We’re obviously living in a digital era. That’s why if we want to tighten up our reputation, we need to stay up to date. In these circumstances we watch, we observe and we’re being careful. Being step further means not only following the new Trends but also performing with a proactive approach. It could be incredibly effective because we could be more strategically focused and plan early ahead.

One thing is pretty certain, we’re in the middle of a total war with our competitors. We need to play fast, we need more information about what are they doing and how are they doing.

But the question is why do we need to stay informed?

Even if you are ahead of your competition you can make a mistake. A huge one. By not following and accepting the changes, by not shifting them into your business, you can lose. Times and thing are changing even if we don’t want to. Once you accept this like some kind of a rule, you’re in the game. Don’t be the last that finds out.

Today, fortunately, we have all the resources to stay tuned.  Almost every information you need to know is out there, so don’t wait to take advantage of that. Successful people spend time every day keeping up with the latest news and developments in their field, so make an effort in your day to do the same.

Consider that many resources could give you a clue of what is happening. I will list them for you so you can track them anytime.

Let’s see what it takes.

1. Be in touch with Industry Publications, Events, Social Media, Podcasts

• Industry Publications

We are witnesses that every Industry has its web journals, blogs, and newsletters. It is a classic way to be informed about the latest news and trends. Sometimes we also like to subscribe to get emails about a topic. Most are free so this is a chance. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if you can afford some money in subscription-based journals as well, as long as the publication is reputable and adds value to your learning process.

• Social Media

Here we go again. We’re always coming back to social media. It is really a place where you can get anything. Actually, if you haven’t noticed, most of the thought leaders are there, as well. I believe that it could be very valuable for you to reach out there.  First, start by following their profiles. Try to engage with commenting and asking questions.  Linkedin has lots of active groups and forums where people share already a lot so you can learn from them. Twitter is another great resource.

• Events

The organizations are making these events where you can join and start learning what’s coming down the pike. You can make a research to find the best that suits you or ask for a recommendation from somebody else.

• Podcasts

Podcasts are growing faster than ever and people are making even more educational, informative, and entertaining podcasts. They’re widely spread through every industry and niche. What is good about them? You can do your routine, like cleaning, running, or whatever and still listening and keeping up with the trends.

2. Tools to get you informed

• Freedly

Freedly is like the main bus station for all the news. You could explore them really quickly and share them with others. Starting with Freedly is simple and you can optimize your Freedly experience in three ways:

• • Find and add your favorite sources
  • Determine your “must-visit” news sites
  • Define and re-order categories – Take advantage of Feedly’s “Organize Sources” page
  • Provide yourself a little bit of time and start digging it.

•  Google Trends

This is an amazing Tool to track your audience global trends and, in fact, to improve your audience engagements as well. It is a versatile tool that you can use to stay connected to news and boost your search engine optimization (SEO) results. This is a way to improve your marketing content too!

• Keyword tool

This tool has a simple and useful purpose. You can find the top keywords in your industry and discover thousands of others related to other industries.

Keyword Tool uses Google Autocomplete to generate hundreds of relevant long-tail keywords to help you figure out which industry keywords are popular Google searches. It is free, it generates more 750+ suggestions for every keyword and works 99.9 % of the time.

• Quora

Quora is a question-and-answer website where questions are asked, answered, edited, and organized by its community of users. This is one of my favorites that I use and I totally recommend to start using it.

Quora has many benefits as:

• • There are many topics and people that you could be interested in.
  • Learn from the best ( Entrepreneurs, Experts, Doctors)
  • Crowdsourcing ideas
  • Questions never expire on Quora (option to edit questions and update your answers)

• Twitter Lists

A Twitter List includes a group of curated users, and a Twitter List timeline shows you a stream of tweets from only the users on that list. If you set up Twitter Lists that feature your industry’s top influencers, you can find out what these industry leaders are talking about and incorporate this information into your marketing content.

Getting started with Twitter Lists is so easy- this is what you need to know.

• Linkedin Pulse

You can benefit from this tool just by following your interests on Linkedin Pulse. This tool delivers the most relevant industry insights based on your interests and connections. Stay in the loop about your industry by this feature from LinkedIn. Also, it could help you improve your marketing strategy.

• Other tools (BuzzSumo, Newsle, Buzzfeed)

As long as you want to learn even more, you could continue by reading the blogs from some popular web pages. These are mostly for entertainment and getting social news. In fact, sometimes it’s more fun to combine entertainment and learning all together.

3. Monitor Your Competitors

It can’t hurt to take a look at what your competitors are doing. To all intents and purposes, observing them could mean help for you to analyze how are they responding to the new trends. It is important though, to know their approach and it would be easier for you to step ahead, maybe to follow their steps, if they succeed. Literally, it could sound like spying on them but it’s not wrong as long as they have published all out there.

These are some strategies to use to see what your competitors’ audience responds to:

• Sign up to receive email updates
• Analyze video content
• Track social media presence
• Review of top-performing content
• Identify the best keywords to target
• Attend competitors’ webinars
• Monitor changes to a competitor’s site

Surprisingly, businesses that in detail review their competitors’ changes, do, in fact, create their marketing strategy better.  Get your hands involved in some detective work. It’s going to be fun, you can find their weaknesses which you could use for your benefit.

4. Talk to your customers

Customer behavior plays a huge role here. It is important, though, to know how they use your products. Is there something that has changed? You could start by sending them surveys that could be insightful but talking one-to-one is even better. Even better, understanding their needs means a great advantage for you. You need their feedback to get better results! Don’t forget the way you talk to customers has a big impact on your brand, and nothing delivers customer satisfaction quite like consistently delightful communication.

5. Refresh your Skills

Every industry requires a different skill set and you need to refill the missing points or the completion will eat you alive. You don’t want to be an infinite beginner, don’t you? Having skills above and beyond the basics of your field can give you a professional advantage. Also, the better you are, the easier would it be for you to solve difficulties that might occur later.

Some ways you could advance your skills are:

• Take Professional Development Courses – These could help you expand your skills, learn the trends, and just become better at what you work. Even, you could earn some academic credit to put towards a degree. The most popular, almost for every topic are the online courses. They are flexible and pretty much affordable. Some universities offer additional development courses. Why not consider even taking part in a summer school? It could be fun!
• Online Resources – Another Way to take off.  You could refresh your skills by attending an educational webinar. Don’t forget to check out your industry news sites and stay informed. Take for example our Online Business Startup Guide which can help you to start a business online.
• Attend Professional Events – The local companies, business organizations, institutions often offer seminars, forums, workshops, lectures to give you some valuable insights on what’s going on. Brainstorming sessions are great to share your ideas and experience with others and take theirs from your perspective.
• Invest in additional Education and Certification – By doing so, you could increase your income and your work position. Upholding your industry standards means you need to sacrifice in order to succeed. Think smart and find what’s best for you. Invest in your skills to show your clients how much you are motivated and dedicated.

CONCLUSION:

My personal advice for you is to use some of everything of the tips above. When you find what best matches you, go for it. It won’t be bad if you do some pre-research from where to obtain your knowledge for the trends in your industry. There are plenty of websites that take you on a journey to meet you with the latest information and also, upcoming trends to catch up. Remember that you need to effectively build your credibility and value by staying informed in your industry.

Stay up to date!

Read more:

Building a Personal Brand and Online Authority

Want to be an Online Entrepreneur? Prepare first.

Resources:

7 Ways to Monitor Your Competitors’ Content Strategy (socialmediatoday.com)

4 Ways To Stay Up-To-Date on Industry Developments and Trends (trcstaffing.com)

Want to stay informed about industry trends? (spectacledmarketer.com)

10 Winning ways to keep up with industry trends  (verticalresponse.com)

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