Mediaboss Marketing

As the world of marketing is in constant flux, something you understand today may be obsolete next week. This fast pace of change has implications for the working professional, who needs to be aware of new trends as they arise.

Most people don't have the time to actually go back to school to brush up on the past decade of marketing. Yet marketers in the field manage to stay ahead of the curve through ingenious means. These unique and practical methods keep them informed about their area.

Here, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share their personal techniques for sharpening their marketing skills in a world where there isn't enough time to dedicate to a traditional learning environment.

Members share their top techniques for improving your marketing skills.

1. Find And Follow Your Experts Online

Over the last decade, I've built relationships with some selfless experts online who share their findings. In recent years, I'm not sure I've really been surprised by any advancement that my clients have mentioned. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are phenomenal news resources when you carefully curate your connections. I have resources for virtually every aspect of my business. - Douglas Karr, DK New Media

2. Network To Make Connections

Involvement in a professional networking group is a great way to stay connected to your industry and share tips, resources and trends with other experts in your field. Peers within your community are able to offer real-time, up-to-date insights that can be more actionable than programming tailored to a classroom. - Scott Kellner, GPJ Experience Marketing

3. Build Learning Into Your Daily Habits

For me, I have a calendar reminder on Fridays to take 15 minutes and audit innovative brands or companies that are in the spotlight or to go deeper on a category (example: personalization marketing) that is of interest to me. By keeping it under 30 minutes, I am actually able to deliver on it because it's not a huge ask. - Jim Huffman, Growthhit

4. Listen To Podcasts

I subscribe to a variety of podcasts that provide tips and information valuable to my work. The daily demands make it hard to fit in continuing education courses, so I find time to tune in to a podcast while doing routine activities, like driving, cooking dinner or exercising. There are so many podcasts out there that its easy to find those that are captivating and educational. - Laura Cole, Vivial

5. Watch YouTube Videos And Browse Quora

The best way to be equipped with the latest skills is by following experts in your niche on YouTube and Quora. Watch their videos and read their answers daily at least for an hour. Substitute your Netflix and book reading time with these and you will be miles ahead of your competitors. Classes and courses are just a waste of money -- everything worth knowing is available on the internet for free. - Vishal Jain, Sunshy Group Of Companies

6. Listen To Audiobooks And Take Online Classes

Audiobooks and online classes can help keep me on top of the latest trends when it comes to marketing. The wonderful thing about audiobooks is that I can listen anywhere -- in all of those in-between moments that are usually lost to sitting in traffic orwaiting for meetings. Udemy (and YouTube for that matter) is constantly uploading new content and classes that I can consume quickly on-the-go. - Bernard May, National Positions

7. Use Google Alerts

Each month I put my key questions/categories into Google Alerts and put aside time every week to check the results. My categories can be as broad as branded entertainment or much more narrowed down to specific brands that I want to do business with. If they are relevant, I also use these articles to repost on my LinkedIn page. - Kaaren Whitney-Vernon, Shaftesbury

8. Read More And Consistently

Constantly read stories and thought pieces on business strategy from leading sources like Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Forbes! They are easy to view on your smartphone while commuting or waiting in lines. Business stories will help you present your work in higher-level context and not dwell on the tactics. - Jim Heininger, The Rebranding Experts

9. Utilize Collective Knowledge

Rotate members of the team for regular updates on the latest and greatest. At our agency, we do this weekly and discuss how we can apply the info to our work or clients. We highly recommend this be a live conversation instead of email, as we see far greater engagement from the group. But don't rely on one person to carry the weight -- engage the entire team and encourage everyone to take turns. - Jason Parkin, Compose[d]

10. Take Advantage Of Webinars

It is essential to take advantage of webinars, and to trust seasoned feeds to deliver what you need to know to keep up with your industry and those of your clients. I find Meltwater to be a great service, but even Google search feeds are helpful. Keep them simple and the insights will fuel your needs, just enough to drive you in the right direction to learn and hear more and keep you ahead. - Pat Fiore, FIORE

11. Play Word Games

Well-crafted writing is game-changer for clients and a notable brand differentiator for you as a communicator. Buy a dictionary and keep it close. Keep plugging away at Bananagrams, Scrabble or Words with Friends. During a recent all-out Bananagram challenge with my kids, I learned that "foy" was a word. Who knew? It's a "farewell feast, drink or gift, as at a wedding." - Dan Cohen, Full Court Press Communications

12. Say Yes To Product Demos

We regularly request and accept technology demos, even if we're not in the market for them. To ensure we get all the information we need, we push the representatives to explain how their product is relevant and beneficial to our clients. This allows us to stay on top of emerging technologies and provide valuable points of view based on a thorough understanding of available technologies. - Tripp Donnelly, REQ

Read more:
12 Creative And Efficient Techniques To Sharpen Your Marketing Skill Set - Forbes