Keeping up with trends is non-negotiable in an industry as fast-moving as influencer marketing, especially in regulated spaces like healthcare. But between algorithm changes, shifting FTC guidelines, and platforms changing daily, it can be easy to feel left behind.
Here’s an inside look at the strategies I use to stay on top of industry news and trends.
News Alerts
Google alerts and Talkwalker alerts are my secret weapons for staying plugged into the latest articles, research, and commentary across healthcare, social media, and influencer marketing. Both allow you to set up keyword-based alerts that scan the web and deliver new content directly to your inbox.
A few keywords I track:
- Healthcare and influencer
- “Physician influencers”
- “patient advocates”
- “FTC warning”
I use the free subscription tier of Talkwalker, and Google Alerts is always free. It’s interesting how the two platforms often surface different results. They complement each other well, and that’s why I run both.
It’s Not Just About Setting Up the Alerts
The real value comes from curation and analysis.
Some days I get a couple of alerts. Other days it can be 10 or more. I scan the articles quickly to hone in on what’s important for my field. Here’s how I typically break it down:
- Timely news or policy changes: I flag and send a POV to clients.
- Roundups and trend reports: I save them to my files for future reference.
- Product launches or new research: I note what’s relevant and might signal bigger shifts.
This system has become part of my daily rhythm. I started doing this over a decade ago when I first started working in an agency environment. Back then, I used alerts to monitor client media hits. Over time, I adapted the habit to track industry intelligence, and it’s become one of the best things I do to stay on top of the news and see trends developing in real time..
It’s Part of a Bigger Picture
Alerts are just one piece of the puzzle. Staying current also means:
- Reading industry news regularly from sites like AdAge, MM+M, Endpoints, and PRWeek. I subscribe to newsletters to get their top news roundups sent straight to my inbox.
- Spending time inside social platforms – not just posting and engaging, but observing what creators are doing, how brands are showing up, and what’s gaining traction.
Immersing yourself in the space is often the best way to develop intuition for what’s working and what’s next.
What About AI?
I’ve experimented with AI to help automate this process using the ChatGPT tasks in the pro plan, but results aren’t very reliable. However, I’m optimistic and expect this will improve over time.
Being Informed Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
There are dozens of ways to keep up with what’s happening in your niche. Whether it’s newsletters, Slack groups, trade publications, X threads, or listening to podcasts, the key is finding what works for you and sticking with it.
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