Identifying Digital Marketing Trends For Success
Digital Marketing Trends for Success
You may have a successful company that brings in many customers and revenue, but all of that can drastically change if you don’t keep up with the digital marketing trends in your industry. The popularity of a product may increase or decrease. Traditional strategies may change or become obsolete. The heads of your industry may move on to other places. How to you keep up with the rapid changes within your industry without getting overwhelmed by information? Here are a few ways to effectively stay aware of trends in your industry.
Use the News
First of all, keep an eye on the news. A lot of what you see and hear may not be applicable to your industry, but beat reporters can quickly spot market trends before other sources. Find a news source that is relevant to you and that you enjoy. Make time to read the news whether in print form or online.
Trade Journals and Magazines
Read trade journals and consumer magazines. Nearly every industry has some form of a trade journal that you can subscribe to. Financial Planning, for example, is a trade journal for the Finance Industry. Advertising Age is a popular magazine for advertising and marketing news. The list goes on. Trade journals are easy to find online and in print form. It’s also a good idea to read consumer magazines. You’ll get a new perspective on your industry through the eyes of your consumer. Many magazines cover issues and events that are important to your customers.
Blogs and Discussion Boards
Blogs and discussion boards can provide a wealth of information if you do a little digging. When you find a quality blog, you’ll find information about current digital marketing trends and events within the industry. Again, blogs can sometimes provide you with the consumer’s perspective. Discussion boards can also give you a new perspective on your industry. Reddit is a website where anyone can start a discussion about anything. Through various subreddits, you can find articles and posts that relate to your industry. Seeing what other people think about your industry can give you new insight on what market trends are working and which trends aren’t. Take part in the conversation as well!
Networking
Networking provides opportunities for you to discuss your industry with like-minded people. The people you network with are in the same industry, have the same vocabulary, and see the same market trends as you do. Take this time to discuss current events or market trends. You will walk away with new information and new connections; a win-win scenario.
Sorting Through Everything
But how can you find all of this information? It can be overwhelming to sift through millions of websites and blogs. One option is to make a list on your Facebook or Twitter account that is separate from your personal newsfeed. You can like and follow businesses, blogs, newspapers, trade journals, and magazines with ease, and follow them in your profesional list. Another way to find information is through Google Alerts. Every time new content is created about a certain topic, Google Alerts will send you an email linking you to that content. You can change your settings to refine your alerts so you aren’t inundated with emails.
Making Time
It’s important to make time to actually research changing digital marketing trends. Set aside an hour or so out of your day to do some research. Some great times to do so are on your morning commute (as long as you aren’t driving), during your lunch break, or when work is slow. If you make your trend-spotting time routine, it will eventually become second nature.
