Whether it’s the latest change to Google’s algorithm or sliding trends in social media usage, in the agency industry, change happens every day. Agency professionals need reliable industry news sources to manage their workloads and maximize the effectiveness of their marketing work.
Fortunately, there are plenty of people and organizations with their finger on the pulse of the agency industry, as well as a variety of methods for you to stay in the know. We asked 10 members of Forbes Agency Council to share their favorite methods and places for keeping up with agency news and trends. Their responses follow.
Members of Forbes Agency Council share their favorite methods for keeping up with the latest in agency industry news.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Turn To Your Own Team
I find my most powerful resource to be my own team and their knowledge. We’re all following different sources, so using programs like Slack allows us to share resources and keep discussions going around trends and news happening in the industry. Plus, sharing this way allows us to start a conversation—we discuss what this news means to us, so we’re not just consuming the information and moving on. – Sarah Mannone, Trekk
2. Look To LinkedIn And Google Release Notes
The key to making sure that it’s possible to be ahead of the curve is to look at LinkedIn influencers and know that you are on top of the trends about to happen. Google also releases notes that typically come way in advance, ensuring that you know what changes need to be made. This ensures you are always going to be able to plan and develop upcoming strategies. – Jon James, Ignited Results
3. Subscribe To Social Media Today
I subscribe to Social Media Today because it sends me newsletters every morning with the latest updates on virtually every social platform. It also posts articles on rising trends and educational infographics that I use in presentations to clients. When an update happens, I usually see it here first and have enough time to react and proactively adjust our strategies. – Darian Kovacs, Jelly Digital Marketing & PR
4. Focus On Think With Google
Don’t get lost in the cluster of noise about what is in and what is out. There is one thing you need to do to stay on top of news and trends: Subscribe to Think with Google. Google is a thought leader, and this free newsletter delivers the latest marketing research and digital trends with all the data and articles you need to support it straight to your inbox. – Katie Harris, Spot On Solutions
5. Use Multiple Sources
We keep up with industry changes through a variety of sources. Sites like Search Engine Land, Social Media Examiner and TechCrunch are great for keeping up with these changes. Google’s own articles announcing changes in algorithms and features are good to follow as well. Above all, we watch our data analytics, as sometimes changes or fluctuations may alert us to changes before they are even announced. – Bernard May, National Positions
6. Try A Variety Of Newsletters
Newsletters are my fastest way of digesting the day’s news—public relations news or otherwise—every morning: The Hustle, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Morning Brew. The Holmes Report is also one of my favorite destinations for anything even remotely related to PR. Paul and his staff are constantly analyzing new trends, filtering major news events through a PR lens and keeping track of agency news. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
7. Learn From Leaders Like Seth Godin
By basing our marketing on long-lasting principles, we’re able to avoid the trap of constantly panicking over rumors in platform changes. Hands down, the best source to learn marketing principles from is the legendary Seth Godin. His teachings include books, podcasts and blog posts that detail how to successfully market for decades to come. – Adam Guild, Placepull
8. Listen To Podcasts
I live in L.A. and I have a lot of time in my car, making podcasts my method of choice for learning new things. My favorite agency podcast is Build a Better Agency by Drew McLellan. He hosts fascinating guests and also has incredibly valuable solo casts covering topics including culture, profitability, managing your time, social media, health care and more. – Katy Boos, Remix Marketing Inc.
9. Set Up Google Discover On Your Phone
Android users can get a personalized feed of information from Google, and it’s smart, fast and amazing. In addition to weather and sports, you can use Google Discover to set up topics that you like to follow. Google then curates the results based on your search and visit history. Since I’m always immersed in digital marketing, I get the latest and greatest directly to my phone. – Ben LeDonni, CreativeMMS
10. Access Google Alerts And Social Media
You should always be on top of the latest changes to your services. One tool to use is Google Alerts, which allows you to be hyper-focused on specific phrases and delivers the content right to your inbox. Another good tool is social media. I constantly engage with Moz, Search Engine Land, Social Media Today, etc. These sites normally publish recent changes to their social channels, which you will then receive in your feed. – Scott Darrohn, fishbat Media, LLC
