business insider
How to Get Featured in Business Insider
By Maya Patel · · 10 min read
To get featured in Business Insider, pitch a people-driven story with exclusive access: a founder or executive with a specific experience, data that reveals a workplace or industry trend, or a source for one of BI’s recurring series. Use a BI-style headline in your subject line, explain why it matters now, and pitch the editor or reporter who owns that beat or format.
Business Insider has changed a lot in two years. It cut staff, stepped back from aggregation and most commerce content, and rebuilt its newsroom around original reporting. That makes it more selective, but also more open to sources who bring something new. Here is how BI works in 2026 and how to approach it.
How has Business Insider changed, and why does it matter for pitching?
Business Insider has shifted from aggregating other outlets’ news to producing original reporting, scoops, and exclusives. That shift means pitches offering new information or exclusive access fit BI’s strategy, while pitches asking for a write-up of news already out elsewhere do not.
The numbers tell the story. In May 2025, BI cut about 21% of its staff, with then-CEO Barbara Peng citing declining traffic and announcing an exit from most of its commerce business. By July 2026, BI told Nieman Lab that original content had risen from about 40% of its output in 2024 to more than 80%, under editor-in-chief Jamie Heller. Talking Biz News, summarizing that report, noted BI recorded 788 scoops in a year, its most ever.
For anyone pitching, three implications follow:
- Exclusivity matters. A story another outlet already has is less useful to BI than a first look, a document, or a source no one else has quoted.
- Beats matter. Reporters own subject areas, so the right reporter is more important than the right email address.
- People matter most. BI’s editors frame business through the people inside it, which shapes everything below.
What do Business Insider editors want from PR pitches?
BI editors want people, access, and stories that reveal how business and work are changing. In a June 2026 session reported by PR Daily, Cadie Thompson, BI’s deputy news chief and executive editor, put it simply: “We really believe business news should be fascinating, because business is about people.”
The same session surfaced several specific asks:
- Access to people and places. Barbara Corbellini Duarte, head of video, said “Access is often what we’re looking for,” including founders, experts, and businesses of all sizes, ideally with visual scenes that work on video.
- Sources for recurring series. BI runs franchises that need a steady flow of subjects: CMO Insider (marketing leaders), Rising Stars (Wall Street up-and-comers), Power Hours (executive daily routines), and Tiny Teams (businesses with fewer than 10 employees using AI).
- First-person stories. Editors want sources whose own experience illustrates a larger trend, told in first person or as-told-to format.
- Speakers for BI Live. BI’s events team is interested in HR leaders reshaping work, tech leaders shaping AI, and CMOs driving growth.
- Style and status as business. BI covers fashion, beauty, and trends through what they reveal about ambition, power, and work.
BI also shared its audience profile with PR Daily: 42 million monthly unique website users, 275 million social followers, 1.2 million newsletter subscribers, and readers who are 19% senior executives, with an average household income of $178,000. For B2B and consumer brands alike, that is an audience of decision-makers.
Which Business Insider formats work best for companies and executives?
The best format depends on what you can offer: news, a person with a story, a trend with data, or a visual scene. Match the pitch to an existing BI format, and the editor can picture the piece immediately.
| BI format | What it needs from you | Best for | Who to pitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| News scoop or exclusive | New, verifiable information before anyone else | Funding, deals, layoffs, strategy shifts, internal documents | Beat reporter |
| Feature or trend story | Multiple sources, data, a clear “why now” | Companies with proprietary data on work, money, or industry | Beat reporter or features editor |
| As-told-to or first-person essay | A specific personal experience that shows a bigger trend | Founders, executives, employees with a story worth telling | Essays or section editor |
| Recurring series (CMO Insider, Rising Stars, Power Hours, Tiny Teams) | A subject who fits the series criteria precisely | CMOs, finance talent, executives, small AI-native teams | Series editor or reporter |
| Video | Access to a visual place, process, or person | Factories, kitchens, labs, stores, unusual workplaces | Video team |
| BI Live events | A speaker with a clear point of view on BI’s event themes | HR, AI, and marketing leaders | Events editorial team |
A useful rule: if you cannot name the BI format your pitch belongs in, the editor will not be able to either.
How do you write a pitch Business Insider will open?
Write a short email with a BI-style headline in the subject line, one paragraph on why the story matters now, the person or data that makes it real, and exactly what access you can offer. Keep it under 200 words.
BI headlines are specific and human: they name a person, a number, and a surprising turn. Your subject line should read the same way.
| Weak subject line | BI-style subject line |
|---|---|
| Thought leadership opportunity: CEO of Acme | I ran a 300-person company with no managers for two years. Here’s what broke. |
| New survey on remote work | Data from 40,000 shifts shows when hourly workers actually quit |
| Expert available on AI | This 8-person accounting firm uses AI agents to serve 900 clients (fits Tiny Teams) |
| Acme announces new CMO | Exclusive: Acme hires former [Brand] CMO to lead its retail push |
The examples above are hypothetical; use your real facts. Two habits make the biggest difference. First, name the series or format you think the story fits. Second, list exactly what you can provide (the person, documents, data, photos, a location for video) and when.
Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2026 found 86% of journalists say at least some of their stories originate from PR pitches, while 88% immediately disregard pitches that miss their beat. Our full guide to pitching journalists includes templates that work for BI with minor changes.
What is the step-by-step process for getting into Business Insider?
The process below works for funding news, executive stories, and data-driven trend pieces. It takes two to six weeks from angle to publication for most stories, longer for features.
- Find the human angle. Identify the person whose experience makes your story concrete: a founder who made a hard call, an executive with an unusual routine, an employee whose career illustrates a shift. Data stories need a human example too.
- Choose the BI format. Scoop, feature, essay, series, video, or event. Write one sentence explaining why the story belongs in that format.
- Find the right editor or reporter. Read recent stories in the format or beat and note who wrote or edited them. Look for the reporter’s preferred contact method on their author page.
- Pitch with a BI-style headline. Use the headline as your subject line, keep the body under 200 words, and offer exclusivity where you can.
- Prepare the source. BI editors verify facts in first-person and reported stories. Have documents, numbers, photos, and the person’s availability ready, including for video.
- Amplify the story. Share it on LinkedIn from the executive’s account, add it to your newsroom page, and use it in sales and recruiting. Coverage that states your story accurately also becomes source material for AI search, which we explain in why tier-one press drives AI citations.
How should executives use first-person essays in Business Insider?
Use a first-person or as-told-to essay when an executive has a specific, honest experience that illustrates a broader trend, and is willing to share real details. These pieces work because they are candid, not because they promote the company.
Good essay angles for executives at Series A+ companies and established brands include:
- A hard decision and its consequences: a pivot, a layoff, a price increase, a move back to the office.
- A career path that shows how an industry is changing.
- A specific management practice, with results and costs.
- A mistake, and what it cost.
What does not work is a disguised product pitch. Editors cut promotional language, and readers notice. The company benefits from the essay through credibility and recognition of the executive, not through product mentions. If you are building an ongoing executive program, combine essays with bylines in trade and business outlets and podcast appearances so the executive’s point of view appears consistently.
How does Business Insider compare with Forbes, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch?
Business Insider is the most people-centered of the major business outlets, with a broad professional audience and strong video and social reach. That makes it a good fit for workplace, career, leadership, and consumer business stories.
| Outlet | What it rewards most | Strongest fit for growth companies |
|---|---|---|
| Business Insider | People, access, candid experience, workplace and AI trends | Executive essays, series features, trend stories with data |
| Forbes | Founder stories, money, lists | Staff or contributor coverage, lists such as 30 Under 30 |
| Bloomberg | Market-moving facts and numbers | Significant raises, deals, proprietary economic data |
| TechCrunch | Startup and venture news | Funding and launch exclusives for tech companies |
For more on the other outlets, see our guides to getting featured in Forbes and getting covered by Bloomberg.
What mistakes keep companies out of Business Insider?
The most common mistakes are pitching the company instead of a person, offering news BI cannot be first on, and treating essays as advertising.
| Mistake | Why it fails | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| ”Our CEO is available to comment” with no angle | Gives the editor nothing to write | Offer a specific experience or data point |
| Pitching news already published elsewhere | BI prioritizes original reporting | Offer a new angle, document, or exclusive |
| Essays full of product language | Edited out or rejected | Candid experience; let credibility do the work |
| No access for video or photos | Story loses its strongest format | Offer a location, a process, a person on camera |
| Spokesperson who cannot share specifics | Story stalls in reporting | Agree in advance what numbers and details are shareable |
Where Digitize fits
Business Insider is one of the outlets where our clients have been featured. The work that gets there is usually unglamorous: finding the human story inside the company, preparing the executive to tell it candidly, and pitching the editor who owns the format. Our executive thought leadership and media relations teams run that work together. If you have a story you think belongs in BI, tell us about it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I submit a story to Business Insider?
There is no single submission form for company stories. Identify the reporter or editor who covers your beat or the format your story fits (a series, essays, video), and email them a short pitch with a BI-style headline as the subject line. Many BI reporters list contact details on their author pages. For sensitive news tips, use BI’s published tip channels.
Does Business Insider pay for first-person essays?
BI publishes first-person and as-told-to essays, and compensation practices for outside writers are set by BI and can change. For company executives, payment is rarely the point: the value is credibility and visibility. Ask the editor about terms when an essay is accepted, and disclose any conflicts of interest.
Can a PR agency pitch an as-told-to essay on behalf of an executive?
Yes, as long as the story is genuinely the executive’s experience and the executive is available to speak with the editor or reporter directly. As-told-to pieces are based on interviews, so the executive must be willing to share candid details and verify facts. Heavily scripted or promotional stories are unlikely to run.
What kinds of companies does Business Insider cover?
BI covers companies of all sizes, from public giants to small teams, when there is a people-driven story, original information, or a trend worth explaining. Its Tiny Teams series, for example, focuses on businesses with fewer than 10 employees using AI. Size matters less than access, specifics, and timing.
How long does it take to get featured in Business Insider?
A timely news pitch or series feature can run within days or a few weeks of a yes. Essays and features often take two to six weeks from pitch to publication, including interviews and fact-checking. Building a relationship with a beat reporter, so you are called when stories break, usually takes several months of being a useful source.
