Forbes, one of the oldest and most trustworthy publications, has over 150 million monthly visits and is a terrific place for entrepreneurs and start-ups to leverage. A feature on it gives your brand a lasting aura of authority and ushers an abundance of opportunities. It’s why thousands of business leaders and industry experts vie to secure an appearance on it every year. How to get featured on Forbes is a question that reigns supreme in the minds of all. After all, a Forbes feature means you’re one of the chosen few. This article will provide the best-kept secrets to securing this coveted spot.
Build Relationships and Grow Your Network
You cannot magically gain a feature on Forbes without being a part of the network of people in your industry. We are talking about entrepreneurs and eminent writers on different social media platforms. Building bonds with influencers or successful people in your industry puts you directly on the path to connecting with a writer, editor, or journalist who would love to put you in the limelight.
Make connections by attending networking events regularly, following up with those with whom you interacted, and helping people in your network to connect.
However, don’t make the mistake of searching for thought leaders who are precisely in the same industry as you. It will drastically limit your reach and network. Instead, deepen your relationships with people from varied industries with diverse perspectives and insights. That’s how the dots connect and lead you to the right place or, in this case, person.
Note that building relationships is a lengthy process. It’s an ongoing process that you should begin in earnest if you want to get featured on Forbes in the coming years.
Pay More Emphasis on Connecting with Forbes Contributors
When appearing on Forbes becomes synonymous with your dream, connecting with professionals who drive features on the prestigious magazine should top your to-do list. Forbes contributors are authority figures with whom every entrepreneur should connect.
There’s no other way of saying this. It’s imperative to build links with contributors to find your way inside the publication. Consider them as your media collaborators who will help you get featured.
The more you make the effort to build a relationship with them, the less you will find your pitches getting rejected. Here’s why.
When you build bonds with Forbes contributors and journalists, you know what piques their interest. It means that you can set yourself as a resource for them to use when they are covering a similar topic. It naturally lowers your chances of sending unsolicited pitches and waiting endlessly for replies.
Now, you may wonder about the process of connecting with contributors. Follow these few straightforward steps:
a. Open a search engine like Google.
b. Now, type your industry name, followed by Forbes.
c. You’ll see a whole list of articles in the magazines in the search results.
d. Explore those authored by Forbes contributors.
e. Select at least ten contributors.
It’s these professionals that you need to forge a solid connection with to fulfill your goal of getting featured on Forbes. Start connecting with them on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Engage with them as much as possible by reacting to their posts, commenting, and sharing them.
Leverage a Digital PR Agency
When you’re wondering how to get featured on Forbes but don’t have adequate time to network and build relationships, the services of a digital PR agency prove invaluable. Why so?
Such an agency already has deep connections with many Forbes contributors and writers who cover a variety of topics. It leverages its relationships to pitch your story and then gets to work with a team of seasoned in-house writers and journalists. The extensive network of media contacts, combined with industry expertise and strategic approach enables a digital PR agency to get the stories of start-ups published on Forbes.
Keep Building Your Online Presence
A robust presence as an industry thought leader makes your likelihood of being featured on Forbes swell like a birthday balloon. Personal branding is proven to attract opportunities and increase your unique value proposition. When your website, blog, and social media channels are packed with highly insightful and helpful content for your audience, you gain undeniable credibility.
The authority you gain attracts editors of leading publications like Forbes. These people are always eager to cover truly unique journeys, stories, insights, and trajectories. You may be familiar with how a compelling story or feature in one magazine leads to abundant coverage in other publications. In fact, in 2019, over 92,000 Game of Thrones articles were published in the period between January and May! This is the charm of exciting and one-of-a-kind news or story for editors.
Sometimes, famous magazines get their ideas from small ones, such as blogs. Other times, the reverse happens. The takeaway for you should be to build a distinctive presence online and show the world what sets you apart. That’s how Forbes will find its way to you.
Determine the Kind of Content That Vibes with Forbes
Forbes isn’t your typical magazine that covers traditional press releases, product launches, or promotional content. It has made its mark as a source of knowledge and inspiration by covering standout entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
So your reason for appearing on it should be compelling.
In other words, your pitch to the Forbes contributor or editor should align with the magazine’s content.
Wealth and affluence, entertainment, sports, retirements, companies, and in-depth profiles of business owners and entrepreneurs are some of the major categories. Which one relates to your domain or interest? Once you find a category, pay attention to how content is presented and covered.
Different editors cover different themes. Your potential Forbes feature for a particular editor should match what they cover. Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, your pitch will be oblivious to them.
Craft Targeted Pitches to Get Featured on the Forbes
A clear, focused pitch with a compelling headline that offers something exceptionally unique is what gets the attention of Forbes editors in less than a second. Well, if not in a microsecond, it won’t elude them either.
Here comes the advantage of having an authentic personal brand. If you have a strong online presence, you’ll be able to personalize your pitch with statistics and make it credible and insightful. So it will convince the editor much more quickly. On top of that, you can place your social media profiles, links to your popular articles, and features in other publications to solidify your standing.
Consider these points to make the task of pitch creation easy.
a. Simply avoid stock pitches. Instead of using the usual ‘spray and pray’ technique, communicate the relevance of your story to the editor’s particular publication.
b. Don’t claim something about yourself that has no proof. Yes, we understand your need to present your business in the best light. But if this comes at the cost of exaggerated claims, it’ll only backfire.
c. Develop more relevant content for the pitch by reviewing the most popular posts of the Forbes contributor or editor you have selected. Read the posts within the hashtags section of that contributor. Use the ideas you get to structure your pitch.
d. Pique the editor’s interest with an interesting media bio that indicates a story to be narrated. For example, the specialists of a digital PR agency will start a media bio like this: ‘X went from being a socially awkward web design student with zero connections to a top coach earning a six-figure income from his home.’
e. In your pitch, include at least three article ideas. Briefly explain why each is worthy of being explored and the points that will be covered. This will help the editor visualize the final content.
f. Never pitch a story that is sitting on your website or social media platform. You might think it won’t catch the editor’s eye, but that’s often not true. Forbes editors and contributors thrive on covering unique and captivating stories. They want what cannot be found anywhere on the internet.
g. A pitch is not a completed article. Editors expect the most brevity. Keep the pitch concise enough to steal their curiosity immediately.
Use Gentle Follow Up Reminders
A brief follow-up email after a week of sending the pitch is necessary. Remember that editors are, like everyone else, busy people. But you don’t want to be at the receiving end of their busy schedule. When you have worked so hard to create a truly innovative pitch, it makes sense to ask the recipient if they have received and read it.
A great practice when sending follow-up emails is to attach the original query. This will prevent the editor from searching back and forth your idea.
Also, your wording should be professional and not accusatory. So, rather than saying, ‘I have been waiting for a week,’ say, ‘I am quite excited about this feature and thought to just check in and see if there’s any progression.’
Get Ready to Be Featured on Forbes!
Forbes’s swagger and impact are truly unmatched. In this competitive landscape, a feature on it gives you a lot of leverage. You can use it to effortlessly flaunt your credibility and showcase the value in your promises. The tips above will help you craft a winning strategy that’ll function as your ticket to finding your name in this valuable platform that’s synonymous with success.
