Staying up to date on industry trends is imperative for a thriving business. Knowing which topics are top of mind, or what developments or issues people are facing, can make it much easier to figure out where you need to focus your attention—and resources.
To find out more, we asked members from the Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) the following:
Q. What resource do you most often use to keep up with industry trends and why is it so valuable?
1. Quora
Quora is a website that shows you the most popular pieces of content based on the keywords you type in. We research our major niche keywords and look at what our customers are responding to and adjust our content accordingly. We like using Quora because it is regularly updated with trending content, so we can constantly evolve our strategy based on emerging trends. —Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
2. 2PML
For direct to consumer brands the best resource by far is 2PML.com. The founder, Web Smith, shares deep insights a few times every week about the industry, trends, and how shifts in the broader world impact our clients. Aside from his writing, he’s a master curator of content, so I’m able to uncover articles from other great publications, too. —Aaron Schwartz, Passport
3. Google Alerts
While Google Alerts has been well known for a while, I still find it to be the best way for me to actively stay on top of trends. I use keywords I’m interested in tracking to keep me abreast of the latest news and information. You can use smart qualifiers to refine a search to ensure you only get the specific keywords for the trend you are interested in. —Michael Averto, ChannelApe
4. Clients
As a branding expert, keeping up with industry trends is critical, so we try to always keep our ear to the ground. Social media, word of mouth, and LinkedIn all help, but nothing can replace the expertise of your clients—make sure you listen to them! —Beth Doane, Main & Rose
5. Podcasts
Podcasts are an easy and enjoyable way to keep up with industry trends. There’s a podcast for pretty much any industry and topic: WordPress, entrepreneurship, online marketing, tech, and so on. Plus, you can keep up to date with trends while you’re working on something else, like during your commute or pretty much anywhere. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
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6. LinkedIn posts
Every morning I log in to LinkedIn and go through all of the posts in my feed. It gives me a very good idea about what new things are going on in the industry, what events are happening, and what my competitors are doing. Sometimes it even gives me an idea about my potential clients. People also share thought leadership articles on LinkedIn, which provide more good information. —Piyush Jain, Simpalm
7. Customized analytics
Metrics help you identify the latest trends in your industry. Google Trends is a good place to start, but to get more specific ideas, we use Social Mention. It provides great insight, including the number of times specific keywords are mentioned online and in social media posts, and the top hashtags that are used with the keywords. —Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
8. Trade journals
Trade journals are a great way to gain insight on industry trends. Journals will often feature case studies of other companies in your industry and highlight industry innovations. Many times the journals will identify trends early on and allow you an opportunity to adapt before it’s too late. Additionally, they usually advise of networking events and trade shows you may want to attend. —Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
9. RSS feeds
RSS feeds are perfect for staying up to date on a wide variety of topics and industries. They’re free, easy to follow, and compatible with a huge number of smart devices. I recommend getting an app like Feedly on your smartphone and looking for the most popular feeds relating to your specific industry or niche. This way, you can receive instant updates on new stories and events. —Bryce Welker, Crush The CPA Exam
10. Niche-specific Slack groups
Slack has exploded in every direction, and while it’s most often used internally at various organizations, niche Slack groups have also sprung up. When you find the right ones (usually hyper-focused on a specific set of topics or capabilities) these can provide amazing insights and resources for keeping up with a particular skill set. Traffic Think Tank is my go to, but there are many more. —Nick Eubanks, From The Future
RELATED: What’s New? How to Use Social Media for Trend Research
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