Digital PR in Finland means earning coverage, and the links that come with it, from Finnish news sites, trade media and other publications by giving journalists stories worth reporting. It’s the most reliable way to get editorial links in Finland, because the journalist, not the company, decides what gets published. It’s also slower and harder than paying for placements. It depends on having real news, data or expertise, presented in Finnish.
This post explains which Finnish media to target, what stories Finnish journalists pick up, how to distribute press releases, and how to earn links from universities and municipalities.
What is digital PR in Finland?
Digital PR is public relations aimed at online coverage. You create a story, such as new data, a survey or an expert view, and pitch it to journalists and editors. When they cover it, their articles often link to your site as the source.
The difference from guest posting and sponsored articles is who creates the content. In digital PR, a journalist writes the article based on your story. In guest posting, you write the article. In a sponsored article, you pay for it to appear.
Finnish media are a strong environment for digital PR. Finns use online news widely, with weekly reach of almost 90%, and Finnish news is the most highly trusted among the countries in Europe. Coverage in trusted Finnish media carries real weight with readers.
Why does digital PR matter for Finnish SEO?
Digital PR matters because it produces editorial links, the kind Google values most, and because other methods have clear limits.
Google recommends that links in guest posts carry rel=”nofollow” and that links in paid posts carry rel=”sponsored”. A journalist’s independent article about your story is neither. When a journalist links to your data because it supports their article, that’s an editorial link. For more on the rules around guest and paid links, see guest posting in Finland and paid links, Google’s rules and Finnish advertising labelling.
Coverage also brings benefits beyond links: brand awareness, referral traffic from real Finnish readers, and credibility you can refer to in your own marketing.
Which Finnish media outlets should you target for digital PR?
Target the outlets whose readers match your audience, not just the biggest names. Finland has a small number of national outlets with very large reach, and many regional and trade publications with focused audiences.
National news and tabloids
The two evening tabloids, Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti, are the most visited Finnish news portals. Iltalehti’s publisher says the paper reaches nearly 2.8 million Finns every week in print and digital combined, based on 2025 audience data. Helsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in the Nordic countries and is considered Finland’s newspaper of record. The public broadcaster Yle is Finland’s most trusted news source.
These outlets are highly competitive. They cover stories with broad national interest, so data and surveys about Finnish consumers work best.
Business media
For business stories, Kauppalehti is essential reading. Business media suit company news, market data and expert commentary on the economy or a sector.
Regional newspapers
Regional newspapers cover their own areas closely. A national dataset broken down by region can give each regional paper its own local story, which multiplies your coverage.
Swedish-language media
Hufvudstadsbladet is the main Swedish-language daily, and Yle also broadcasts in Swedish. Swedish-language media reach Finland’s Swedish-speaking minority and need their own releases in Finland-Swedish.
Trade media
Trade magazines and industry sites cover specific sectors in depth. They’re often the most relevant link sources for a business, and they’re more open to expert contributions than national news.
The news agency
STT (Suomen Tietotoimisto) is the Finnish national news agency. It supplies news to media outlets across the country, and its press release service is covered below.
| Type of outlet | Examples | Best story types | Competition | Link value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National tabloids | Ilta-Sanomat, Iltalehti | Consumer data, surveys, human-interest angles | Very high | Very high |
| National quality news | Helsingin Sanomat, Yle | Significant data, expert analysis | Very high | Very high |
| Business media | Kauppalehti | Company news, market data, economic commentary | High | High |
| Regional newspapers | City and regional dailies | Regional data, local angles | Medium | High for local relevance |
| Swedish-language media | Hufvudstadsbladet, Yle’s Swedish services | Stories relevant to Swedish-speaking Finns | Medium | High |
| Trade media | Sector magazines and sites | Expert insight, industry data | Lower | High for relevance |
Before pitching, check each outlet’s audience and standards, just as you would for any link source. See how to evaluate a Finnish website.
What stories do Finnish journalists cover?
Finnish journalists cover stories with news value for Finnish readers: something new, relevant and backed by evidence.
Story formats Finnish journalists pick up
Build your digital PR around news value, not your product
Data stories
New findings from your own data or open data, such as Statistics Finland’s StatFin, with a Finnish angle.
Surveys
A survey of Finnish consumers or businesses on a topical question, with clear, quotable results.
Expert comment
A named expert available to comment quickly on news in your field, in Finnish.
Regional angles
The same data broken down by region or city, so local papers have their own story.
Tools and calculators
A useful free tool that journalists and bloggers can reference and link to.
Company news
Real news: a market entry, new jobs in Finland, a partnership or an investment.
Build stories on data
Data is the most reliable basis for digital PR, and Finland has an unusually good open source for it. Statistics Finland’s StatFin database is freely accessible and covers population, economy, housing, transport, tourism, consumption, prices, wages, energy, enterprises and many other topics. The data can be used freely, including commercially, as long as the source is mentioned, under the CC BY 4.0 licence. The free databases can also be queried through an API in formats such as XLSX, CSV and JSON.
Combining open data with your own data, for example your customers’ behaviour in Finland, often produces a story no one else can tell.
Give it a Finnish angle
Journalists at Finnish outlets write for Finnish readers. Global data with a Finland figure buried in it rarely works. Lead with what the story means for Finland, its regions or its people.
Write in Finnish
Pitches and releases in English get far less attention than those in Finnish. Every part of the campaign, including the landing page with the full findings, should be in natural Finnish. See Finnish content localisation.
How do you distribute press releases in Finland?
Send personal pitches to key journalists, and use a press release service for wider distribution.
STT Info is STT’s press release service, which passes companies’ press releases to journalists. A 2013 study among Finnish journalists found it was the best-known and most-used press release service in Finland, and more than half of the journalists surveyed said it mattered that a release came through STT Info. Public institutions use it too: the Finnish Environment Institute distributes its releases to media and stakeholders through STT Info, and the Bank of Finland runs its newsroom there.
A distribution service reaches many newsrooms, but it doesn’t replace a personal pitch. For the outlets that matter most to you, contact the relevant journalist directly, with a short message in Finnish explaining why the story suits their readers.
Finnish press release checklist
Before you send a release to Finnish media
Links in coverage aren’t guaranteed. Some outlets rarely link out, and some link only when the source is essential. Give journalists a strong reason to link by publishing the full data, methodology or tool on a landing page they’ll want to cite.
Can you get links from Finnish universities and municipalities?
Yes, but only by working with them. These links can’t be bought, and they come from genuine collaboration.
Universities
Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences link to organisations they work with. The main routes are:
- Research collaboration: sharing data or co-funding a study that the university publishes.
- Thesis cooperation: many Finnish students write their thesis (opinnäytetyö) for a company, and the published thesis and project pages can reference the company.
- Guest lectures and events: experts who speak at university events are often listed on event pages.
- Partnerships: companies that partner with a university on projects or recruitment may appear on partner pages.
Treat these as genuine partnerships, not link tactics. A thesis or research project should be valuable in its own right.
Municipalities and public bodies
Municipal and regional websites sometimes link to local businesses through business service pages, event listings and partner programmes. The route is usually local involvement: taking part in regional business networks, supporting local events, or working with municipal business services. For listings, see also Finnish business directories.
How do you plan a Finnish digital PR campaign?
Plan the story and data first, then the outreach.
A Finnish digital PR campaign in 7 steps
- Pick a storyFind a question Finnish readers care about that your data or expertise can answer.
- Gather the dataYour own data, a survey or open data, checked and sourced.
- Build a landing pagePublish the full findings on your site, in Finnish.
- List the right journalistsBy outlet and beat: national, regional, business and trade media.
- Write the release in FinnishNews first, Finnish angle, quotable comment.
- Distribute and pitchPersonal pitches to key journalists, plus a release service such as STT Info.
- Follow up and trackAnswer questions fast, then log coverage, links and traffic.
Timing matters. Stories tied to current events, seasons or new statistics get more coverage. Be ready to respond quickly when news breaks in your field, because Finnish journalists often need an expert comment the same day.
Measure the results beyond the number of links: coverage, referral traffic and brand searches all count. See measuring link building ROI in the Finnish market.
How does digital PR compare with other link building methods?
Digital PR produces the strongest links, but it takes the most effort and is the least predictable.
| Method | Link type | Link quality | Predictability | Effort | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital PR | Editorial | Very high | Low | High | Low |
| Guest posting | Publisher’s choice; Google recommends nofollow | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Sponsored articles | rel=”sponsored” | Low for rankings | High | Low | Low if labelled and tagged |
| Business directories | Usually followed citations | Low to medium | High | Low | Low if reputable |
Most Finnish link building campaigns combine these methods. Our main guide to link building in Finland explains how they fit together.
What are the most common digital PR mistakes in Finland?
The most common mistake is pitching a promotion instead of a story.
- Pitching product news that isn’t news. Journalists ignore promotional releases.
- Writing in English. Finnish journalists expect Finnish.
- Using global data without a Finnish angle.
- Sending mass emails instead of personal pitches to the right journalists.
- Hiding the data. Without a landing page with the full findings, there’s nothing to link to.
- Being slow to respond. Journalists work to deadlines and move on.
- Expecting a link every time. Coverage without a link still has value, but don’t count on links.
Gambling companies face extra limits on marketing in Finland; see iGaming SEO in Finland.
How SEO Butler approaches digital PR in Finland
SEO Butler Limited, which runs backlinksfinland.com, has a native Finnish writer in-house, and all Finnish content is reviewed by a Finnish speaker before publication. If you’re planning a Finnish digital PR campaign, you can contact SEO Butler.
Reference sources
- Reuters Institute: Digital News Report 2025, Finland
- Alma Media: Iltalehti audience
- Newspapers Online: Finnish newspapers
- Helsingin Sanomat
- Sjölund (2013): Recognizability and use of STT Info among journalists
- Bank of Finland: Press releases and news (STT newsroom)
- Statistics Finland: Open data and interfaces
- Statistics Finland: StatFin database
- Google Search Central: A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update
Frequently asked questions
Which Finnish media outlets are best for digital PR?
It depends on your audience. The tabloids Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti and the public broadcaster Yle have the widest reach, Helsingin Sanomat is Finland’s newspaper of record, and Kauppalehti leads in business news. Regional papers and trade media are often easier to reach and highly relevant.
How do I send a press release to Finnish media?
Write it in Finnish, pitch key journalists personally, and use a distribution service for wider reach. STT Info, the press release service of the Finnish news agency STT, is the best-known service among Finnish journalists.
Where can I find Finnish data for PR stories?
Statistics Finland’s StatFin database is free and covers a wide range of topics. Its open data can be used freely, including commercially, as long as Statistics Finland is credited as the source.
Can I get backlinks from Finnish universities?
Yes, through genuine collaboration such as research projects, thesis cooperation, guest lectures or partnerships. University links can’t be bought.
Do Finnish news sites link to their sources?
Some do, and some rarely link out. You improve your chances by publishing the full data or tool on a landing page that journalists need to cite.
