Knowing what’s moving and shaking your business sector is essential for positioning your company. Successful business owners make a point of carving out time to stay informed. To help with that, here are 7 great resources for keeping you up to date with the most relevant news and trends inside your industry.
1. RSS News Feeds
News feeds – most commonly RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds – let organizations funnel headlines and updates from their websites to interested readers. Use a feed reading application or service like Feedly, Feedreader, Feedspot, or NewsBlur to collect and organize summaries or notifications of fresh news and blog posts from your favourite information sources.
2. Google Alerts
As a service dedicated to keeping you in the Google Search trends loop, Google Alerts lets you set and refine topics or keywords you want to follow. You’ll receive an email notification any time new results for your chosen topic show up, alerting you to breaking industry news, new product or service launches – even mentions of your company’s name.
3. Social Media Channels like LinkedIn
There’s no denying the importance of social media for keeping your business connected. Not only can you customize your company’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feeds to bring you the most relevant news every day, a business-specific platform like LinkedIn can prove invaluable for directing you to daily posts, events, and commentary from thought leaders inside your industry.
4. Trade Journals like Canadian Retailer Magazine
Trade journals, like much of the print media industry, may seem outdated – but they’re still one of the best resources for sector-specific insights, including:
- News about the latest innovations,
- Case studies about companies similar to yours, and
- Details about upcoming trade shows and networking events
Most trade magazines have long since made the jump to digital, so you have your choice of gathering knowledge online or in print.
5. News Publications like Canadian Business
Business and finance websites, magazines, and newspapers are a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening with the economy and the commercial landscape at large.
Here are some popular publication choices both north and south of the border:
- Canada-based publications: CBC News, Business in Vancouver, Maclean’s Magazine, HuffPost Canada, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Business Journal, The Financial Post.
- US-based publications: Forbes, Business Insider, AllBusiness.com, Financial Times, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Inc.com, Quora.
Unlike trade journals which are published infrequently, news publications are usually happy to have you sign up and receive their daily top stories by email.
6. Podcasts like Startup Canada
Daily podcasts in the US have more than tripled since 2017. And in Canada, 36% of us are now monthly podcast listeners. Digital and downloadable podcasts are a convenient way to keep pace with news and industry trends when you can’t find the time to sit down and scroll. By listening in on your laptop, smartphone, or mobile audio player, you’ll gain access to cutting-edge business discussions from wherever you happen to be.
7. Save-it-for-Later Apps like Pocket
The value of any information resource is only as great as the time you make available to tap it. Consider using a content curating app like Pocket to file away all the newsworthy industry articles, videos, and web pages you run across each day – so you can schedule regular time to review them.
In your hustle to stay up to date with what’s going on in your industry, don’t forget that your clients play an important role in delivering insight into your trade. Running surveys, seeking feedback, and engaging with customer posts on your company’s social channels will keep you in touch with what’s really important from your target market’s perspective.
