Sentinel InsightsHow to get featured in Forbes:the honest routes, compared.

To get featured in Forbes, you have four realistic routes: earn coverage from a Forbes journalist or contributor, apply to a Forbes Council and publish as a member, pay for labelled branded content, or appear on a list or in an interview because your work is already being talked about. Only the first and last are earned coverage. The other two are paid or membership routes, and readers can usually tell the difference.

Each route can be worth it for the right company. The mistake is paying for one while telling customers it’s another. This guide explains how each works, what it costs you in time or money, and how to choose.

What getting featured in Forbes actually means

Forbes.com publishes several kinds of content under one brand. Staff journalists and editors report news, features and lists. Contributors, outside writers with their own beats, publish under their own bylines. Members of Forbes Councils publish articles labelled as council content. And brands buy space for marketer-written content that’s labelled as such.

All four sit on the same domain, which is why “featured in Forbes” can mean very different things. A buyer, an investor or a journalist who looks closely will see the label at the top of the page. So decide which kind of feature you want before you start, because each needs a different plan.

The four routes compared

Route 1: earn coverage from a Forbes journalist

This is the route most founders mean when they say they want to get featured in Forbes, and it’s the hardest to plan. Journalists and contributors choose their own stories. You can’t apply, and you shouldn’t pay anyone who claims to sell their attention.

What you can do is make your company the obvious source for a story they’re already working on. The steps are the same as any good media relations work:

1. Find the right writer. Read the last few months of Forbes coverage in your field and note who writes about your subject, for which section and from what angle.
2. Bring a story worth reporting. Original data, a clear opinion on an industry argument, or a trend you can show from the inside gives a writer something to report.
3. Pitch one person, briefly. Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2026, as summarised by The PR Net, found 88% of journalists delete pitches that miss their beat. Keep it short and specific to what that writer covers.
4. Make your expert available. Offer a founder or senior expert who can talk this week and answer follow-up questions quickly.
5. Play the long game. A useful comment in one story often leads to a second call months later.

Coverage elsewhere helps too. Writers look for sources who’ve already been quoted in trade titles, podcasts and other respected outlets. Our Digital PR work usually builds that base first.

Route 2: Forbes Councils

Forbes Councils is the closest thing to an application route. Forbes Councils describes itself as invitation-only communities for executive leaders, screens applicants, and asks accepted members to choose a membership package. Members can submit bylined articles for publication on Forbes.com, edited with the Forbes team, and can contribute quotes to Expert Panels.

That makes it a membership with publishing rights, which is different from editorial coverage. It can still be useful. A regular byline gives a founder a place to publish considered opinions, and the articles can be shared with prospects and journalists. Just describe it accurately: “I write for Forbes as a council member” holds up, while “Forbes covered us” doesn’t.

Before you apply, ask yourself whether you have time to write good articles every month. A council byline with nothing to say does little for your reputation. If writing isn’t your strength, our Founder and Executive PR service covers bylines and ghostwriting in your voice.

Route 3: paid branded content

Forbes sells branded content through its BrandVoice programme. InPublishing described BrandVoice as a premium offering in which marketers buy a site licence and publish their own content on Forbes.com, labelled as marketer-sourced. It’s a media buy, and it should be planned and judged like one.

Branded content suits companies that want a large, specific audience to read a long piece of their own writing. It doesn’t carry the trust of independent reporting, and it shouldn’t be presented as if it does. At Sentinel, paid placements are always labelled as paid in the coverage log we share with clients. Our guide to sponsored content vs native advertising explains how these formats differ.

Route 4: lists, rankings and interviews

Forbes is known for its lists, from rankings of companies and founders to industry-specific selections. Editors pick the names, and you generally can’t buy your way on. Some lists take nominations or applications, so check the rules for any list that fits you and read them carefully before you submit.

Lists and long interviews tend to follow visible results. They come after a company has been covered, cited and talked about for a while, which is why this route is really the payoff from the first one. If a list matters to your business, work backwards: what would an editor need to see from you, and which earlier coverage would help them find it?

Keep a simple record of the facts an editor might check, such as founding date, funding, headcount and milestones, all consistent across your website, LinkedIn and press materials. Inconsistent details slow editors down and can cost you a mention.

What to avoid

Search for ways to get into Forbes and you’ll find brokers offering a feature for a fee. Be careful. Some sell council-style or branded content and describe it vaguely. Others claim access to contributors, which puts the writer, the publication and your name at risk if the arrangement comes out.

• Anyone promising guaranteed Forbes coverage without explaining which route it uses.
• Offers that won’t name the writer or the section before you pay.
• Packages that bundle a “Forbes feature” with dozens of low-quality sites.
• Requests to keep the payment quiet or to describe paid content as earned.

If a deal needs secrecy to work, it isn’t one you want your brand name on.

Is a Forbes feature worth it?

It depends on who you’re trying to reach. For an investor audience or a US enterprise buyer, a well-placed Forbes story can add credibility. For a niche B2B product, a detailed feature in the trade publication your buyers read every week may do more. Coverage in sources that AI assistants rely on also matters more now, and those sources are often niche trade titles as much as big business brands.

So treat Forbes as one outlet in a plan, chosen on audience, relevance, credibility, positioning and business goal, the same tests we apply to every opportunity, as set out in how we work. Mix earned, placed and paid routes deliberately, and label each one honestly.

If you’d like help deciding which publications and formats fit your goals, see our Media Placement service.