“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss
In an age where just about anyone can access information at the click of a button, it’s hard to stay informed ahead of the curve. As experts in the industry we are expected to always be one step ahead of our clients and our competition. When I tell people about my career I am always asked, “how do you find time to stay on top of digital trends?” Trust me; it’s hard to keep up in an industry where news, findings, and “the next big thing” are moving a mile a minute, but this is why I love what I do. To me, being a Digital Strategist is about exposing myself to as much knowledge as I can through reading, listening, experiencing, and filtering to decipher what is important and what isn’t (hence my call sign, dreamcatcher). Sounds easy, right?
As a Digital Strategist, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the most relevant, newsworthy information. Here are four tools that have helped boost my efficiency and mastery of the latest and greatest.
Traditional Resources
The historically common ways of transferring and communicating knowledge are still very important to me today. As much as I like being “plugged in”, I find I learn even more when I unplug.
1. Find a mentor.
- That’s right: converse with a real person, in person! I have been fortunate enough to find mentors in people I respect, jive with, and share similar passions with me. Oftentimes, my mentors even become an extension of who I am. A 15-30 min conversation with a mentor helps me learn something new; something different. Your mentor usually knows you so well they help the filtering process to serve up the important nuggets you really need to know.
2. Get out of the office!
- Like I said, I am always plugged in at work but I can’t always rely on the Internet to be my source of information. Getting out of the office and being around people in a coffee shop or bookstore really helps me open my eyes beyond what’s taking place on my screen. Striking up conversation with a total stranger can even provide new knowledge and an experience I can look back on and draw inspiration from.
Digital Resources
3. Pocket App: When you find something online that you want to view later, put it in Pocket.
- Pocket is a “read it later” app that can be utilized on your smartphone or desktop. I used to rely on Google Reader to keep track of blogs and articles I wanted to read but when that shut down, I came across Pocket and I haven’t turned back. This app helps boost my efficiency because if I come across something interesting I can use the “Pocket It” feature to bookmark it for later. See how others are using Pocket.
4. Evernote: Remember Everything
- Although it may sound like a similar idea to the Pocket App, there are even more features in this platform that help me to organize beyond collecting articles of interest. My favorite elements are team collaboration, trip planning and the ability to save things you like via photo or voice recording.
What tools or resources keep you informed and efficient?
Join in the conversation!