The State of HARO/Connectively in 2026
HARO was acquired by Cision and rebranded as Connectively in late 2023. User experience and journalist query quality declined significantly post-acquisition, with many journalists abandoning the platform. For SaaS companies, relying solely on Connectively in 2026 means working with a degraded pool of journalist requests and lower-quality placement opportunities than were available through HARO at its peak.
Best HARO Alternatives for SaaS
Qwoted ($299-599/month): The highest-quality HARO replacement. Verified journalist profiles, better source-to-journalist matching, and higher-profile publications. For SaaS B2B, Qwoted consistently outperforms alternatives for quality of publications. ResponseSource ($200-400/month): Strong UK and European media coverage. Most relevant for SaaS with UK/EU presence or international expansion. Better for trade publications than tier-1. SourceBottle (free): Australian and APAC focus. Useful for SaaS targeting APAC markets. Twitter/X #journorequest: Journalists posting urgent source requests use this hashtag. Free, requires active monitoring, but produces same-day response opportunities.
Maximizing Response Rate
Success on journalist request platforms requires responding within 30-60 minutes of request posting — early responses with strong credentials consistently win placements over later, higher-quality responses. Prepare: expert spokesperson bio with verifiable credentials; 3-5 sentence background on your area of expertise; signature with website, LinkedIn, and direct contact. For each request, provide: direct answer to the specific question asked (not a pitch); one data point or example that adds value; and an offer to provide additional context if useful.
Direct Journalist Outreach vs. Platform Dependence
The most durable expert quote strategy is building direct journalist relationships rather than relying on request platforms. Identify 20-30 journalists who cover your topic area, follow their work, and reach out directly when you have relevant expert perspective to share. These direct relationships generate inbound requests over time — journalists reach out to you when they need a source rather than you waiting on platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of SaaS expertise generate the most journalist requests?
Data and research expertise (you have proprietary data journalists can cite); operational expertise (how you built or scaled a process); market expertise (deep knowledge of a specific industry or buyer type); and technical expertise (specific technology capabilities and limitations). Generic “SaaS expert” positioning generates far fewer placements than specific, verifiable domain expertise.
How many placements can a SaaS company get per month through journalist platforms?
Active participation in Qwoted and direct journalist outreach can generate 5-15 placements per month for SaaS companies with genuine expert positioning. Volume scales with: how specific your expertise is, how fast you respond, and how consistently you participate over time.
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