COMMENT
2019 – how was it for you?
A year of political turmoil, but what happened in the publishing world? James Evelegh picks four things that stood out for him.
B2B & Trade Media
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.
Essential Resources
Best Practice in Publishing
B2B media
We asked Amanda Barnes, chief executive of Faversham House, what does best practice publishing look like in B2B media? This is what she said…
FEATURE
Riches in niches
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…
A Celebration of Print
Our print strategy: Mark Allen Group
Print is certainly not dead, says Chairman Mark Allen. However, you need to offer readers choice and be neutral and agnostic about the outcome.
INTERVIEW
From controlled circ to enterprise subs
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.
Digital Horizons
What the ‘Intelligent Age’ means for B2B media
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.
COMMENT
Opportunities & Threats: B2B Media
The future of B2B lies in serving your sector in three connected ways: information, intelligence and events.
The Digital Transformation Journey
B2B media
John Barnes, chief digital officer, William Reed Business Media, tells Ciar Byrne about how the B2B media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
Dickon Ross’s publishing world
The Post Office Scandal – 10 takeaways for B2B journalists
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.
MEDIA FUTURES
Gambling on M&A in 2025
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.
COLUMN
Keep iterating
If you’re thinking of setting up a membership scheme, be prepared to play the long game because success doesn’t come overnight.
All Articles
FEATURE
Researching a premium intelligence product
Intelligence products can be a hugely lucrative revenue stream for B2B publishers, but it’s important not to underestimate the amount of preparation and investment required. Carolyn Morgan outlines the steps publishers need to take…
FEATURE
Newsletters: make them good and keep them relevant
With a rising tide of online disinformation, trivia and trolling, the dedicated email newsletter is being seen in a new light. The key to formulating the right newsletter strategy is to focus on quality and relevance (and not forgetting, metrics).
SPOTLIGHT
Regional magazines
Regional magazines celebrating people and places around the UK are big business for publishers large and small. Alan Geere tours the newsstands for local flavour.
MEDIA FUTURES
The Big Picture
With digital upheaval, the publishing industry is smaller than it once was, but is still “massive”. Furthermore, writes Jim Bilton, there are pockets of growth.
News
Andy White rejoins dmg events
dmg events has announced the return of Andy White to the company as Senior Vice President for its Design & Hospitality division.
News
Investment Week appoints new editor-in-chief
Investment Week, Incisive Media’s title for the asset management community, has appointed Katrina Lloyd as its new editor-in-chief.
News
AOP research reveal drop in digital publishing revenues
Digital publishing revenues declined to £113.1m in Q2 2019, a 3.7% fall in comparison to Q2 2018, according to the latest Digital Publishers Revenue Index (DPRI).
News
BSME Awards 2019 – winners announced
The winners of the 2019 BSME Awards were announced this week, at The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel.
REVIEW
Exciting stuff
At our recent webinar on editorial productivity, NFU’s Paul Bradley explained how changes they had made to their work processes had had a transformative effect on the team.
Q&A
Digital editions: 5 minutes with… Paul DeHart
In a world where people are drowning in content, much of it of dubious quality, digital editions from credible publishers can cut-through the noise. We grab five minutes with BlueToad’s Paul DeHart to talk about the latest trends in digital editions.
News
LeKiosk rebrands as Cafeyn
LeKiosk, a European information streaming platform, is rebranding as “Cafeyn”.
REVIEW
Only journalism will save journalism
Are you charging for your content yet? If you’re not asking for money or data, warned Juan Señor at the PPA conference last week, then it’s game over.
News
Informa publishes Ten-Month Trading Update
Informa this week issued a trading update for the 10-month period ending 31 October 2019.
News
PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2019 – winners announced
TTG Media was one of the big winners at Friday’s awards event, walking off with several awards including ‘Independent Publishing Company of the Year’.
