This is “Content Marketing.” It’s also a magazine.

content marketingContent marketing is a buzzword that has commanded the limelight over the past year, and brands in every industry are realizing the ROI in creating valuable assets—such as articles, videos, webinars, and white papers—as marketing tools to attract and retain customers.

A less obvious version of content marketing are magazines created by brands to tell their story within a broader themed context. You may also know it by the name “custom publishing.” If you’ve ever picked up the in-flight magazine on an airplane, or thumbed through your college alumni magazine, you’ve seen this version of content marketing.

 

I was brought on as the new editor of Amtrak’s New York By Rail magazine, a print piece (also found online) published by Martinelli Custom Publishing in contract with Amtrak. This publication acts as a travel guide covering the destinations within New York State, Vermont, and Canada served by several Amtrak railroad lines. You’ll find the 2015 issue in the back pocket of all seats on Amtrak trains, and in New York train stations.

And like any good content marketing tool, it’s just one piece within an overall strategy that includes a website, app, and social media channels. The message? Take Amtrak!