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.