Corporate publishing in B2B offers a wide range of creative possibilities, media channels to play with, tools to use and goals to achieve for the company.
The possibilities seem so endless that even hardened marketing experts feel lost. With this guide, we would like to introduce you to the basics as absolute content marketing professionals and give you a kind of map in the corporate publishing jungle.
What is corporate publishing in B2B?
The term corporate publishing focuses on journalistic content. In contrast to traditional advertising, the focus is not on products, but on content with added value. The aim is to strengthen relationships, demonstrate expertise and remain in the target group's relevant set in the long term.
Typical contents:
- Customer magazines
- Specialist articles and blogs
- Whitepaper
- Studies and reports
Although corporate publishing (CP for short) is an English-language term, it is not used there with the usual meaning in the German-speaking world. What is called CP in the German-speaking world, i.e. the generic term for customer media and internal media of organisations, is called "corporate media" in the Anglo-Saxon world, but this term is used rather rarely. In the 1990s, the CP term was almost certainly invented in Germany. There is a lot to suggest that this happened in the Hamburg communications scene.
Corporate publishing vs. content marketing
Right from the start: there is no such thing as a completely sharp distinction! Rather, the term Content marketing born out of corporate publishing. Basically, however, it can be said that corporate publishing focuses on journalistic stories or specially prepared information about the company, while content marketing tends to focus on industry or product-related topics.
| Criterion | Corporate Publishing | Content marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Brand building, trust | Leads, Conversion |
| Approach | journalistic | solution- and sales-oriented |
| Target groups | all stakeholders | primarily potential customers |
| Contents | Magazines, feature articles | Guides, landing pages |
| Time horizon | in the long term | performance-driven |
Content marketing focuses more on measurable results such as leads and conversions. Corporate publishing has a broader and more long-term effect on the brand and reputation.
What are the goals of corporate publishing in the B2B sector?
B2B decisions are complex. Several people are involved, decision-making processes take longer and require reliable information.
Corporate publishing addresses precisely these requirements:
- strengthens trust and credibility
- positions companies as thought leaders
- Supports complex purchasing decisions
- Accompanies long decision-making cycles
Good content does not replace sales, but prepares them.
What are the goals of corporate publishing in the B2B sector?
- Customer loyalty: The customer should be provided with added value through successful communication. In the best case, this is how you convince them of your company.
- Branding/Image: The main components of B2B corporate publishing are brand building and the maintenance and consolidation of the image. Through high-quality journalistic communication, the company can convey its own values and competence.
- Employer branding: Internal communication can also be a goal of corporate publishing in the B2B sector. For example, in the form of intranets, employee portals or corporate magazines. Transparent communication with one's own staff can give a strong boost to the bond and loyalty to one's own company.
- Positioning as an opinion leader or expert: Show what you can do and what you know! Your readers and customers will see you in a much more positive light.
What B2B corporate publishing formats are there?
Corporate publishing is channel-independent. The decisive factor is editorial quality.
Classic formats
- Customer magazines (print or digital)
- Employee and stakeholder media
- Corporate Books
Digital formats
- Blogs and specialised articles
- White papers and studies
- Newsletter
White papers are particularly relevant in B2B, as they present complex topics in an argumentative way and are used to generate leads.
Short formats
- Social content
- Snackable Content
- Micro-content for campaigns
Like almost everything in corporate publishing, the individual measures are difficult to distinguish. In principle, however, the first step is to define the platform on which the publication is to take place.
- Paid Media: paid formats or advertising, for example, ads, Google or social media ads or native advertising.
- Earned Media: Publication of publications through press releases and/or other companies and organisations to the general public.
- Owned Media: The publication of publications on the company's own channels such as the company website, its own magazines/newspapers or its own social media channels.
Caution: Only publications on owned media are actually considered corporate publishing. While paid media falls under the buzzword "advertising", publications in earned media are more likely to be classified as content marketing.
Why should it not be missing from the B2B marketing mix?
According to the Content Marketing Forum around 9.4 billion euros are invested in corporate publishing in the D-A-CH region each year. The biggest advantage printed works have is the haptic experience.
We humans are emotionally oriented. Holding a customer magazine in your hands conveys a feeling of high quality and exclusivity. Despite continuously advancing digitalisation, we always like to take the peace and time to leaf through a magazine and acquire qualitatively prepared information. Print media succeeds in generating trust like no other medium. Little will change in this respect in the future.
A haptic magazine for customers has special advantages: High-quality printing and quality underline companies' brand values and their appreciation of their customers.
What content is suitable for corporate publishing in the B2B sector?
Of course, content is crucial in B2B corporate publishing. The following content is particularly suitable for corporate publishing:
- Reports
- Info graphics
- Reports
- Interviews
- Picture galleries
Corporate magazines utilise many aspects of the journalistic craft as well as journalistic content formats. Customers are looking for important and relevant information as well as entertainment and emotionally charged stories. Stories that your customers can identify with, such as solution-orientated user reports, are also suitable. Or you can provide interesting insights into the work of your employees or production. As you can see, creativity is required here, and there are (almost) no limits to it across all channels.
Examples of corporate publishing in B2B
PHARMIG info" customer magazine
The magazine "PHARMIG info" from the Austrian industry association PHARMIG shows how corporate publishing can be used strategically over decades. Originally started as an internal newsletter, it has developed into a modern trade magazine for the pharmaceutical industry.
The medium was further developed in co-operation with B2IMPACT:
- Focusing on content despite a broad target group
- Modernisation of layout and structure
- Reduction of text load in favour of better readability
- Adaptation to current requirements and regulatory framework conditions
This example shows that corporate publishing is not a static format. Successful media are continuously developed to ensure relevance, topicality and comprehensibility.
Let us inspire you with further corporate publishing best practice and success stories:
Corporate publishing strategy: procedure in 6 steps
A clear structure is crucial. Without a strategy, corporate publishing is ineffective.
- Define goals
- Brand building
- Customer loyalty
- Employer Branding
- Define target groups
What topics are of interest to your buyers, your employees or your stakeholders? Take a close look at your target group. For example, you can talk to your existing customers and find out what information they still expect from your company and how you can prepare it in a useful way. What can be helpful here are so-called Content marketing personas be.
- Develop topics and determine channels
- Topic clusters instead of individual topics
- Focus on relevance instead of self-promotion
- Print, blog, social or a combination
Also look for high-quality reporting and emotional elaboration of the content. If one report follows the next, it is not very exciting and the reader will quickly put your magazine aside. Take advantage of our corporate publishing best practice in the area of the Storytelling. We gladly take over this part for you too.
- Score points with design
All print products live from the feel and content quality of the printed work. The visual appearance is not to be sneezed at either. The format, type of paper (matt or glossy), grammage and binding must be decided. In addition, the use of professional Graphic Design can be decisive for the success or failure of a campaign or the launch of a new product. Also this Part we will gladly take care of for you.
- Create an editorial plan
Your corporate publishing media should appear at regular intervals. Therefore, even before the first issue, plan the frequency of the print format. Take into account your capacities and resources, holidays and sick leave. You also have to plan ahead when it comes to rubrics and topics. Is there enough material here - also for the coming issues?
- Distribution and measurement
- organic (SEO, social)
- directly (Newsletter)
- Measure and adjust performance
Trends in corporate publishing
AI-supported content production
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in content creation. It primarily supports research, strategy curation and initial drafts. The motto here is: humans always in the loop - in other words, AI should not replace humans.
Typical areas of application:
- Topic research and keyword analysis
- Creation of rough drafts
- Preparation of data and studies
- Variants for different channels
Editorial quality remains the decisive factor. Content must be categorised, checked and linguistically sharpened. Without editorial control, the result is interchangeable texts.
Content Recycling
Content is systematically used multiple times. The aim is to cover several touchpoints with one topic. For example, a magazine article can be turned into a blog article, several LinkedIn posts and a newsletter.
This is not just about copying, but about customisation:
- Shorten for social media
- Deepen for whitepaper
- Visualisation for presentations
Content recycling reduces production costs and ensures consistent messages across all channels.
Cross-media strategies
Corporate publishing is increasingly being considered across all channels. Print and digital formats complement each other.
Typical approaches:
- Print article with QR code for further online content
- Magazine article as starting point for blog series
- Linking social media and specialised content
The aim is to provide consistent user guidance. Content is interlinked and accompanies the target group across several contact points.
Shorter formats and snackable content
In addition to comprehensive specialist articles, short formats are gaining in importance. They serve as an introduction to complex topics.
Examples:
- short LinkedIn posts
- Infographics
- short videos or slides
This content lowers the barrier to entry and increases reach. They do not replace in-depth content, but lead specifically to it.
The aforementioned developments point in a clear direction: content is being more strongly networked, used multiple times and prepared according to the usage situation. Quality, relevance and consistency remain the central criteria.
Checklist: Optimise corporate publishing
- Clear target definition available
- Journalistic claim fulfilled
- Content offers real added value
- Topics planned in line with the target group
- Cross-channel use
- Regular updating
Conclusion: high quality and varied
Corporate publishing is not a short-term marketing tool. It works over time. Relevance, quality and continuity are crucial. Companies that think content like a publisher secure long-term visibility and trust.
Hopefully, this has whetted your appetite for your own magazine. The best tip comes at the end: Don't leave your new print product to chance, but rather to the professionals. The Corporate Publishing Offer of our agency offers you many opportunities to deliver high-quality content to different stakeholders.
FAQ on Corporate Publishing
What is corporate publishing?
Corporate publishing refers to the strategic creation and publication of journalistic content by companies. The aim is to provide relevant information to customers, employees, business partners and other stakeholders. Unlike traditional advertising, the focus is not on products or services, but on content that offers added value. Typical formats include customer magazines, specialist articles, white papers, studies, newsletters or Corporate blogs. In the B2B sector, corporate publishing serves primarily to build trust, establish oneself as an expert and strengthen the brand in the long term.
What formats are available?
The most important corporate publishing formats include customer magazines, employee magazines, corporate blogs, white papers, studies, newsletters, specialist articles and digital customer portals. In the B2B sector, several formats are often combined in order to reach different target groups along the customer journey. While magazines and white papers go into more detail on complex topics, blog articles, social media posts and newsletters are suitable for regular communication and increasing reach.
Why is corporate publishing important in B2B?
Corporate publishing plays a key role in B2B marketing plays a key role, as purchasing decisions are often complex and involve several people in the decision-making process. Through high-quality content, companies can build trust, demonstrate their expertise and guide potential customers through longer decision-making cycles. At the same time, corporate publishing strengthens brand perception, supports employer branding and helps position the company as a thought leader within its own industry.
What is the difference between corporate publishing and content marketing?
Corporate publishing and content marketing pursue similar goals, but have different focuses. Corporate publishing focuses on journalistically prepared content that promotes long-term trust, reputation and brand awareness. Content marketing is more focussed on measurable marketing goals such as lead generation, conversion and reach. In practice, both disciplines often complement each other and are used together in an integrated communication strategy.
How do you develop a successful corporate publishing strategy?
A successful corporate publishing strategy begins with a clear definition of objectives. Target groups are then analysed, relevant topics defined and suitable channels selected. High-quality content with journalistic standards, a consistent appearance and regular publication are crucial. Companies should also measure the performance of their content and continuously develop the strategy. This creates a sustainable communication tool that strengthens visibility, trust and customer loyalty.
