B2B publishing has quietly become one of the healthier parts of the industry. The trade press that once lived on display and recruitment advertising now earns more of its money from subscriptions, data, events and membership, and private equity has noticed.
The shift meant giving up some old habits. Controlled circulation made sense in print, but open websites gave away what the magazine kept for qualified readers, and the publishers doing best have taken back control of their audiences through registration and paywalls. The Lawyer moved from an advertising-led business to one where paid content brings in over 40 per cent of revenue.
Don’t delude yourself because the barriers to entry in publishing are now non-existent.
Amanda Barnes B2B media
Specialist knowledge is the defence. AI makes generic information close to worthless, so the value lies in proprietary data, tools readers rely on in their daily work and journalism only a specialist could produce, as Computer Weekly's Post Office investigation showed. Print hasn't vanished either. Some publishers now sell it alongside digital at the same price and let readers choose.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on B2B and trade media, from subscriptions and data products to events, print, consolidation and specialist journalism, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
We asked Amanda Barnes, chief executive of Faversham House, what does best practice publishing look like in B2B media? This is what she said…
Rory Brown has enjoyed great success in business media. Having last year sold AgriBriefing and now following new paths in the B2B space, he takes some time out to tell us what he has learned on his journey so far…
Print is certainly not dead, says Chairman Mark Allen. However, you need to offer readers choice and be neutral and agnostic about the outcome.
The Lawyer has been on quite a journey, successfully transitioning from a controlled circulation ad-driven model to a high value enterprise subs one. Andy Baker talks Meg Carter through the key stages and what they’ve learnt along the way.
In the first of our new ‘Digital Horizons’ series, Tom Lake, director of product and technology at Infopro Digital, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider B2B sector.
The future of B2B lies in serving your sector in three connected ways: information, intelligence and events.
John Barnes, chief digital officer, William Reed Business Media, tells Ciar Byrne about how the B2B media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
Computer Weekly deserves much credit for its role in investigating the Horizon IT scandal. Dickon Ross looks at what lessons other B2B journalists can take from their work.
The general expectation is that the buying and selling of media brands is going to increase significantly in 2025. A number of companies have been quietly building up their war-chests during a wobbly 2024, reports Jim Bilton.
If you’re thinking of setting up a membership scheme, be prepared to play the long game because success doesn’t come overnight.
Connections, the e-commerce and inserts sampling arm of independent media agency The Specialist Works, has partnered with Denmaur Paper Media and Go Inspire Group to launch a pro-bono campaign for the National Emergencies Trust.
Two of Britain’s leading sailing magazines, Sailing Today and Yachts & Yachting, are to merge and join forces for the duration of the current crisis.
In response to the continuing crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Cruise International will temporarily pivot to a digital first product.
It’s a question every publisher that mails out copies is having to face. How do we wrap our magazines in an environmentally sustainable, yet affordable, way? Dickon Ross describes the journey his magazine, E&T, has been on.
Journalists love to create content, so why do some publishers make it so hard for them to do so? Unfit-for-purpose CMS and publishing platforms stifle creativity and leave content creators demotivated and unproductive. It needn’t be this way…
Collecting has moved on a long way from just stamps and coins. Alan Geere goes for a rummage on the newsstand to find magazines for collectable enthusiasts.
Artificial intelligence can do the heavy lifting of data processing, allowing publishers to increase output, become more creative and reach new markets. It’s a huge opportunity, says Rebekah Billingsley, though not without its potential drawbacks.
NLA media access already does a great deal for publishers. Last year, it fed back over £40m into the sector to, as the strapline under its logo says, “support journalism”, but, there’s so much more it can do…
For many publishers, building ad funded digital businesses was a route to sustainability, but has the inexorable rise of the platforms put paid to this? Or is there a route to sustainable digital revenue growth, asks Duncan Tickell.
The #MeToo movement prompted much soul searching across society and industry. It also provided the catalyst for a successful new series of events designed to recognise the achievements of women.
Buying a match programme was once an established part of a football fan’s match day routine. Less so now, as changes to the game and wall-to-wall media coverage have hit sales. Is there still a place for the football programme, asks Dan Harrison.
Got time? Make it count. That is the message coming from digital magazine subscription service Readly.
BBC World Histories Magazine has launched a digital archive, comprising 21 issues, with Exact Editions.
Incisive Media has launched Deskflix, a new virtual event platform that allows clients to communicate, interact and influence their audiences, customers and prospects.
Affino has announced the release of its 8-20 Update, focused on automated subscriptions and memberships marketing, sales and fulfilment.
