Staying up to date with the latest industry trends is essential for any business. It can be difficult to keep track of all the changes, but there are a few resources that can help you stay ahead of the curve. Social media is one of the most convenient places to stay informed. Following a blog that aligns with your company's interests can provide you with a constant flow of information.
Subscribing to email updates from top media sites and brand blogs in your niche is another great way to stay on top of trends. Ryan Holiday has built an email list of 55,000 loyal subscribers, and RSS readers like Feedly have seen an 800% increase in paying subscribers in the past two years. Buzzsumo is a great tool for discovering content ideas that will be in high demand in the future. Quora is a Q&A website that can help you understand the language of your audience.
Flipboard is another great resource for staying informed. You can add the “Flip” button to your share bar and let people add your content to their magazine collection. Brand24's analysis of Uber's Ice Cream campaign shows that their reach on social media increased and resulted in 7% more weekly trips per user. Pocket is a great tool for binge reading and making the most of your transit time productively.
It can be integrated with 1500 applications and on all devices, and it allows you to save articles for the long term and mark links you've read. You can also save links to the last tweets you've preferred from your Twitter account, as well as articles from Flipboard magazines. Buffer is another useful tool for sending content to your queue and Pocket reading list. It is compatible with 300-inch channels, so you can easily complement your reading and marketing efforts.
Finally, Evernote is a great tool for keeping higher-quality content. You can even send social media updates directly from your Feedly account. It's important not to adopt too many tools at once; instead, look for the two or three tools that best fit your niche and stay productive while keeping up with your industry. Neil Patel is a great example of someone who has stayed on top of industry trends; he has been recognized by President Obama, the United Nations, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal as one of the top influencers on the web. If your company's resources don't allow you to set trends for now, staying informed and jumping on relevant advertising campaigns is still beneficial for your business and customers.
