How to Get Featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and Major Publications (Step-by-Step)
Most business owners assume Forbes and Business Insider are out of reach — reserved for funded startups and household-name brands. That assumption is wrong. Both publications run contributor networks and source quotes from outside their immediate circle every single day. The businesses that get featured aren’t always the biggest; they’re the ones that respond fastest with the most useful material.
- Forbes publishes over 3,000 articles per month through its contributor network — a significant proportion include expert quotes sourced from journalist request platforms
- The single biggest factor in getting selected is response time: journalists working to deadlines choose the first useful, quotable response, not the most impressive company name
- UK publications including The Guardian, BBC, The Times, and Which? actively use journalist request platforms to source expert quotes — these are as valuable for SEO and brand credibility as US tier-1 placements
How Major Publications Source Expert Quotes
Understanding how Forbes, Business Insider, and major UK publications actually work is the foundation of getting coverage in them.
Contributor networks. Forbes operates a large contributor network — business experts and writers who publish independently under the Forbes banner. Many of these contributors actively look for expert sources to quote in their pieces, using journalist request platforms and Twitter/X.
Staff journalists. Full-time staff journalists at Business Insider, The Guardian, and BBC News regularly post source requests when writing stories that need expert validation. They need outside voices to balance coverage and add credibility.
Freelance writers. A significant proportion of articles in major publications are written by freelancers who pitch story ideas to editors. Freelancers often rely more heavily on journalist request platforms because they don’t have a publication’s contact database.
What they all have in common: They need quotable material quickly, from credible sources, without having to do extensive vetting work.
Why Most Pitches to Major Publications Fail
The majority of unsolicited pitches to tier-1 publications are ignored. The reasons are consistent:
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They’re about the business, not a story. “I’d like to be featured in Forbes because our company helps businesses grow” is not a pitch. It’s a request for advertising.
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They have no news hook. Journalists write about things happening now — new data, a trend, a policy change, a market shift. Pitches without a timely hook aren’t relevant to a journalist’s current workload.
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They’re too long. A 500-word pitch email is a burden. The journalist hasn’t agreed to read your marketing copy.
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They come from strangers with no track record. A journalist receiving a cold pitch from someone they’ve never interacted with has no reason to prioritise it.
The solution to all four problems is the same: respond to journalist requests instead of sending unsolicited pitches. When a journalist posts a request, they’ve already identified the story and established the hook — you’re filling a specific gap they’ve already defined.
Step 1: Use Journalist Request Platforms to Get Your First Placements
Before pitching Forbes directly, build a track record of quoted placements in smaller publications. Journalists at major outlets often check if a source has been quoted elsewhere before including them — it de-risks their choice.
JournoRequest gives you access to UK journalist requests from national and trade publications. Responding to these builds your “as seen in” credentials rapidly.
Featured.com focuses on expert quotes for digital content and is heavily used by Forbes contributors and Business Insider writers.
Qwoted has strong penetration with US journalists including those at major business publications.
Start with 3–5 relevant request responses per week. Within 4–8 weeks, you’ll have 2–3 placements to reference when pitching more directly.
Step 2: Identify the Right Section and Journalist
Forbes is not one monolithic publication — it has sections covering leadership, small business, finance, technology, health, real estate, and more. Each section has specific contributors and staff writers. Getting in Forbes’ small business section is a very different process from getting in Forbes Finance Council (which is a paid membership programme — not editorial coverage).
Important distinction: Forbes Finance Council, Forbes Technology Council, and similar “Councils” are paid programmes starting at $2,000+/year. Being listed there is not the same as editorial coverage. Focus on earning editorial quotes, not paid listings.
For major UK publications:
– The Guardian: Look for beat journalists covering your industry in the Guardian’s section structure
– BBC Online: BBC News journalists regularly use journalist request platforms for source quotes — JournoRequest captures these
– The Times/Sunday Times: Financial and business section journalists actively source expert quotes
– Which?: Primarily consumer finance, legal rights, and product expertise
Step 3: Write a Quote They Can Use Without Editing
The single most valuable thing you can provide is a quote that a journalist can publish exactly as written. This requires:
Specificity. “The mortgage market is challenging” is not publishable. “We’re seeing a 3:1 ratio of purchase enquiries to remortgage enquiries — that’s reversed from 18 months ago” is publishable.
A clear position. Journalists want sources who have a point of view. Hedging your answer with “it depends” or “there are many factors” gets you cut. Take a clear position.
Accessible language. Write as if you’re explaining to a smart friend who doesn’t work in your industry. Jargon kills quotes.
The right length. A publishable quote is 20–50 words. Two to three sentences. If your quote requires a paragraph of context to make sense, it’s not quotable.
Example of an unpublishable quote:
“There are many factors affecting how small businesses access finance, and the current market presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses at various stages of their growth journey.”
Example of a publishable quote:
“We’re seeing 40% of our small business clients being declined for traditional bank loans and pivoting to invoice finance for the first time. That was rare three years ago.”
Step 4: Establish Credibility Without Namedropping
Journalists need to know you’re a credible source, but they don’t want a CV. Your credibility statement should be one sentence:
- “I’m [Name], [title] at [company], I’ve [specific relevant credential].”
- Example: “I’m Sarah Chen, founder of Chen Wealth, I’ve advised over 400 clients on retirement planning in the last decade.”
- Example: “I’m James Parker, CEO of UK Freight Logistics, managing £12m in annual cargo movements.”
The credential should be directly relevant to the quote. If you’re commenting on mortgage rates, “I’m a certified financial planner who has advised 200+ first-time buyers” is relevant. Your MBA from 1995 is not.
Step 5: Build Relationships After Placements
The journalists who quote you once are the most likely to quote you again — if you handle the post-placement relationship correctly.
After coverage goes live:
1. Send a brief, genuine thank-you email (not a marketing email — a human one)
2. Share the piece on LinkedIn and Twitter/X tagging the journalist by name
3. Respond promptly if they follow up for a related story
4. Occasionally send them a data point or observation relevant to their beat — with no ask attached
This relationship-building is how sources become go-to sources. Journalists work to tight deadlines and return to people they know will deliver usable material quickly.
Realistic Timeline for Major Publication Coverage
| Stage | Timeline | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Week 1 | Create profiles on JournoRequest, Featured.com, Qwoted |
| First placements | Weeks 2–8 | Respond to 3–5 relevant requests per week; expect 1–3 placements |
| Mid-tier coverage | Month 2–3 | Placements in trade press, regional papers, specialist outlets |
| Major publication quotes | Month 3–6 | Expert quotes in national press using smaller placements as credential |
| Feature coverage | Month 6–12+ | Longer feature coverage, direct journalist relationships |
Getting quoted in Forbes or Business Insider within 6 months of starting is achievable with consistent effort. Landing a full feature article — where the story is primarily about you or your business — typically takes longer unless you have a news hook of genuine national significance.
The SEO Value of Major Publication Placements
Beyond brand credibility, placements in tier-1 publications generate high-authority backlinks that permanently strengthen your website’s search performance:
- Forbes (DA 95) backlink: equivalent to roughly £800–£1,500 in link-building agency cost
- Business Insider (DA 93): equivalent to £700–£1,200
- The Guardian (DA 94): equivalent to £700–£1,300
- BBC Online (DA 96): equivalent to £900–£1,500+
These are nofollow in many cases, but even nofollow links from authority publications contribute to Google’s trust signals. And some major publication links are dofollow — each one is an asset that compounds in value over time.
At £7.99/month for JournoRequest, achieving even one major publication backlink per year delivers several times the annual subscription cost in SEO value alone.
**Q: Is Forbes Finance Council worth paying for?**
Forbes Finance Council (and similar paid Councils) are paid membership programmes, not editorial coverage. Membership starts around $2,000/year and results in a “Forbes Councils Member” badge and the ability to publish contributor articles — but these are clearly labelled as contributed content, not independent editorial coverage. They carry less credibility than an editorial quote. For most small businesses, the money is better spent on tools like JournoRequest that generate genuine editorial placements.
**Q: Can a small UK business get featured in Forbes?**
Yes. Forbes’ contributor network is global, and many contributors specifically seek UK case studies and expert voices for their articles. Responding to journalist requests via Featured.com (which Forbes contributors use heavily) is the most direct route. UK-specific angles — Brexit impact, UK market data, UK consumer behaviour — are particularly sought after by US publications looking for international perspective.
**Q: How do I find out which journalists cover my industry at major publications?**
Search the publication’s website for recent articles on your topic, note the bylines, and follow those journalists on Twitter/X. Most journalists list their contact details or pitch guidelines in their bio. LinkedIn is also reliable for direct messages. For UK publications, JournoRequest captures requests directly — you don’t need to individually track journalists; their requests come to you.
**Q: What’s the difference between a quote placement and a feature article?**
A quote placement is when a journalist includes 1–3 sentences of your expert commentary in a broader article they’re writing. A feature article is when the article is primarily about you, your company, or your story. Quote placements are far more common and quicker to achieve; feature coverage requires a stronger news hook and usually follows an established journalist relationship.
**Q: Does getting quoted in Forbes help with SEO?**
Yes, in two ways. A direct link from Forbes (DA 95) to your website is a high-authority backlink that improves your site’s search rankings. Even where Forbes links are nofollow, the brand mention is indexed by Google and contributes to your site’s entity recognition. Multiple major publication mentions establish your brand as an authoritative entity in your field.
**Q: How many journalist requests should I respond to per week to get major publication coverage?**
3–5 targeted responses per week is a realistic starting point. Volume matters less than relevance and quality — a highly targeted response to a perfectly matched request will outperform five mediocre responses to vaguely relevant requests. Focus on requests where your expertise directly matches what the journalist is asking.
**Q: What happens if a journalist quotes me inaccurately?**
Contact the journalist directly and politely flag the inaccuracy, providing your original response as reference. Most journalists will correct factual errors. Publications have correction policies — if direct contact doesn’t resolve it, contact the editor. Avoid escalating publicly unless the inaccuracy causes genuine harm; maintaining the relationship is almost always more valuable than winning the correction dispute.
Your Path to Major Publication Coverage Starts Here
Getting featured in Forbes, Business Insider, The Guardian, or BBC News is a process, not a lottery. The businesses that earn consistent coverage are the ones that show up consistently — responding to journalist requests, delivering quotable material, and building relationships over time.
JournoRequest gives you access to live journalist requests from 200+ UK publications, including national newspapers and specialist press actively seeking expert sources. At £7.99/month, it’s the most affordable route to building the “as seen in” track record that opens doors to major publications.
Start responding to journalist requests today — £7.99/month, full access, cancel any time.
## Sources
– Forbes Media Kit 2025 — editorial network and monthly publication data
– Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 — journalist sourcing habits
– Moz Domain Authority scores: Forbes (95), Business Insider (93), The Guardian (94), BBC Online (96)
– Ahrefs: Average link value benchmarks for DA 90+ publications (2025)
– Featured.com publisher network data (accessed March 2026)
– JournoRequest platform data (internal, March 2026)
Written by: John Isaacson, SEO & Marketing Consultant
Last Updated: March 2026