Landing a Forbes article isn’t luck—it’s strategy. Here’s how entrepreneurs, artists, and brands are earning prestigious media coverage in 2025.
Forbes. Just saying the name elevates your brand. It’s one of the most respected business and culture publications on the planet. Getting featured in Forbes is more than a vanity milestone—it’s a credibility bomb. It can unlock speaking opportunities, boost investor confidence, drive high-ticket sales, and instantly separate you from the competition.
The publication is widely respected and followed by industry leaders and decision-makers worldwide, making it an excellent platform for individuals and companies to establish their credibility and build their personal brands. Forbes content holds significant influence in the digital landscape, with its high domain authority and extensive reach, which can improve SERP positions through valuable backlinks and attract substantial traffic.
But let’s get one thing straight: getting featured in Forbes is not about begging journalists or being “famous enough.” It’s about understanding what makes a good story, who tells it, and how to position yourself like someone worth writing about.
This is your step-by-step blueprint.
Introduction to Forbes
Forbes is a leading business media brand that provides in-depth reporting on entrepreneurship, finance, leadership, innovation, technology, and lifestyle. With a rich history spanning over a century, Forbes has evolved into a powerful multimedia platform that includes a magazine, website, and digital platforms. The publication is widely respected and followed by industry leaders and decision-makers worldwide, making it an excellent platform for individuals and companies to establish their credibility and build their personal brands.
What is Forbes and Why Getting Featured Matters
Getting featured in Forbes can have a significant impact on one’s career and business. It can establish an individual as an expert in their field, gain instant authority in their industry, and distinguish them from competitors. A Forbes feature can also lead to increased visibility, credibility, and prestige, making it an excellent tool for businesses and individuals looking to grow their brand and reach a wider audience. With its high domain authority and quality content standards, Forbes is a trusted source of news and opinion pieces, read by millions worldwide.
Why Getting Published in Forbes Matters
- Authority: You’re instantly seen as a top-level voice in your field.
- SEO: Forbes articles rank high and drive traffic for years.
- Trust: Clients, partners, and press trust names they’ve seen in Forbes.
- PR Leverage: You can repurpose your Forbes feature in pitches, bios, and ads.
- Google Power: Your name becomes more searchable, and your credibility climbs.
Forbes is where reputation, brand, and business intersect. But it’s not just about the press—it’s about what you do with it afterward. Being featured in Forbes can significantly impact business growth by enhancing credibility and visibility for individuals and companies.
Step 1: Know the Types of Forbes Coverage
Forbes features several categories of content. Understanding which one fits your profile is essential.
1. Staff-Written Features
- Written by Forbes journalists
- Often profile major CEOs, rising entrepreneurs, cultural figures
- You need an extraordinary story and strong connections to get here
2. Contributor Articles
- Written by approved contributors (not full-time journalists)
- Easier to access if you work with a media agency or PR rep
- These are often opinion-driven, expert-led, or based on success stories
3. Forbes Councils
- Paid membership groups (e.g., Forbes Business Council)
- Allow you to submit content under your name with editorial review
- Offers brand legitimacy but less journalistic impact
For most people, the Contributor Article route is the golden path. That’s where most breakthrough features come from. The Forbes contributor model drives a significant portion of their annual digital revenue and content production, enabling access to expert contributors and generating a large volume of high-quality articles.
Step 2: Craft Your “Forbes-Worthy” Story
Forbes isn’t interested in generic business advice or vanity wins. Your story needs to check one or more of these boxes:
- Innovation: You’re disrupting your industry
- Impact: You’ve made a measurable difference (revenue, social change, market share)
- Resilience: You overcame major adversity
- Leadership: You’re driving culture forward in your niche
- Trend Insight: You spotted or predicted a shift before others
Avoid fluff. Instead, anchor your story in results, transformation, and data. Producing valuable content is crucial for establishing credibility and authority. If you’re an artist, talk about how your work critiques capitalism or redefines identity. If you’re an entrepreneur, share how you bootstrapped your company through the 2023 recession.
Great PR isn’t about bragging—it’s about clarity, stakes, and relevance.
Step 3: Build Your Press Kit and Digital Footprint
Before you pitch Forbes, make sure you look like someone who belongs in Forbes. Your press kit should include:
- A high-quality headshot and brand imagery
- Professional bio (100–150 words and a longer version)
- Past media coverage or features
- Links to social media, website, and LinkedIn
- Key stats (growth, reach, awards, impact)
Your Google search results should reflect your legitimacy. If someone searches your name, they should see:
- Your website
- Professional images
- Previous interviews or press (even local)
- A verified social presence
Establishing a strong online presence is a critical step before pitching to influential platforms like Forbes. This includes creating a professional LinkedIn profile, maintaining active social media accounts, and developing content on personal blogs or platforms like Medium to enhance credibility and showcase thought leadership.
This creates media readiness. Journalists are more likely to say yes if you’re easy to research.
Step 4: Work With the Right PR Agency and Forbes Contributor Network
Getting into Forbes often comes down to relationships. If you want to skip the gatekeeping, hire a PR firm that specializes in media placements.
Look for an agency that:
- Has published clients in Forbes (ask for links)
- Offers guaranteed placement or refund policies
- Understands your niche (e.g., tech, fashion, art, entrepreneurship)
- Writes in the tone and format Forbes editors expect
- Employs experienced PR professionals who have a track record of securing features in prestigious publications like Forbes
Agencies like VUGA Media Group specialize in placing visionary individuals and brands into Forbes, Elle, TIME, and Rolling Stone, often within 3–6 weeks.
Step 5: Pitch a Story, Not a Resume
If you go the DIY route, don’t send a press release or a brag sheet. Instead, send a short, powerful pitch that answers:
- Why now?
- Why you?
- Why this story?
Example:
Hi [Writer Name],
I’m reaching out with a story I believe your audience would love. After launching my fashion tech startup during the pandemic and scaling to $1M ARR in under 18 months without outside funding, I realized how underserved female founders in e-commerce still are. I’d love to share insights on how I used AI-based personalization to outperform legacy players—especially as Gen Z reshapes online shopping.
Happy to provide data, press kit, and images if this is a fit.
Best, [Your Name]
Writers don’t care how cool you are—they care how useful and compelling your story is for their readers. When an agent submits the author’s book to various publishing houses, they carefully craft a pitch for editors they may have established relationships with.
Step 6: Get Quoted First by Forbes Editors
Sometimes the fastest way into Forbes is not a feature—it’s a quote.
Many contributors include insights from business owners, creators, and CEOs in their roundups. You can get quoted by:
- Joining Qwoted
- Signing up for Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
- Commenting intelligently on writers’ LinkedIn posts
- Sending pitches that offer 1–2 quotes on trending topics
This builds credibility fast and often leads to deeper features later. Incorporating industry trends in your quotes can significantly enhance article performance, leading to better organic search traffic and higher SERP positioning.
Step 7: After You Get Featured—Maximize the Win
The biggest mistake people make? They get published—and do nothing with it.
You should:
- Add the article to your bio, site, and media kit
- Share it across platforms (several times, not just once)
- Run social ads that promote the article
- Email your list and partners about the win
- Use it to pitch podcasts, panels, and events
- Print it for your investor deck or gallery packet
Gaining multiple features in Forbes can significantly boost your website conversion rates and enhance SEO performance, leading to increased sales and improved keyword rankings on Google.
The goal isn’t just to be seen in Forbes. It’s to use the article to open doors that were closed before.
Step 8: Position Yourself for “30 Under 30” or Forbes Next
Want to make the actual list?
Here’s what Forbes looks for in “30 Under 30” and similar honors:
- Strong personal brand and social presence
- Market disruption or innovation
- Clear financial or social impact
- Media visibility and recognition
- A compelling personal backstory
Nominate yourself (yes, it’s allowed) or ask someone you know to nominate you. Being recognized as one of the young innovators on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 List can significantly advance your career and business. The best time to prepare is now—even if you’re not applying until next year.
Become a Forbes Contributor
Becoming a Forbes contributor is an excellent way to establish thought leadership and reach a wide audience. The Forbes contributor network includes over 4,000 writers who publish articles directly on the platform, covering various industries such as technology, business, and leadership.
How to Apply and What It Entails
To become a Forbes contributor, one must apply through the Forbes website and submit a proposal outlining their area of expertise and the type of content they would like to contribute. The application process typically involves submitting a sample article, a brief bio, and a description of the topics the applicant would like to cover. Once accepted, contributors are expected to write high-quality, engaging articles that align with Forbes’ editorial standards. Contributors earn based on the traffic their articles generate, making it a lucrative opportunity for those who can produce informative and expert-driven content.
Guest Post Opportunities
Guest posting on Forbes is another excellent way to leverage the publication’s audience and establish one’s credibility. Guest posts allow individuals to share their insights and expertise with a wider audience, potentially leading to new business opportunities and partnerships.
How to Leverage Guest Posting on Forbes
To leverage guest posting on Forbes, one must first identify the right section or category for their content. Forbes has various sections, including entrepreneurship, finance, and technology, each with its own set of editors and contributors. Once the right section is identified, individuals can pitch their article ideas to the relevant editors, ensuring that their content aligns with Forbes’ editorial standards. Guest posting on Forbes can significantly boost one’s brand’s credibility and open doors to new business opportunities, making it an excellent tool for those looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
Final Thoughts
Getting featured in Forbes isn’t about ego—it’s about positioning. It tells the world that you are not just talented, but trusted. Not just active, but important. If you have the story, the clarity, and the right strategy, this milestone is absolutely within reach.
Fame is built. Influence is earned. And Forbes is a spotlight worth stepping into—when you’re ready. Prestigious media coverage in reputable publications like Forbes can significantly enhance brand visibility and increase website conversion rates.
VUGA Media Group is a global media powerhouse with direct access to over 1,000 of the world’s leading publications and a proprietary network of 15,000 verified journalists. We work with major brands, celebrities, influencers, producers, and businesses across every industry to craft powerful narratives and deliver guaranteed media coverage. With over 1,000 clients served worldwide, our results speak for themselves. Contact us—and let us make you famous.
