that gets featured in roundup-style articles.

Instead of writing full pitches, you simply answer short questions (like “What’s the best productivity hack you’ve learned this year?”) and your quote may be selected for inclusion in content on sites like Fast Company, Business Insider, and Forbes Councils.

Why this is perfect for DIY PR:

• Super easy media exposure—just drop a great quote

• Low-lift way to build backlinks and brand mentions

• Great for building credibility fast

📈 SEO Bonus: These quotes often come with backlinks to your website or LinkedIn—excellent for domain authority!

5. Qwoted – Curated Media Matching for Serious Experts

Website: https://www.qwoted.com

Qwoted is designed to connect journalists with vetted experts. It’s slightly more exclusive, and journalists can directly invite you to respond to a query—especially if your profile is optimized.

Create a strong expert profile, browse open media requests, and pitch with precision. Qwoted tends to skew toward business, finance, tech, and policy outlets, making it an excellent tool for B2B professionals.

Why Qwoted makes DIY PR easier:

• You can set alerts for specific media verticals

• More structured platform = higher quality opportunities

• Ideal for finance, SaaS, and emerging tech brands

Bonus: Help A B2B Reporter – B2B Focused Requests

Website: https://www.helpab2breporter.com

If you’re specifically targeting B2B media, this newer resource is worth bookmarking. It aggregates B2B journalist queries, podcast guest calls, and even roundups looking for expert insights in marketing, operations, sales, SaaS, and beyond.

The format is super clean—simple emails or listings with clear prompts and links. This tool is perfect if you're a consultant, agency founder, or B2B service provider.

What makes it helpful:

• Niche B2B targeting = higher quality leads

• Great for case study-style features

• Focus on industry credibility and thought leadership

Getting Started: How to Do Your Own PR With These Tools

Here’s a simple weekly plan to get you rolling:

Key Tips for Winning Media Pitches:

• Always tailor your pitch to the outlet and audience.

• Keep it short, specific, and authoritative.

• Include a 2–3 sentence bio and your full contact info.

• Save your pitches—they can become blog posts later!

Final Thoughts: Yes, You Can Do Your Own PR (And It’s Easier Than You Think)

You don’t need a publicist to get featured in the media. With tools like HARO, Qwoted, and Radio Guest List, you just need to show up, be consistent, and pitch with confidence. These resources are the gateway to building credibility, backlinks, podcast appearances, and traffic—on your own terms.

So whether you're trying to build your personal brand or bring more visibility to your business, know this: Easy media wins are just a pitch away.

Want help crafting your first pitch? Become a Cadence + Flow Academy Band Member to access customized pitch help from me, to use seven custom GPTs to help with your marketing and PR, get access to an on-demand library of content to help you brand, market, and sell with the help of AI and automation.

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This post was repurposed with AI from a previous live video training.