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.
Coty Prestige has partnered with InStyle to launch its new Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice fragrance. The campaign aims to bring the new brand to life and features a playful augmented reality animation.
Future, the special-interest media group and a leading provider of cycling content, has published a picture-led collectors’ special, ‘Procycling Photography 2010’.
United Business Media has announced that it has acquired Lead in Research (LIR), a boutique sales leads business on behalf of UBM Built Environment from its founder, Mark Hurley.
Royal Mail Group said its operating profit fell to £52 million in the six months to the end of September as mail volumes continued to decline and competition from rival operators and electronic media increased.
The nation's best 'Value for Money' crop has been named as the runner bean, according to Gardeners' World magazine in this year's Gardeners' World 2010 Awards.
Future, the special-interest media group, has announced a new partnership with Motörhead Music/UDR and EMI Label Services to publish Classic Rock Presents: Motörhead - a one-off special bringing the legendary rock band’s new album ‘The Wörld is Yours
The Informa Sports Group (ISG), the newly formed division of Informa plc set up to organise B2B events in the global sports industry, have announced the start of the International Sports Event Management Conference 2010 (ISEM).
This summer, NME launched the first ever NME Music Photography Awards with Nikon – a competition to find the most stunning and original music photography from both amateur and professional photographers, worldwide.
Magazine-Group.co.uk, the magazine subscription site, starts a major consumer promotion this weekend aimed at kick-starting Christmas gift subscription buying.
The December issue of monthly movie magazine Empire will feature a world-exclusive first look at Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn.
Britain at War magazine has appointed Alliance Media to handle its customer services and subscription management.
Good Housekeeping magazine, the SuperBrand-accredited women’s lifestyle title published by the National Magazine Company, has produced its first-ever regional edition, to go on sale across 6,000 outlets in the North West.
H Bauer has announced that John Dale has resigned as editor of Take a Break, a position he has occupied for 20 years.
Royal Mail’s programme to improve safety, quality of service and efficiency in its mail centres has been recognised by an international awards programme that encourages operational excellence among major businesses across the world.
The November issue of Creative Review has a beautifully designed cover by award winning and internationally acclaimed artist Marian Bantjes.
