HOW DO YOU KEEP ON TOP OF MARKETING TRENDS AND STRATEGIES?
Entrepreneurs discuss how to stay ahead of the curve
“Your biggest asset is keeping up with technology. We subscribe to blogs and news sites using the Feedly app, network inside and outside our industry, use social media to create lists of influencers to learn from and monitor industry updates using Google Alerts.” Melissa Ramkissoon, owner, Office Guardians Inc., officeguardians.ca “Conversation with friends, mentors and advisers has been a great way to get new ideas and think outside the box. While I do maintain common avenues of marketing, I’m never naive to the fact that my competition is right there beside me. It’s important that I try unconventional ways of reaching new customers and finding creative niches for my company. Getting my brand in front of different groups is not only great for business, but I love the versatility and constant learning curve it brings to the daily grind.” Alayne Lebsack, proprietor, Apostle Boutique, apostleboutique.com “The answer seems simple. Stay on top of things through regular reading from various sources, networking and attending helpful seminars and conferences. However, on the other hand, this is challenging as you still need to run your business and create revenue. (Marketing research) can be time consuming, but it’s a must for your business to be successful.” Mitchell Ravvin, professional fundraiser and president, Rave Results Inc., raveresults.ca “New trends and strategies are only useful if you implement them. When I discover a resource that could be useful I use an application to store the article and tag it with categories or actions. This allows me to avoid information overload or distraction when I’m scanning my network’s activity on social media. At the end of the day I review the resources in one batch and if necessary add them to my weekly or monthly strategies and tactics.” Dave Byrnes, LinkedIn trainer, speaker and author, linkingleads.com “I’m part of several LinkedIn and Facebook groups that do a good job of discussing trends around lots of subjects, including marketing. I also have keyword searches saved on my social media platform that bring forward new posts that may be relevant. I follow some of the hottest marketing experts such as Gary Vaynerchuk and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.” Jackie Appleby, owner, Diligent Assistant, diligentassistant.ca “Our job is to be on top of what’s new and trending in marketing and social media. We follow some of the brightest and most innovative minds in the business and rely on them for insight, direction and best practices. Subscribing to industry news and updates from reliable sources is a good way to stay in the loop. Giving a new strategy a try is a great way of testing the waters and can sometimes produce unexpected results. But keep in mind, anything you hear should be taken with a grain of salt. Just because something’s trending doesn’t mean it’s a fit for your brand.” David Wald, chief idea guy, Social Sesame Inc., socialsesame.com “Networking. I’ve found that talking to people outside my industry gives me a better perspective of what’s coming and how to build advance strategies to take advantage of marketplace changes. My clients are also a powerful source; when they start talking about what they’re seeing across their social media connections, I know their initial observations of trends will turn into a wish list.” Mark Laurie, photographer and owner, Inner Spirit Photography, innerspiritphoto.com For more answers, head over to calgaryherald.com/capitalideas.