Tips for Marketers to Keep on Top of Trends

January 28, 2022 - 8 minutes read - Contributed Posts, Digital Marketing, Marketing Trends

With the right knowledge and insights into marketing and industry developments, you’ll be better prepared to make the decisions and deliver the content that will ensure your success and growth. The biggest problem with staying on top of the top content marketing trends is that you’re busy.  

Set Up Alerts 

Industry alerts notify you when a topic is mentioned. Google Alerts is a free system provided by Google. It’s a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest industry events. Create a Google Alert for keywords relevant to your business and industry. Here are a few RSS feed readers you can use to read the latest industry news:  

  • Feedly 
  • AOL Reader 
  • NewsBlur 
  • The Old Reader 
  • NetVibes 
  • Pulse 
  • Flipboard 
  • Zite 

In addition to tracking down content via the RSS feeds, you should also watch relevant hashtags on Twitter. For example, #digitalmarketing or #digitalmarketingtrends are popular ways to tag marketing trends.  

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Read Industry News and Publications 

Even if you see your company as completely different and apart from your competitors, you still need to learn and grow as part of an industry community. That often means reading articles, blog posts, emails, social media posts and more.  

Blogs 

You can learn a lot from blogs. Your goal is to not only continually immerse yourself in content related to your industry and content area, but you should also keep tabs on how well the blog covers the topic, whether it’s mentioned or shared by other industry experts and whether you can set up a notification on the site to automatically receive an announcement when a new blog is posted.  

Email Newsletters 

Seek the websites and company platforms for industry movers and shakers. Then, subscribe to their email newsletters. Some industry experts really don’t share their knowledge via email, but you should still test the waters.  

Industry News 

You’re probably already aware of the industry publications, but are you subscribed to them? Do you read every issue and do you contribute with your own input and content? As a leader in your industry, you have the expertise that will set you apart from your competitors, but that also means that you should consider demonstrating your knowledge as part of industry platforms.  

Engage With Multimedia 

To stay up to date with the latest trends and developments in your industry, you must continue to stay up to date with technological innovations. To get in-depth information, read books, take courses, listen to podcasts and watch videos. While articles will offer content as well, these multimedia resources allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the topic area.  

Books 

For key leaders in your industry, you can follow them on Twitter and Instagram, but you should also check to see if they have written a book. For example, you can check to see if they have an Amazon profile. If they do, follow them to get new release updates. You can also search for books about your industry or topic area. You should familiarize yourself with key titles and follow those authors to get future updates on book releases.  

Courses 

Search for online courses and webinars that will offer only the latest industry trends and insights. As you take a few of these courses, you may consider how you can contribute to the conversation by offering a course or webinar of your own. It’s a great way to prove to our customers and colleagues that you’re the go-to source for industry knowledge.  

Podcasts 

Some industry experts prefer the podcasting format, so you should also keep tabs on popular podcasters and their channels. Set up alerts to be notified when the latest episode hits.  

Videos 

In some cases, the trend may be so new that there isn’t a lot written about it yet. Sometimes, the best source of information on trending topics is to search for video channels that apply to your business. Then, enable notifications, so you’ll be notified when the channel posts new content.  

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What Are Other Businesses Doing?  

As you hone your knowledge and seek out further details on industry trends, you need to keep tabs on big brands in your industry. You can learn a lot from what they do and don’t do, as well as how they position themselves and their products. Here are some considerations.  

Big Brands 

You can set up Google Alerts for top brands in your industry, but also sign up for their newsletters and follow them on social media.  

Competitors 

Similarly, where you have close competitors, set up alerts, subscribe to their email newsletters and follow them on social media. You may notice that they’re delving into technology that you haven’t yet considered, or they are making other decisions that could directly affect your company and audience.  

Conferences 

While conferences have become a bit more complicated, you can still find in-person and virtual conferences and other industry events. Even if you’re not able to attend in person, keep tabs on what they post about trending topics and innovations. You may have personal contacts who will also offer further insights into what was presented at the event.  

Watch and Learn From Your Business 

It may be the last place you look, but it’s still important. Your staff and customers may have their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on in ways you don’t yet realize. So, it’s important to be open and communicative. Share your knowledge, but also request their insights. As you learn more about your staff and customers, you can also monitor how to improve your policies and procedures with AML compliance in mind. 

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