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.
In this instalment of her now six-monthly round-up of key US publishing trends, Karlene Lukovitz sees an industry struggling to close the revenue gap but one demonstrating unprecedented levels of innovation.
The iPlayer gets about ten million download requests a day. It’s massive and clearly doing something right. Big Issue editor Paul McNamee is a fan and says publishers can learn a thing or two from the BBC catch-up service.
KHL Group has chosen the Webvision Cloud CXM platform to improve global customer engagement, including a construction industry portal and two standalone sites that are published in Spanish and Portuguese.
Bloomberg, the global financial information and news provider, and the Middle East’s biggest publishing group, Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) have signed a long-term agreement to launch Bloomberg Al Arabiya, a new multi-platform Arabic-lan
Ahead of the upcoming 41st FIPP World Congress taking place in London on 9-11 October, Jon Watkins talks to one of the speakers – Hearst UK President and CEO James Wildman.
Last week saw the launch of Informa Engage, an international B2B marketing services business that connects buyers and sellers in specialist niche markets worldwide.
Abacus e-Media’s ADvance audience engagement platform provides Boat International Media with a full subscription management, customer services and fulfilment bureau operation.
Readly, the digital magazine newsstand, has just joined Distripress as it expands into new markets. Distripress is the trade association which promotes the global distribution of press products, both newspapers and magazines.
Incisive Media announced in August that it has recruited content specialist Julie Best to spearhead a new high-value research initiative.
James Evelegh's editorial from today's edition of InPubWeekly.
Jon Bickley, CEO of Anthem Publishing, answers our questions about his life in publishing.
Haymarket Media Group yesterday launched the new-look monthly edition of its media and marketing brand Campaign.
Bauer Media’s Total TV Guide is to add more reader value by expanding its features, streaming and radio sections.
The Times Literary Supplement, the literary journal, has joined the digital magazine newsstand, Readly, with immediate effect.
Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, the international business information and events group, last week announced that it is considering strategic options for its Global Markets Intelligence Division, consisting of CEIC and EMIS.
