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.
An expo catering for both serving troops and veterans has been announced to take place in Newcastle, organised by military resettlement magazine, Pathfinder International.
Press Gazette has announced the finalists for the first British Journalism Awards for Specialist Media.
Winners of the 2018 Print Futures Awards for people aged 18 to 30 years were presented with their Awards at an event at the House of Lords on 26 July hosted by Lord Black of Brentwood, Deputy Chairman of the Telegraph Media Group and President Emerit
The Mark Allen Group (MAG) has won the bid to acquire all the assets in the Rhinegold Group.
Daily Mail and General Trust plc reports that the performance for the first nine months of FY 2018 was in line with expectations.
Informa PLC has published its H1 Results announcement for the six months to 30 June 2018.
James Evelegh’s roundup of some of the news stories that caught his eye over the last couple of months.
Centaur Media CEO Andria Vidler delivered the annual Marcus Morris Lecture at the PPA Festival at Tobacco Dock in May. Her central message was that publishers need to lead change, not become a victim of it. James Evelegh was taking notes.
Events used to be a nice add-on for magazines; an annual awards ceremony, for instance, photographed for the back pages, and giving readers a glimpse into a world they couldn't hope to enter. Now, as Hearst’s Victoria Archbold tells Ciar Byrne, they
Having talented and dedicated staff is one prerequisite for publishing success. Another, as Rich Cheary, CEO of the Publisher’s Toolbox, tells James Evelegh, is making sure they have the right tools to do the job.
The pivot to paid-content is undoubtedly a positive move for publishers, but what exactly should we be asking our audiences to buy? Peter Houston reports.
Jim Foster’s publishing world…
B2B media companies are increasingly focused on becoming essential business partners to their clients. As Econsultancy’s Ruth Mortimer tells Meg Carter, it’s all about being a need-to-have rather than a might-like.
Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, the international business information and events group, on Friday issued a trading update for the period from 1 April to 19 July 2018.
Walstead, one of the leading European commercial printing groups, has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LSC Communications, Inc.’s European printing business based in Poland.
