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.
Digital technology has already transformed and disrupted media and publishing, as it has most parts of the global economy. So, asks Carolyn Morgan, what emerging trends should media businesses be monitoring, that will change how people consume conten
David Hepworth on magazines and beyond
In late November, the PPA held its annual Independent Publisher event in London, a morning conference followed by a lunch-time awards. James Evelegh went along to hear what the speakers had to say.
What’s in a word? Whether you call it circulation, distribution, marketing or audience development, it’s all about getting your published product to market. The product and processes might change, but not the people, and there is a special associatio
Podcasting is steadily growing in popularity, particularly in the US. Publishers, with their creativity and well-defined audiences, are well placed to thrive in this space. Peter Houston looks at the options.
For consistently thorough reporting, for doggedly investigating and pursing matters of real importance, few titles can match Inside Housing. For Dickon Ross, the title represents journalism at its best.
Jim Foster’s publishing world…
Haymarket Media Group this week filed annual accounts showing a substantial increase in operating profit to £16.0m (2016: £4.3m), boosted by the divestment of non-core motorsport and agricultural brands.
AOP and Deloitte reveal a 6.7% increase in publisher revenue from £77.6m in Q3 2016 to £82.8 in Q3 2017, coupled with a boost in industry confidence.
Brides magazine has announced they will partner with Ocean Media Group to deliver the next Brides The Show event, the luxury bridal show.
Patrick Grice has joined the editorial team of Independent Community Pharmacist as contributing editor.
With the start-up of PM5, described as the most modern packaging machine of its kind, Leipa says it will be transforming nearly 1.5 million tonnes of recovered paper back into high quality paper and packaging products in 2018.
Canvasflow has announced the release of Canvasflow 3.0, its cloud-based content authoring and management platform.
Air Business has announced that it is to be a PPA Strategic Partner for the ninth consecutive year.
Daily Mail and General Trust reports revenue up 2% on an underlying basis in the first three months of FY 2018. Outlook for the year is unchanged and in line with current market expectations, says the company.
