The Best Free PR Tools for CPG Founders in 2026 (HARO, Featured.com, Connectively & What's Actually Worth Your Time)

Bridget and Lydia
4 days ago
4 min read

If you've been trying to get your product featured in the press, you've probably heard of HARO.

And if you've been paying attention lately, you know the story has gotten complicated.

HARO died. Then it came back. Then it rebranded. And now in 2026, there's a brand new AI tool in the mix too.

So which free PR platforms are actually worth your time as a product brand or CPG founder right now?

We're breaking it all down in this post and video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCFmCFlGjvE

First: A Quick History Lesson (Because Context Matters)

HARO was the original free PR tool that leveled the playing field for small brands.

The concept was simple: journalists post queries when they need expert sources or product recommendations. You pitch. You get featured. You earn a backlink and a media mention that builds your brand credibility over time.

For years, it was one of the best free tools in the DIY PR toolkit.

Then Cision acquired it and things went downhill fast.

The platform got flooded with spam. Query quality dropped. Response rates tanked. Journalists got frustrated. Founders got frustrated. The whole thing started to feel like a waste of time.

Eventually HARO rebranded as Connectively under Cision, with a paid model and a limited free tier of just 5 pitches per month. For founders actively building PR momentum, that wasn't enough.

And then things got interesting again.

Not sure how to pitch once you're receiving HARO emails or in Connectively? That's exactly what we map out for you in your Personalized PR Plan: your custom story angles, dream outlet list, and a publicist-written pitch ready to go. Get your plan here →

What Actually Happened in 2025

Featured.com acquired HARO and Connectively and genuinely improved the platform.

Here's what changed:

Better spam filters so journalists were actually getting quality pitches again
Source verification to weed out fake experts and low-quality responses
A more organized query structure that made it easier to find relevant opportunities fast

The result? A platform that actually worked again, and one we started recommending to clients inside their Personalized PR Plans.

What's Happening Right Now in June 2026

Here's the freshest update and why we made this video.

Two big things are happening simultaneously:

1. Connectively is back.

Yes, really. Connectively has relaunched as its own platform again, separate from Featured.com. It's worth keeping an eye on as it evolves.

2. Featured.com is relaunching as an AI co-pilot for PR.

This is the bigger news. Featured.com is moving beyond just a source matching platform and becoming an AI-powered PR tool. Think smarter query matching, AI-assisted pitch writing, and a more strategic approach to helping founders get featured.

For product brands and CPG founders, this is genuinely exciting. AI tools that understand media outreach from a product perspective, not just a thought leadership perspective, are still rare. This could be a real game changer.

Our Honest Take: What to Actually Use Right Now

Here's exactly where we'd point a CPG founder today:

Qwoted: Still Worth It

Qwoted remains one of the strongest platforms for finding quality journalist queries. The journalist network is solid, query relevance tends to be high, and it's genuinely free to get started.

Use code VOP for $50 off a paid plan: qwoted.com/?via=VOP

Connectively & Featured

A lot of change has happened but a great place to earn trade and niche publications. Try out the new Featured AI as well! Featured.com

Source of Sources (SOS)

A newer player but worth having in your rotation. Good for thought leadership opportunities and building journalist relationships over time.

How to Actually Build This Into Your PR Strategy

Here's the mistake most founders make with these tools: they sign up, browse around, send one pitch, hear nothing back, and give up.

That's not a platform problem. That's a strategy problem.

Here's what actually works:

Set aside 20-30 minutes, 3x per week. Treat it like a non-negotiable in your calendar, not something you get to when you have time.

Rotate across platforms. Don't rely on just one. Check Featured.com, Qwoted, and SOS in the same sitting. Different journalists use different platforms.

Lead with your product story, not your bio. Journalists writing gift guides, trend pieces, and product roundups want to know why your product fits their story, not your full founder backstory. Hook them with the product angle first.

Follow up strategically. If you pitched and didn't hear back, that's normal. Keep pitching. Consistency is what separates founders who get featured from founders who don't.

Track what's working. Keep a simple spreadsheet of what you pitched, where, and what the outcome was. Over time you'll start to see patterns: which query types land, which publications respond, which angles get traction.

The Bottom Line

The PR tool landscape in 2026 is more dynamic than it's ever been, but that's actually good news for product brands.

More competition between platforms means better features, better query quality, and more opportunities for founders who show up consistently.

HARO's story isn't over. Featured.com's evolution is just beginning. And the founders who learn how to use these tools strategically, right now, while the window is still open, are the ones who will own their media presence for years to come.

Want a Full Strategy Behind Your Pitching?

Knowing which tools exist is just step one. Knowing exactly what to pitch, who to pitch, and how to position your product brand for press? That's the strategy.

That's exactly what we build inside your Personalized PR Plan: your custom story angles, dream outlet list, a publicist-written pitch, and a full roadmap so every tool you use is working toward the same goal.

👉 Grab your Personalized PR Plan: visibilityonpurpose.com/pr-plan

🎥 Watch the full video breakdown on YouTube: youtube.com/@visibilityonpurpose

This post was written by Bridget Sicsko & Lydia Bagarozza, co-founders of Visibility on Purpose, a PR strategy studio helping CPG and product-based brands get featured in top media without agency retainers.

Together we've supported 300+ brands in landing features in Forbes, USA Today, Women's Health, mindbodygreen, FOX, and top podcasts.

Ready to get your brand featured? Grab your Personalized PR Plan here → visibilityonpurpose.com/pr-plan

Let's connect: