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.
With more and more of us doing our grocery shopping in supermarkets, the chances are that you will be familiar with the free magazine racks. But what opportunities do these racks offer to publishers? James Evelegh looks at some of the marketing strat
They make retailers’ shelves creak under the strain. They clog up the supply chain. They fragment the market for publishers. They often confuse the consumer. Yet, says Jim Bilton, it is launches which drive the whole magazine market and which provide
Most UK publishers are aware, if only vaguely, of the opportunities for licensing their titles and content overseas. However, because our magazines are just so much better than everyone else’s, we have never stopped to consider the possible benefits
‘Let’s do some groups’ can be an understandable reaction when facing unknowns. But how do you ensure that they deliver the best possible return on your investment? Anthony Ray offers a few thoughts on constructing a checklist for future use.
Usually, the real story of the ABCs is not who has gone up and who has gone down, who has come in and who has bombed out – titillating though that may be. No, the really interesting stuff is to be found in the underlying trends thrown up by an intell
Gaining that all-important listing needs proper planning, close cooperation between publisher and their chosen distributor and an understanding of the retailer’s business objectives. And, says Borders’ senior magazine buyer, Maxine Lister, staying li
We love a crisis! Some in our industry seem to put more energy into moaning about the latest (or imminent) crisis than they do into solving it. At the start of a new year, Karlene Lukovitz breaks free from the prevailing negativism to sound a more up
The need to build distribution networks and work within local regulations can make export a hazardous business for publishers. The evolution of digital technologies (in the form of websites and digital editions) has provided publishers with new, less
Telling your potential customers who, what and where you are is as crucial for magazine publishers as it is for other FMCG manufacturers. That means advertising! MediaCom’s Nicola Morgan looks at above-the-line strategies for consumer magazine publis
Subscriptions and direct sales are becoming increasingly important to magazine publishers, so the way you manage your customer base is fast becoming a strategic choice rather than simply an administrative process. Gill Lambert examines the options.
The newsstand can be an unforgiving environment and is best approached with caution and only after careful planning. Leading gay magazine, Bent, got its fingers burned in 2005 when it tried to add a newsstand element to its established free distribut
Many publishers are engaged in ‘partnership marketing’ although most would not know it. Few companies, though, are pushing hard at the boundaries of partnership marketing, exploring all its possibilities. One that is is Dennis Publishing. According t
It is often remarked that, for such a creative industry, it is surprising how badly publishers let themselves down at point of sale. Yet, says Colin Massie, taking steps to ensure your title is noticed at retail can make all the difference to the bot
Despite the huge size of the German market and our close economic ties, UK publishers (in common with other international publishers) consistently underachieve there. The Economist’s Philip Kucharski looks at the challenges of marketing international
If you’re serious about subs, then modelling should play an important part in your planning and budgetary processes. Yet, take up is patchy, and is often confined to the larger publishers. Ross Sturley looks at the reasons for this and also how and w
