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.
Does your CEO know what your subscriber retention rate is? The chances are, probably not. But, according to Julian Thorne, author of our Guide to Retention Strategies for Publishers, this number should never be far from his or her (or your) mind.
Centaur Media has announced the completion of its divestment programme.
Quarterly theatre magazine Plays International & Europe has launched a new digital archive on Exact Editions’ platform.
Nemorin Film & Video, a branded video agency, has appointed Graham Hayday as its first chief operating officer to help fuel the company’s growth plans.
Canvasflow has announced a strategic partnership with BORN Group that will offer a full-service print and digital content solution to publishers and brands.
ArtsProfessional has announced a new editorial team following Liz Hill’s decision to step down as Editor.
Well managed audience data is at the heart of every successful B2B media operation. We grab five minutes with Daniel Verrells, MD of Beeline Data Services, to ask him how publishers can make better use of their data assets.
AOP and Deloitte reveal that industry confidence increased by 33% in Q1 2019 compared to Q4 2018, despite a fall in publisher revenue.
This week, Euromonitor International’s Trevor Fenwick was installed as the new Master of the Stationers’ Company.
Condé Nast Traveller India has announced the first edition of their Luxury Travel Fair in February 2020 in New Delhi.
As announced in March, Neil Johnson stepped down as chairman of the Company and from the board of Centaur Media on 30 June 2019.
After achieving just over 6 million impressions a month on its first Push to Stop Speedmaster XL 106-8-P press, S&G has placed an order with Heidelberg for a replica machine.
The Association for Online Publishing (AOP) celebrated both individuals and businesses at its annual awards ceremony last Thursday night.
Incisive Media have turned their frog logo rainbow to reinforce their commitment to LGBT+ equality and inclusion.
Micropress is going to install a Push to Stop concept Speedmaster XL106-8P with Autoplate XL and Inpress Control next month.
