Publisher’s Musings editorial
by Joe Fugate
Adapting model railroad
publishing to the times
The next generation of MRH
M
arketing 101 says you sell more wares by making
yourself more easily found by those who need what
you offer. In the 21st Century, the way people look
for what they need is changing, so publishers need to adapt if
they expect to reach and grow their audience.
Model Railroad Hobbyist
launched in 2009 as a new media
digital publication for model trains. We adopted the Google
model of free content funded by advertising, and we’ve grown
steadily at 30% plus per year to reach an estimated audience
of over 70,000 per month. In the last 12 months, our largest
growth has come from readers with mobile devices.
However, we designed MRH in 2008 when there were no tab-
lets and the first smartphone, the iPhone, was barely a year
old. Things have changed dramatically in 4 short years, and it’s
time for MRH to adapt. Enter MRH Gen2.
With Gen2 we’ve given MRH a major facelift so it’s far more
easily consumed on mobile devices like smartphones and mini-
tablets. Let us know what you think of the new MRH format!
Publisher’s editorial - 1
