Specialist Media Show * Exhibition * Workshops * Conference * Intelligence * Networking * 24 May 2012 ThinkTank Birmingham

How is the shape of specialist publishing changing?  What sources of revenues are expected to grow?  And what are your peers planning for online paid content, mobile apps, ecommerce, events and social media?  Questions answered by the Specialist Media Insights research...

Digital revenues will double share in the next two years

Digital revenues will more than double their contribution to specialist media businesses in the next two years, according to the recent Specialist Media Insights research among 170 niche publishers.  Right now digital is just 10% of traditional (print heritage) consumer publishers’ revenue and 12% of b2b publishers; both expect it to contribute 25% in just two years’ time.

The key driver is web ads and web subs, but both expect mobile to contribute 6% in two years time.  The survey also sampled a number of “digital native” b2b publishers; they expect print to decline to less than 10% of their revenues.

It’s not all about digital, as live events are an important  and growing revenue source for all niche publishers.  While consumer publishers focus on live events, and F2F is the new buzzword for B2B, there is plenty of developing interest in online and virtual events from business publishers.

Digital platforms are changing the nature of content

The focus on new digital platforms is changing the very nature of the content that publishers must create.  The shift to paid online subs for B2B is accelerating the move away from news and towards actionable, insightful content built on deep data and analysis. 

Plus consumer publishers are finding that the move to tablets is emphasising  video content and forcing an increasingly interactive approach to design, more influenced by games and TV than traditional print.  The ease of sharing via social media means articles are created in collaboration with an audience rather than crafted to perfection in isolation.

Seven Surprising facts

The research shows that the group we surveyed, largely directors and senior publishers in smaller media businesses, make up in ingenuity for what they lack in resources:

1. Mobile at a tipping point:  last year just 22% had mobile apps; this year it is 39% and a further 30% plan to launch 

2. Premium pricing on mobile apps:  about half of those with mobile apps are charging the same price as their print editions 

3. Premium pricing on online subs, with a good number of B2B publishers charging very high rates.

4. Kindle is one to watch:  Only 8% have a Kindle Fire app but a further 25% are planning one.  Only 4% are on Kindle e-readers now, but 49% plan to 

5. Webinars are growing fast.  Just 20% run them now, but another 27% plan to launch. 

6. Selling digital goods online: 26% already sell digital goods such as reports, and another 21% plan to in the near future 

7. Social media now helps the bottom line.  21% say that social media drives more than 10% of their event bookings, and 45% say it contributes over 10% of web traffic.   And a pioneering 9% are charging separately for advertising and sponsorship on their social media channels 


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