PR Mentions vs. Feature articles
We hear the question, “Do you do feature articles or just mentions?” a lot. However, if you’re new to the PR world, you might not be familiar with these terms, so let’s break it down and make it easy.
What’s a PR Mention?
When you get a “mention” in an article, that typically means you’re quoted in an article. The article is not all about you, and it’s not all about your company. Rather, the article is focused on a trend, topic, or news item, and you are referenced as an expert on the primary focus on the article.
For example, if we knew of a journalist at Forbes writing an article with the headline, “How To Practice Self-Care And Slowing Down As A Mompreneur,” we might reach out to a client we know who is an expert on entrepreneurial moms and say, “Hey, we have a contact at Forbes writing an article we think would be a great fit for you, would you be interested in being quoted in it?”
If the client were interested, we would ask the journalist what type of quotes they’re interested in, then work with our client to get a quote that matches what the journalist wants.
The final deliverable for our client would be a great article that quotes them by name and also includes their title and company, where applicable, perhaps a photo and a link, and makes them look like the expert they are.
At this point, you may be confused. “Wait, so wouldn’t that client be ‘featured’ in that article? If that’s not a PR feature, then what is?”
What’s a Feature Article?
A feature article is all about the client or the client’s company, and the client is likely mentioned by name in the headline of the article. Examples of feature articles might be:
“Mompreneur Jennifer Smith Shares How She Built Her Company”
“Solana Beach 'mompreneur' Betsy Ross writes self-care book”
“‘Mompreneur' who posted video of herself shooting ex's clothing given probation”
That last one is a real headline, but of course as a PR firm, we would never get our client in an article like that last one, because that’s not positive PR, and why would we ever put our clients in articles that are negative? No PR is bad PR? Yeah, right.
In a feature article you would expect to be quoted multiple times, perhaps have multiple photos, and pretty much everything in the article would focus on you in a positive way.
This might cause you to ask, “Why would anyone get a mention rather than a feature article?”
The Thing About Feature Articles…
There’s just one problem with feature articles—they’re harder to get. In some cases, they’re nearly impossible to get. Many publications have strict rules against writers submitting them. For example, Entrepreneur expressly forbids feature articles unless it’s assigned by an editor. Many other publications operate the same way.
Even when a publication doesn’t have a blanket policy against feature articles, it may be off limits for all but a select few writers.
The difficulty of securing feature articles means they’re more expensive. Whereas a mention in a Forbes article might run you around $5,000, a feature can cost upwards of $20,000 or more. If someone says, “I can get you featured in Forbes for $500!” then something’s not right. You can’t even get a mention for that, let alone a feature article. If they quote you a price that sounds too good to be true for a feature, ask then to define “feature” because they may mean “You’re going to be featured in the article…” as in “You’ll be mentioned in the article,” which yes, is “featured,” but it’s not the way the word “featured” is used in the PR industry. They may not be intentionally misleading you, but it’s good to make sure everyone’s clear about what is being promised.
Want mentions or features?
At Canvas PR, we offer both mentions and features in many top-tier media outlets including Forbes, Business Insider, Techcrunch, and Mashable. Contact us or check out our pricing:
