Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Our new series, “Publication Spotlight,” covers various publications of interest to our clients. In these spotlights, we’ll conduct research and develop a brief Q&A sharing details about the outlet and some of its core offerings. Check out our previous spotlights on Inc. and Forbes.
In the post below, I’ll share an overview of GeekWire and a summary of my research as of Sept. 13, 2021.
Q: How long has the publication been around?
GeekWire was launched in March 2011 and covers the people, companies and innovations emerging from and impacting the Pacific Northwest, according to Cision. In addition to daily news and tech community updates, GeekWire also offers Startup Resources, a Venture Capital Directory, tech and startup job postings, and a calendar with various events to connect, learn from, recruit, do business and have fun with people from across the tech community.
Q: Who owns the publication?
GeekWire was started and is owned by two longtime journalists, John Cook and Todd Bishop, with startup veteran and investor Jonathan Sposato, the company’s chairman. Learn more about the Executive, Business and Editorial teams here: About GeekWire.
Q: Who reads GeekWire?
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, C-level executives, tech enthusiasts and members of the general public interested in what’s next in tech in the Pacific Northwest read GeekWire. The publication caters to these groups by publishing breaking news, expert analysis and unique insights about technology companies located in Seattle and nearby regions. In general, about 20% of their audience is in Seattle and Washington state, making it their largest single market, while the other 80% is spread throughout the rest of the country and the world. GeekWire also shares on their Advertising page that 57% of their readers make over $100,000 per year, 25% are founders and CEOs, 42% are managers or executives, 83% of GeekWire readers have completed college, and over 40% have completed an advanced degree.
Q: What is the process for contributing content to GeekWire?
GeekWire’s news team looks for stories that happen in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest that matter everywhere, stories that provide value to the Pacific Northwest tech community, and stories that happen elsewhere but are uniquely relevant in this area. GeekWire’s core values and journalistic focus guide its story selection and encourage its team to be passionate, tuned-in, competitive, smart, experimental and community-oriented team players. If you have a Seattle-based and tech-focused story to share with the GeekWire team, here’s its contact information; make sure you check that your story matches your contact’s beat to give your pitch the best chance.
Q: What is the process for applying to GeekWire’s lists and awards?
GeekWire offers the Startup List, the most comprehensive list of startups in the Pacific Northwest and the GeekWire 200, a ranked index of the 200 most popular and trending startups. GeekWire updates the GeekWire 200 every month and publishes GeekWire 200 Highlights with some of the top news for these startups. To be included on the Startup List database and considered for the GeekWire 200, submit your company here, but only technology startups in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia will be accepted.
GeekWire also hosts annual awards called the GeekWire Awards, last hosted online on May 20, 2021. The 2021 Awards had 14 categories, including Startup of the Year, Innovation of the Year, UX Design of the Year, Next Tech Titan (won by our client BitTitan in 2017) and the Geeks Give Back Award. Judges pare the nominations down to five finalists for each category and the winner is decided by public voting. Community nominations should open again in March 2022.
Q: Does GeekWire publish an editorial calendar?
No.
Q: How many readers does it have?
GeekWire has over 1.2 million unique visitors per month and over 300,000 followers on their social media channels according to their Advertising page.
Image credit: Carbon Robotics
On Sept. 1, 2021, our client Carbon Robotics, an agriculture robotics company, revealed that it had secured $27 million in Series B funding to accelerate the company’s growth. The funding will be used to scale production of the company’s products, grow its engineering team, establish regional sales and support for customers across the U.S., and invest in the innovation of new products and technology.
Since the company formally announced its Autonomous Weeder, a 10,000-pound autonomous robot that utilizes high-power lasers to eradicate weeds through thermal energy, it has seen a high demand for the technology. In fact, the company has already secured a number of marquee growers and bookings that exceed $20 million. With these new customers, Carbon Robotics has sold out of its 2021 and 2022 models and has begun accepting orders for 2023.
When we supported the announcement of the Autonomous Weeder in April, we were focused on introducing the technology and describing its benefits. Many hear “a laser-shooting, self-driving robot” and think science fiction, so that announcement was focused on outlining the details of the technology and demonstrating its validity.
For this announcement, the goal was to demonstrate the momentum the company has built over the last four months and establish the market potential. We looked for key proof points to illustrate the positive reactions farmers had had to the product and outlined some of the key industry problems the robots address, especially the growing threat of herbicide-resistant weeds.
To provide reporters enough time to connect with Carbon Robotics executives and customers, we offered the announcement under embargo in advance of the publication date. We secured interviews with Fast Company, GeekWire and the Puget Sound Business Journal. Below is some of the coverage generated by this announcement.
Congratulations to the Carbon Robotics team on the recent funding!
- Fast Company (92), This farming robot zaps weeds with precision lasers, 9/1/2021
- Puget Sound Business Journal (91), Seattle startup that makes weed-killing robots for farmers raises $27M, 9/1/2021
- GeekWire (88), AI-powered weed destroying startup harvests $27m round, farmers say laser-blasting machine saves time and cuts pesticide use, 9/1/2021
- TechCrunch (93), Carbon Robotics secures $27m for its autonomous field weeders, 9/1/2021
- CB Insights (69), Carbon Robotics’ autonomous agricultural robot that destroys weeds to reduce pesticide use attracts $27m, 9/3/2021
- TechCrunch (93), Actuator: The robotic hissing of summer lawns, 9/2/2021
- Fortune (newsletter) (92), Sequoia backs a podcasting-focused, Clubhouse competitor from David Sacks, 9/2/2021
- Fruit Growers News (48), Carbon Robotics secures $27m for its autonomous field weeders, 9/2/2021
- Vegetable Growers News (46), $27m secured by Carbon Robotics for its autonomous field weeders, 9/2/2021
- Robotics and Innovation (31), Funding boost for laserweeding robot, 9/2/2021
- Robotics and Automation News (56), Agricultural technology startup Carbon Robotics raises $27m in new funding, 9/1/2021
- Food and Farm Technology (40), UK vs US in the robotics race to replace herbicide use in agriculture, 9/1/2021
- Venture Capital Journal (35), Carbon Robotics snags $27m in Series B, 9/1/2021
- The Robot Report (61), Carbon Robotics closes $27m in Series B financing round, 9/1/2021
Last month, we published a blog post that inspired the team to create an ongoing series for our blog. Titled “Publication Spotlight,” the series will cover various publications of interest to our clients. In these spotlights, we’ll conduct research and develop a brief Q&A sharing details about the outlet and some of its core offerings. The first spotlight in our series was published earlier this month about Inc.
In the post below, I’ll share an overview of Forbes and a summary of my research as of Sept. 8, 2021.
Before I dive into my Q&A on Forbes, it’s important to flag that the publication announced its plans to go public through a deal with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The deal values the company at $630 million and is expected to close by the end of 2021 or early next year. Upon the closing, Forbes will merge with the SPAC, Magnum Opus Acquisition, and trade on the New York Stock Exchange as FRBS. It is not clear how this update will impact Forbes’ journalism, marketing programs, events or vertical strategies.
Q: How long has the publication been around?
Forbes was founded in 1917 and is written for corporate executives, managers, investors, and affluent business professionals, according to Cision. The publication’s mission is to give readers a competitive business edge by providing insight into the corporate world and financial markets. Forbes publishes a print magazine, digital content, and local editions covering 76 countries. In addition to its journalism focus, Forbes offers various events, marketing programs, and resources to help leaders and entrepreneurs drive change.
Q: Who is the publisher?
Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family own and oversee the publication of Forbes. Integrated Whale Media Investments does not have a website, but Forbes’ Wikipedia page details information about the company’s sale in 2014 and a breakdown of its ownership. For more information about the company and its leadership teams, visit Forbes’ “Who We Are” webpage.
Q: Who reads Forbes?
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, C-level executives, finance executives, managers and business professionals read Forbes. The publication caters to these groups by publishing business and strategy stories, trend features, personality profiles and management case studies. Forbes is also well known for its lists and rankings, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Forbes Women, among many others. It also hosts several business strategy and finance events, including CIO Next Summit and Wealth Summit, and events to showcase innovations across other industries, such as the Healthcare Summit, Future of Food, etc.
Q: What is the process for contributing content to Forbes?
Forbes accepts bylined articles and contributors. One approach to place regularly contributed content with the publication is through the Forbes Council. This program is an invitation-only organization for successful executives and entrepreneurs to publish digital articles via Forbes. Communiqué PR currently has several clients in the council. There is no required minimum or maximum number of article publications; however, Forbes limits members to submit one article for editorial review at a time. Below are details about eligibility, benefits, and the fees to join the program.
Membership Eligibility
- To apply, an applicant must be a senior-level executive at a company that meets the following minimum criteria:
- Generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue or has a minimum of $1M USD in financing.
- For business or nonprofit-council applicants, the minimum annual revenue requirement is $500,000.
Benefits
- Publish articles to Forbes.com about your business for future clients, partners and investors.
- Create a custom profile on Forbes.com, which ranks high in search results and features your professional bio, company description, areas of expertise, and links to your social media and website.
- Connect with other Forbes Council members.
- Access professional skills training.
Fees
- $2,300 for a one-year membership
- $3,900 for a two-year membership
- Premium services available for purchase
Q: What is the process for applying to Forbes’ lists and rankings?
Forbes offers an extensive “lists” program. These lists and rankings cover people, companies and places. The specific application, evaluation, and selection process about each list can be found at the link shared above or visiting Forbes’ “Lists” page on its dropdown menu. However, many of the lists have a nomination form and then a more detailed application. For example, see the nomination for Forbes Next 1000. According to Forbes, this list “celebrates the ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups who are redefining what it means to build and run a business today, especially in the “new normal.”
Q: Does Forbes publish an editorial calendar?
Yes. Forbes publishes a digital editorial calendar and a print editorial calendar. The 2021 digital editorial calendar was updated on Sept. 1, 2021, and the 2021 print editorial calendar was updated on April 21, 2021.
Q: How many readers does it have?
Forbes print magazine has a circulation of 669,672. Its digital site secures 33,734,080 unique visitors per month, according to Cision.
Due to growth across the firm, we are looking to add several individuals to our team. The Communiqué PR team is made up of highly collaborative professionals that provide strategic counsel and tactical support for our clients across a variety of industries. Our team is collectively focused on delivering exceptional results to help our clients achieve their most important business objectives.
Each individual on the team has visibility to how their contributions accrue to our clients’ business success and Communiqué PR’s goals.
Specifically, we are recruiting for a Senior Account Executive and an Account Manager. The job descriptions for these positions are listed on our website here.
Additionally, we are recruiting for an intern. Our intern position is paid and enables students to experience working at a boutique PR firm and build their professional portfolio. The full job description is included below.
For these positions, interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to info@communiquepr.com.
PR Intern at Communiqué PR
Interns are focused on executing billable work for our B2B clients whose industries include technology, space, engineering and more. A successful applicant will have solid writing skills, an interest in public relations, a strong sense of efficiency and prioritization, and a can-do attitude. For this internship, we’re looking for someone who wants to become an integral part of our team and learn about how public relations can be implemented strategically.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Build and update press lists for client announcements.
- Edit and write various materials and documents including (but not limited to) press releases, pitch emails, meeting recaps, and social media posts.
- Draft client-facing recaps of media coverage.
- Develop briefing documents for interviews.
- Research new and potential clients to aid in business development.
- Develop monthly status reports.
- Contribute to our Communiqué PR blog – this will result in easily sharable content for your resume.
Requirements:
- Enrolled in or recently graduated with an undergraduate degree in one of the following areas: communications, journalism, public relations or marketing.
- Fluent in English and proficient in written communication.
- Reliable internet connection.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, primarily Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
- A high level of professionalism and creativity, able to work with minimal supervision.
- Detail focused, motivated, and able to learn quickly.
Preferred Experience:
- Public relations exposure through prior internships or focused classes.
- Knowledge of AP Style.
- Experience with writing, editing and finalizing press releases, briefing documents, email pitches and other media- or client-facing materials.
Since many of our clients are interested in being featured in Inc., I thought it would be helpful to take an in-depth look at the highly influential magazine, its readership and its current editorial calendar. Below is a brief summary of my research as of Aug. 31, 2021.
Q: How long has the publication been around?
The publication has been around for more than 40 years. According to Wikipedia, Inc. is “an American business media property founded in 1979 and based in New York City. It publishes six print issues annually, as well as daily online articles and videos. Inc. also produces several live and virtual events yearly.”
Q: Who is the publisher?
Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures. The company also publishes Fast Company.
Q: Who reads Inc.?
Readers of the magazine include entrepreneurs, founders, innovators and the influencers of start-up leaders and early stage companies. The magazine is especially well known for its annual rankings of the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the United States, called the “Inc. 500” and “Inc. 5000.”
For instance, in the September 2021 issue of Inc., Scott Omelianuk, editor in chief and his team, focused on the 2021 Inc. 5,000 and how they built the fastest-growing companies during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: How does the editorial team select the Inc. 5000?
According to Inc., “Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of Dec. 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year’s Inc. 5000.”
Q: What is the process for contributing content to Inc.?
At the time of this blog post, Inc. is only accepting content from individuals who are committed to developing a column for the magazine. The process entails completing this proposal form on the publications’ website and includes questions on why you’ll make an excellent contributor, topic areas matching your area of interest and expertise, a sample article and how frequently you’ll commit to writing, among other things.
Q: Do they publish an editorial calendar?
The editorial calendar is published here. The 2021 line up of editorial coverage includes:
January / February (Digital): Best in Business
- March / April (Digital & Print): Inc. 5000 Regionals
- May / June (Digital & Print): Best Workplaces (Digital & Print)
- July / August (Digital): How I Did It
- September (Digital & Print): Inc. 5000
- October (Digital & Print): Female Founders
- November (Digital & Print): Best Led Companies
- Winter 2022 (Digital & Print): Best in Business
Q: How many readers do they have?
According to the information on their website, the magazine has a total print audience of 140,000 readers and a rate base of 450K. The media age is 45 for print. Seventy percent are male and 30 percent are female.
On the digital side, they have 27,600 monthly page views from 16.1 million monthly unique visitors. The media age is 41. And online 71 percent are male and 29 percent are female.
Over the years, TikTok has quickly become one of the leading social media apps in the world and currently has a staggering 689 million monthly users. For content creators, TikTok is a key platform to promote their work, products, personalities and ideas in creative ways to a global audience.
However, the saturation of videos and accounts on TikTok means that creators need to think outside of the box in order to stand out among the millions of worldwide users. Outlined below are my top five tips for making your content compelling, engaging and increasing its visibility across the video-sharing platform.
The power of a hashtag
Although it may seem tedious at times, incorporating hashtags into TikTok posts can truly make or break content’s discoverability on the platform. Being strategic about what hashtags are used and when can boost videos significantly, allowing them to reach more potential followers.
For example, if creators utilize trending hashtags, their content could just make it on the Discovery page, which is viewed by millions of users around the world every day. Similar to the algorithms implemented on Instagram and Twitter, TikTok prioritizes content that receives a lot of interaction and attention. As more users react to and comment on certain posts, the TikTok algorithm becomes more familiar with both a creator’s content and profile.
Additionally, the For You page includes posts that use specific hashtags to present content to demographics that are more likely to enjoy and interact with the videos. This is all done using artificial intelligence (AI) technology that relies heavily on users’ personal information including location and internet searches.
Above all, hashtags allow creators to seamlessly see and analyze what other users are sharing on the platform. By viewing specific hashtags, TikTok users can observe which content is performing better than others and what trends or ideas have already been shared. All of this insight empowers creators to plan out smart and strategic ideas and optimize trends that are growing in popularity.
Consistency and timing are key
According to recent research, the best global times to post on TikTok are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). During these hours, engagement is the highest around the world and users are consuming the largest amount of content. Posting new videos during these active periods can boost exposure and lead to more users seeing the content than at any other point during the day.
Despite what research shows, however, it’s important to know that there’s not always a true one-size-fits-all answer for when to post on TikTok. Content creators need to actively look at where their followers are based, and when they’re most active and then adjust posting times accordingly.
Along with this, posting consistently on TikTok is very important in continually growing an audience and helping content be seen. According to Digital Marketer, posting one to three times a day guarantees that followers will see the content which could lead to a growth in audience. Additionally, let’s not forget, the more content you share, the more opportunities there are to increase engagement and reach more users.
Be both an active creator and consumer
Consuming videos on TikTok is almost as important as posting original content. In order to gain an understanding of rising trends and what makes videos go viral, content creators need to be active consumers as well. By monitoring and watching other users’ content on the social media platform, creators can get a better grasp on what performs well and incorporate these elements into their own ideas.
TikTok is a very trends-oriented platform. This past year, videos of cranberry juice-fueled Fleetwood Mac skateboard rides and cheesy pasta recipes flooded TikTok and eventually bled onto Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms. Observing rising TikTok trends and posting content related to these trends is one way content creators can grow their followers and broaden their presence on the platform.
However, if creators want to truly maximize the chances that their trend-related content will be seen, they need to post quickly while the trend/challenge is still hot and fresh. According to the Social Media Examiner, most TikTok users get tired of seeing specific trends and challenges on their feed three-to-five days after they’ve gone viral.
Add your own flair
On the flipside of this, creating original and engaging content is also important for TikTok users. This year, trend forecasters predict that user generated content (UGC) will skyrocket on the platform. UGC is any sort of content that users have created themselves including their own challenges, dance routines, recipes and reviews. Posting original videos is not only a great way for creators to market their content, but it can also increase their influence on TikTok should their videos go viral or lead to a slew of recreations from other users.
In addition, the majority of users want to follow creators that post original ideas that cater to their interests, are ahead of the trends or even start them. For example, Charli d’Amelio, the most followed account on TikTok, earned her 122.5 million followers by posting her own dance routines. Since her videos took off, she’s evolved her content and now creates a variety of engaging posts including makeup tutorials, sponsored content and behind-the-scenes clips. D’Amelio is just one example of how original ideas can skyrocket a creator’s engagement, reach and influence on TikTok.
Think globally
Although TikTok has nearly 700 million active monthly users, only 100 million of those accounts are based in the United States. With this in mind, it’s important that creators consider a global perspective when developing content.
For example, many creators used TikTok to share posts surrounding the U.S. presidential election in 2020. Although this content did very well in America, with some political videos during this time period reaching over 1 million likes, it didn’t necessarily resonate with users in other parts of the world who are not interested in American politics.
If users want to reach the maximum potential for engagement on the platform, they need to consider sharing content that relates to numerous demographics around the world. It’s no secret the world came together in a lot of ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, global TikTok users created a lot of content influenced by the pandemic due to its relatability to a worldwide audience. All of this has led to the #Pandemic hashtag reaching over 3.2 billion views. This is just one example of how content creators take global views into consideration before producing content for others to consume and enjoy.
Whether creators are just starting out on TikTok or are currently working toward reaching a larger views goal, consider implementing these five tips to increase the engagement, following and overall visibility of your content on one of the biggest social media platforms in the world.