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.
Wyndeham Group has announced it is entering into a 90-day consultation process with the 145 staff employed by Wyndeham Plymouth with a proposal to close the web offset printing facility on 22 August 2011.
The official app for London College of Communication (LCC) has launched, providing mobile access to courses, news, events, picture galleries, social networks and more.
UPM is one of the very first companies to achieve multinational corporate registration under the revised EMAS III regulation, the EU's Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme.
Future, the special-interest media group, has announced its 29th annual Golden Joystick Awards.
Origin Publishing is to launch Craftseller, a new magazine that caters for the ever-growing community of people who wish to make and sell handmade crafts.
The Press Complaints Commission has upheld a complaint against Pick Me Up magazine under Clause 16 (Payment to criminals) of the Editors' Code of Practice.
Readers of Wallpaper* will be able to design and receive their own cover for the August Handmade issue of the international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine.
iCAR, the latest magazine launch from Future, the special-interest media group, hits newsstands on Wednesday 18th May.
Last summer, writes Mark Bishop, IPC announced it had reviewed its portfolio and was considering divesting almost 40 brands. In the event, only half were sold. But what thinking underpins such bold decisions, and should all publishers conduct similar
Way back in 2006, in what seem like prehistoric times now, Ross Sturley wrote a piece for us focussing on the future of B2B publishing. “I’ve seen the future” he declared, before setting out an apocalyptic view of collapse into chaos. Five years on,
There can be few jobs in publishing as exciting and varied as editorial development director at a major publisher. Andy Cowles, who has held that position at IPC since 2007, talks to Meg Carter about what he enjoys about the role and what he sees as
Print buyers are an endangered species, with many publishers deciding they no longer need them. This is bad for the individuals concerned, clearly, but says Matthew Parker, not great for the publishers either, as key and still needed skills are lost.
Point-of-sale promotions tend to be more of a slow burn than a big bang for magazine publishers. Jo Bowman looks at why, and what might deliver a spark.
TopGear magazine has teamed up with Universal Pictures & Working Title Films to offer readers an exclusive preview of forthcoming documentary Senna.
Maney Publishing has announced that Andrea Crisanti, Professor of Molecular Parasitology at Imperial College London, is the new Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology.
