647-348-4995
- January 3, 2025
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Amine Rahal
As someone who’s been a member of Forbes Councils, Entrepreneur.com Leadership Network and the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), I want to give you a real look into these exclusive (and pay-to-play) thought leadership networks to help you figure out if they’re right for you. I’ll also dive into some other awesome alternatives that can help you grow your thought leadership beyond these three…
What is Thought Leadership Marketing?
Thought Leadership Marketing is basically a strategy where individuals or brands establish themselves as experts in their industry by publicly sharing unique insights and knowledge. This can include publishing articles, speaking at events, creating content, and engaging in meaningful conversations on relevant platforms. For the sake of this article, we’re focusing on building thought leadership by publishing online content, mainly. The goal of thought leadership marketing is to build credibility, trust, and influence with your target audience, ultimately driving business opportunities and fostering relationships.
What’s the Deal with Forbes Councils?
You probably heard of Forbes Councils. They are the first to launch their “thought leadership platform” and allow entrepreneurs that meet certain criteria join their network and have interesting perks like the ability to publish content on Forbes.com amongst others.
Forbes Councils started as a way for entrepreneurs and executives to showcase their expertise by publishing articles on Forbes.com. It’s an invitation-only platform, but let’s be honest—the “invitation” comes after you’ve proven you can afford the membership fee, which can set you back anywhere from $2,700 to $7,400 annually.
Sure, the articles carry the Forbes logo, which can make a great impression, but they have strict rules: no promotion, only educational content. If you’re aiming to enhance your authority and share knowledge, this might be useful, but the “pay-to-play” nature can dilute its prestige.
Why Look Beyond Forbes?
The Forbes brand is big, but it’s not the only player in town. More outlets are offering similar paid opportunities, while others rely on genuine merit. Whether you want the shine of a household name or a more authentic path, there are plenty of alternatives.
Here’s my guide to the best options, ranging from pay-to-play to earned opportunities:
Top 11 Thought Leadership Platforms + Alternatives to Forbes Councils
1. Entrepreneur Leadership Network
- Membership Fee: $3,000/year
- Perks: Publish articles on Entrepreneur.com, connect with a smaller business-oriented audience, and boost visibility.
- Good For: Startups, fast-growth brands, and small business leaders.
2. Fast Company Executive Board
- Membership Fee: $2,800–$6,900/year
- Perks: Get articles published on FastCompany.com, network with tech-forward companies, and join curated executive groups.
- Good For: Entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of tech and innovation.
3. CNBC Tech Executive Council
- Membership Fee: $8,000/year
- Perks: Limited to top-tier executives. Articles and insights can appear on CNBC platforms.
- Good For: Public company execs and industry leaders wanting CNBC’s prestige.
4. Newsweek Expert Forum
- Status: Paused (as of 2024)
- Perks: Articles on Newsweek.com, a platform with broad appeal.
- Good For: Executives connected to current issues, if/when it resumes.
5. Inc. BrandView
- Fee: Custom pricing (often for Fortune 1000 companies).
- Perks: Articles on inc.com plus a branded portal showcasing your expertise.
- Good For: Larger businesses looking for a premium presence.
6. Rolling Stone Culture Council
- Membership Fee: ~$2,500/year
- Perks: Publish culture-focused thought pieces on RollingStone.com, emphasizing media, art, and lifestyle industries.
- Good For: Creative leaders in arts, music, and lifestyle.
7. YEC (Young Entrepreneur Council)
- Membership Fee: $1,200/year
- Perks: Publish on outlets like Forbes.com, Inc.com, and others. Collaborate with top entrepreneurs, and access exclusive resources.
- Good For: Entrepreneurs under 45 with proven success.
8. Authority Magazine
- Fee: Free (often interview-based features).
- Perks: Appear in long-form interviews shared widely on Medium.
- Good For: Sharing in-depth insights and personal narratives.
9. Medium and Substack
- Fee: Free (or small platform fees).
- Perks: Publish freely and grow your audience on your terms.
- Good For: Thought leaders who prefer full creative control.
10. LinkedIn Influencer Program
- Fee: Free
- Perks: Share articles with your professional network and gain organic traction.
- Good For: Professionals targeting a highly relevant audience.
11. Harvard Business Review Ascend
- Fee: Free (earned placement).
- Perks: Prestige of HBR; rigorous editorial standards ensure high credibility.
- Good For: Leaders with a strategic, research-based focus.
Are They Worth The Money?
In my opinion, YES. I got a lot of business from being mentioned on these platforms. I can’t count the amount of times some company called me and said “I saw your article on Forbes, Entrepreneur.com or some other platform”.
When deciding between these networks, ask yourself:
- What’s my ultimate goal? Paid networks are great for building some trust, especially if you are a lesser known brand or you are starting a new business in a competitive field. They can also provide some SEO benefits are these are reputable domains that will be hosting your articles. Most of these platform will allow you to add a link to your company, although most of the times it will be a “nofollow” link.
- Can I commit to creating quality content? Even with paid options, consistent and valuable contributions are key to maximizing ROI. Do you have the time to write articles for these platforms? It has been a challenge for me to continuously publish new content on these platforms. If you pay the annual fees yet end up not publishing anything, it would be a waste of money.
Pro Tips to Maximize Your Thought Leadership Strategy
- Build Relationships: Engage fellow members contributors to expand your network. Join the events organized by these councils to meet other people in your industry and build partnerships.
- Stay Consistent: A single article is good, but regular contributions build true credibility. If you cannot commit to publishing content regularly, it’s probably not worth it to spend the money on these.
- Market your articles: when you publish articles on these platforms, you should share them with your audience, through your social media profiles, mailing lists. Add their badges to your websites and marketing materials to build trust with your audience. Consider throwing in additional traffic to your articles through platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads.
- Repurpose Articles: Use key points for your existing blogs, podcasts, or social media posts and link to them.
Conclusion
Again, are they worth it to build credibility and trust with your audience? YES. Maybe you don’t need all of them, especially if you’re on a budget, but being published on a coupleo of these can definitely help your business on all levels. I’ve experienced it myself!
Whether you’re considering Inc.com, Harvard Business Review, Forbes Councils, YEC, or something else, remember that true thought leadership is about more than just the platform. It’s about the value you provide, the trust you build, and the authentic connections you create, so remain active and consistent.
From my experience, earning your spot on respected platforms or using accessible ones like the ones listed on this page can give you some much needed credibility and trust.
Take the time to weigh your options—and feel free to reach out if you want tailored advice. You’ve got this!
Tech Entrepreneur, Author, and CEO of Little Dragon Media. Passionate about entrepreneurship, philanthropy, digital marketing, blockchain, finance, investing, health fitness & nonprofits.
