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.
The outsourcing of circulation processes usually involves the transfer of personal data – sometimes offshore. Rosemary Smith looks at the data protection issues raised and the contractual safeguards publishers need to adopt when outsourcing circulati
Is there such a thing as unwanted revenue? Uncontrolled chasing of one dimensional revenue targets risks rising costs and falling profits. The solution, says Michael Smith, lies in concentrating your resources where they will make the most difference
The September 2007 advertising campaign from the Economist was a new take on their classic red and white treatment. Here, the Economist’s UK publisher, Olly Comyn, explains the thinking behind the campaign.
To work successfully with retailers, it really does help if you can speak the language. Couching your objectives in terms that they can relate to and being able to precisely quantify how they will benefit by listing your title are prerequisites for s
Apparently 70% of magazine purchase decisions at retail are made in the shop! With such a high degree of impulse involved, it puts a lot of pressure on publishers to be creative with their point of sale promotions. Richard Howard looks at what we can
DD usage is now widespread in the publishing sector, but are publishers maximising its potential? Some publishers are introducing DD schemes without the necessary planning, with the result that DD is not always being used as imaginatively or profitab
Karlene Lukovitz asks, are US consumer magazines heading into a serious shake-out period? An uptrend in shut-downs, including high-profile titles, has generated some speculation along these lines.
This may come as a bit of a shock, but publishers can learn something from the direct marketing techniques used in other industries! Hard to imagine, I know. What is particularly interesting, says Debbie Stenning, is to look at the relative importanc
Precisely how copies are allocated to retailers has been the source of animated discussion over the years. Who should decide? The retailers whose shelves the copies sit on, or the publishers who print them in the first place? Stefan Wojciechowski loo
Us publishers, we’re different aren’t we? Special, unpredictable. Retailers don’t really understand us, but that’s ok, because we bring in the footfall – right? And, because we’re so unique, there’s not much we can learn from other more - how shall I
Take up of retailer loyalty cards has increased significantly over the last ten years. Tesco Clubcard offers publishers a range of opportunities to target customers and grow sales through stores, and increasingly, online. David Stam examines the pros
There are lots of things you need to consider before embarking on a relaunch. For a start, is it really necessary? Are the changes you have in mind cosmetic or the full monty? And, critically, what will be the financial return? Kevin O’Donnell takes
When writing copy, it can be helpful to visualise an extremely sceptical prospect. That way, you won’t allow any lazy assumptions to sneak into your work. Here are twelve ways in which you can add instant credibility to your subscription copy.
Some blunders are blindingly obvious, and, in hindsight, you wonder how you could ever have made such a mistake. Others are more subtle, and even once the damage has been done, you might not even be aware of precisely what caused it. Peter Hobday loo
Within the pages of our publications, we cover green issues extensively, but are we actually adopting more eco-friendly processes ourselves? As environmental concerns rise inexorably up the agenda, publishers need to be aware of the more eco-friendly
