A solid PR campaign can be an incredible tool for business owners and entrepreneurs. Still, there are several other ways you can build online presence that go beyond the continuous hunt for press coverage, features, and interviews. With a little time and capital investment, you too can harness the power of becoming a published contributor in top media outlets. Getting published in this way will help you generate engaged organic traffic, build credibility, establish brand authority, develop your personal brand, and supply your business with well-qualified clients and customers.
Two of the best and most well-known contributor posting platforms and services are supplied by our friends at Entrepreneur and Forbes Magazine. Let’s talk about how YOU can take advantage of them to help your business or brand stand out.
Entrepreneur Leadership Network
The first opportunity is called the Entrepreneur Leadership Network, and you can easily apply for this membership by going to Entrepreneur.com or simply by Googling Entrepreneur Leadership Network. Once there, you’ll enjoy an extremely simple-to-use one-page application process.
The application process for Entrepreneur.com is pretty straightforward, there are no trick questions, and they respond quickly. If accepted to the Entrepreneur Leadership Network, you will be required to pay a $1,000 annual fee, which allows you to submit up to four articles per month published directly on the Entrepreneur.com website. This is a fantastic way for you to get your name out there, not just to the millions of people in their readership, but to those that are in your specific industry or niche as well.
Here are the general Entrepreneur Leadership Network guidelines. For additional information, visit the official ELN guideline page.
- Avoid quotes and interviews. ELN expects that you, as an industry expert, can provide authentic insights from your professional career.
- Follow the ELN style. Entrepreneur has a style guide available for all of its writers and editors.
The Forbes Councils
The second opportunity is with Forbes Magazine. The Forbes Councils are an invitation-only community for renowned business owners and industry leaders seeking to harness their experience to educate and inspire others. Forbes is a little different, and they tend to be stricter with the application process. They will ask you if you have annual revenue of at least $1 million. They will also ask you to justify why you will be a good writer for Forbes and why their audience should be interested in reading about you. Like Entrepreneur, Forbes also has a pretty fast turnaround time, 24 to 48 hours on average.
Here are the general Forbes Councils writing guidelines. For additional information, visit the official Forbes guidelines page.
- Write in your field of expertise. Since there are different councils, make sure that your topic aligns with the general theme.
- Do not self-promote. The readers read for your expertise on a subject, not on a new product you’re selling.
- Include your professional insights and experiences. Provide as much value as possible and stray away from the cliche advice like “work harder.”
- Keep the language simple. Writing in an academic style will confuse most readers.
- Conclude with valuable takeaway advice.
The Forbes Councils, in total, are comprised of nine different councils, including those covering: agency, business, business development, coaching, communications, finance, HR, nonprofit, and technology. When you apply to the Forbes Councils, they will assign your writing to one of these categories. The cost for Forbes is $2,500 per year. While Forbes may be a little pricier than Entrepreneur, they both provide excellent opportunities for you to get your business or brand out there and generate convertible traffic.
The articles you write and publish on their website come with unique links. You can then share the links to your social media outlets and show the articles to everyone in your circle. Despite the hefty annual price tag, the Entrepreneur Leadership Network and the Forbes Council are both powerful ways to increase your brand ethos, authority, and visibility.