Building Visibility: How Featured and HARO Are Revolutionizing PR
Ever wonder how to get your expertise featured in top publications without a hefty PR retainer? Brett Farmilow, CEO of Featured, informs host Peter Woolfolk how he pulls back the curtain on two game-changing platforms revolutionizing media connections in our AI-driven world. When Help a Reporter Out (HARO) was discontinued in December 2024, Farmilow saw an opportunity rather than a loss. He acquired and revived this beloved PR tool in April 2025, maintaining its free service model for both journalists and sources. HARO continues its tradition of connecting expert sources with journalists through three daily emails packed with media opportunities. "It's pretty simple," Farmilow explains. "Go to helpreporter.com, input your email address, and you'll start receiving three emails a day with requests from journalists."<br><br>But Farmilow's vision extends beyond HARO with Featured, which he describes as a "24/7 personal PR agent." This platform connects subject matter experts with over 2,500 publishers seeking high-quality, human-written content. What makes Featured particularly valuable is its precision—monitoring relevant media opportunities and helping experts craft responses that position their expertise effectively. With a freemium model allowing three free submissions monthly, Featured makes media visibility accessible to everyone from marketing agencies to small business owners who can't afford traditional PR services.<br><br>As we navigate an era of increasing AI usage and misinformation, both platforms prioritize trust through rigorous AI detection and profile verification. But perhaps most fascinating is Farmilow's perspective on the future of visibility itself. "Most people are now using AI platforms like ChatGPT to get their questions answered," he notes. "How do you become visible in an AI platform?" Featured is already pioneering this frontier with upcoming Q&A pages designed for "answer engine optimization"—ensuring expert knowledge isn't just published in media outlets but also surfaces in AI recommendations.<br><br>Whether you're a PR professional looking to place client stories, a subject matter expert seeking recognition, or a small business owner trying to increase visibility, these platforms offer powerful tools for sharing your knowledge with the world. As Farmilow says, "Everyone's an expert in something." Ready to share yours?Subscribe to the Public Relations Review Podcast for more insights on navigating today's dynamic media landscape, and leave a review to support this top 1% globally ranked show.
