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.
Are you making money from your data? If you’re a B2B information provider, then the answer is probably ‘yes’, but are you realising the full value of your data assets? If your data is unstructured, then probably not...
Right now, says Robin Booth, most of us use AI like a very clever search engine or copy assistant. That’s fine but the real power comes when we start building systems.
In the face of AI disruption, one thing publishers can do to differentiate themselves from the bots, is by creating a sense of community. Phil Clark looks at the way various publishers are approaching the task.
Carl Myers, chief technology officer at Faversham House, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider B2B publishing sector.
NLA Media Access has announced the appointment of James White as chief revenue officer.
Acorn Web, a specialist printer of short to medium run A4 and A5 multi-page products, has strengthened its commitment to sustainability by making carbon data a standard part of every customer estimate.
Central Bank of Congo has selected Bloomberg’s BMatch to help electronify the country’s foreign exchange market.
Publishers can greatly improve the performance of their sales teams if they support them properly. We grab five minutes with The Engine Shed’s Patrick Lidstone to find out more.
The Denmaur World Cup sweepstake kit, officially supporting the Prostate Cancer UK charity, is available now.
William Reed has appointed Lucinda Pullinger as chief people officer.
Les, a consultant at Optimum Publishing Group, has worked in the publishing industry for over 25 years. We grab five minutes with him to get his thoughts on current publishing trends.
James Evelegh picks out eight of the many tips on offer at InPublishing’s ‘Subscriber Retention Special – Q&A’ webinar…
Britain's rising editorial stars were celebrated last week at the BSME Talent Awards 2026.
CPL One Group launched a new AI-generated news service at the Memcom Conference 2026.
InPublishing has announced that its new digital partner is BlueToad.
