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Being in marketing and communications, you’re often considered to be “the expert” in your field.

Whether it’s colleagues, clients, family, and friends, people rely on you to be on top of the latest and greatest in your industry.

Of course, that’s easier said than done, because who can keep up with the constant changes on digital and social media?

We need to stay current, get our work done, and still have a bit of personal time. But how?

Here are five strategies we use at Spin Sucks.

Talkwalker Alerts

If you haven’t tried them, check out Talkwalker Alerts. (We think they’re better than Google Alerts.)

Talkwalker is easy to use: just enter your keywords, choose how often you want to be notified, and they send you links.

It also integrates with Hootsuite, Slack, and other software to make your life incredibly easy.

Subscribe to Newsletters

Email is far from dead, and one of the best ways to reach customers is through relevant, helpful, and easy to read newsletters.

Not too long ago, we asked our readers, and they shared a few of their favorites.

Having a trusted source doing the heavy lifting, discovering, filtering, and adding context, keeps you up to speed and saves you time.

Social Media Monitoring

You’re probably already doing this, but monitoring journalists, influencers, and bloggers who cover your industry, is always a great source for news.

Client and Audience Questions

Another resource you may not have considered is people—as in clients, customers, prospects, brand loyalists, and even detractors.

During your client calls, in internal meetings, or when you’re engaging online, keep an eye out for what they’re sharing.

The links are often worth a deeper look.

Have You Asked Your Team?

Every member of your team likely has their own go to sites.

Talk to them, find out what they’re reading, and either subscribe, or curate a list your entire company can use.

Bonus Tip

OK, we have one more suggestion to add.

We have so many lively and informative conversations in the free Spin Sucks community on Slack, and you’re always welcome to join.

About Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm. She is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is the co-author of Marketing in the Round and co-host of Inside PR. Full bio