Working in social media can often feel like a never-ending cycle of trends, software updates, and national holiday campaigns. With so many hats to wear and the digital world constantly evolving, it often leads us marketers to ask ourselves how on earth we are supposed to keep updated with everything on top of,  you know, getting through our daily to-do lists?

If this sounds like you — don’t worry, we totally get it.

That’s why we’ve created a content creation platform that aims to help make the lives of social media managers that little bit easier. But in terms of keeping on top of industry trends, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite sources of information to help you.

#1 Explore hashtags

The old hashtag isn’t just helpful in boosting the discoverability of your brand post. Hashtags are also a super handy tool for discovering what’s trending in both your niche and social media in general. Simply hop onto the social platform of your choice, type in the term you want to explore, and scroll through the top trending posts. You’ll want to avoid using hashtags that are too general in order to access content that is actually relevant to what you are wanting to learn about. The more specific you get with your hashtag, the better results you are likely to find. Once you find a hashtag you like, be sure to follow it for easy access to the latest news and content. 

#2 Industry creators and influencers 

Social media is a learner's paradise. And the best part? It’s FREEE. Literally, whatever your interest, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s an expert in the field creating free educational content daily. Social media teaches us all the lesson that learning should be fun. TikTok, in particular, has become a go-to source of ‘Edutainment’. The video-sharing platform has witnessed an immense rise in those using the app as a learning tool. Bite-sized informative videos of people, just like us, sharing handy tips. Perfect for our 8-second attention span and those who simply don’t have the time to sit down and dedicate hours to traditional, sit-down learning like webinars and in-person events.How do you find creators related to your niche? This is where the hashtags mentioned earlier can come in useful. Upon searching those keywords, you’ll come across some of the most active creators and influencers posting content on the subject. If you find one you vibe with, follow their account and set up update notifications to stay up to speed with what they have to say.

Want to see slate in action?

Fill in the form to watch the 3-min demo video.

Watch the Video

#3 Industry blogs & newsletters 

Another great way for social media marketers to keep up to date with the latest trends is by scheduling time to read industry blogs and newsletters. There are tons of resources online that contain a wealth of knowledge on topics such as emerging trends, latest updates, best practices, and more, that have been written with you specifically in mind. The very fact you’re reading this right now tells us that you have a good eye for epic educational resources (tehe). But seriously, blogs are an invaluable way of learning about a specific topic in detail. Why not have a browse through some of the industry's fave social media blogs here.Better still, if they have one, why not subscribe to the blog’s newsletter to have the latest content delivered straight to your inbox? A good way to keep up a nice, organized routine is to set up an inbox folder for all the educational content you have subscribed to. Then, every morning, try to dedicate the first 15 to 30 minutes of the day with a nice cup of coffee reading through any emails. Starting off the day having learned something new will be sure to make you feel good!

#4 Podcasts 

Now, this one’s for all the social media marketers out there thinking to yourself, “how the heck am I going to find time for all this learning?!”. We feel you. Here, at Slate, we totally understand how overwhelming it can feel working in the world of social media. That’s why sometimes, you just need to incorporate some productivity hacks into your life.An easy ‘hack’ for keeping up with the latest trends, updates, and just general learning around social media marketing, is through listening to podcasts. In the last few years, this form of content has experienced unprecedented growth. According to Edison Research, 73 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and over has listened to online audio in the last month.One of the reasons behind the podcast format's growing popularity is due to its convenience. Users are empowered to listen to audio episodes whilst getting on with their daily lives. So, whether you are on your daily commute, on a lunchtime stroll, or cooking dinner, why not tune into a social media marketing podcast? There are tons of amazing ones out there, but if you need a little inspiration, why not check out this list put together by the Influencer Marketing Hub!

#5 Google Trends & Google Alerts

Google Trends does what it says on the tin — it very literally shows you what is trending across any industry/ topic you can think of.A great way of utilizing this free platform is by using the “Daily Trending Search” feature to discover which topics are currently proving to be popular amongst Google searchers. This is so handy for newsjacking and creating reactive content for your followers. Whether it’s a certain Netflix show trending, a sporting event, a seasonal trend, or an international day. Using the data provided by Google, you can piggyback onto popular searches with skillfully curated content that links to your brand in some way.

We hope this blog has given you some strong inspo for keeping up with industry trends in order to absolutely kill it in the content creation game. Here at Slate, we’ve recently put together some of our top predictions for top 2022 trends in the B2B social media marketing space — so be sure to check that out here.

Learn more about how Slate can help transform your social media content and schedule a demo today.