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Information overload is a challenge for many marketers. How do you keep up with the constant flow of information to take advantage of emerging trends and new media technologies? In this week's episode of the Marketing Cast, David Meerman Scott addresses this question and suggests some quick solutions.
Pick & Choose What's Important
"Give yourself permission to not see everything," says David. Though it might be difficult to do so at first, you will have to learn to pick and choose your information intake. You don't have to skim every tweet that comes your way, or read every article in your RSS reader, or respond to every email in your inbox.
Use Alerts to Filter Out the Noise
Set up Google alerts for your name, your company's name, important industry keywords, product categories and maybe even your competitors. That way you will receive email notifications with every mention that actively interests you.
You can also set up Twitter alerts using services such as Tweetdeck and HootSuite. "By monitoring Twitter and blogs, and the news in a way that you are being reactive to the things that are happening in real time that mention you or your organization, or your category of products, or your competitors, then you can allow yourself to filter out a whole bunch of the noise," says David.
Don't Forget Serendipity
Follow the news and skim your whole steam of tweets every now and then in order to take advantage of real-time stories and unexpected PR opportunities. Don't obsess over it too much, but keep an eye out for the things that can spark an idea.
Do you have a tip for staying up-to-date with emerging trends and taking advantage of PR opportunities? Share it with us in the comments below!
Report: Top 7 Marketing Time Sinks and Solutions