As a CMO, staying on top of industry trends is key to doing your job effectively. In addition to understanding current marketing strategies, keeping up with the latest technology advances and broader business trends allows CMOs to adapt to market changes and make the right decisions accordingly.
Below, the members of Forbes Communications Council share some of their tried-and-true approaches for CMOs looking to keep up with industry tools and developments. From subscribing to trusted experts to collaborating with industry peers and stakeholders, here’s how you can stay ahead of the curve.
1. Attend Networking Events And Groups
Networking is the best way to stay ahead of the latest trends and tools impacting our industries. As a marketing lead, you only have so much time to research and self-educate; attending conferences and events and joining groups like The CMO Club are excellent ways to connect with other leaders and learn about how their strategies are evolving. – Nandini Sankara, Suburban Propane
2. Take A Hands-On Approach To Learning Marketing Tech
Staying up to date with the latest marketing tech tools is essential not only to stay relevant but also to lead. I took a hands-on approach to AI by exploring its practical applications and documenting my experiences in book form. Writing my book helped me cement core underlying theories of which to evaluate the deluge of AI tools. – Cheryl Goodman, FindGood.tech – Technology Communications
3. Subscribe To Expert Publications And Forums
I subscribe to publications, blogs and newsletters like Harvard Business Review and Marketing Week, and I regularly follow and read social forums on LinkedIn to stay informed about martech trends. I’m a secret tech geek, so I like learning how I can use AI and automation tech to improve operational efficiency, boost production and enable effective data-driven decisions to hone and improve strategies. – Heather Stickler, Tidal Basin Group
4. Have Regular Conversations With Your Team
I follow some key martech and AI tool influencers and encourage my team to do the same. We regularly have conversations about what we’re seeing and what tools could potentially address friction or inefficiencies we’re experiencing. I then partner with my CTO and/or RevOps lead to selectively engage with vendors. – Whitney Cornuke, TalentLaunch
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5. Look Outside Your Normal Zone
Identify what everyone reads in your industry or profession, and then find the news flow or events that are outside that zone. If you live in the U.S., follow what’s next in Asia. If you are a marketer, figure out what creative directors read. Go outside your normal zone and you will piece together innovation and your needs in new ways. – Bob Pearson, The Bliss Group
6. Join Industry Slack Groups
I keep myself ahead and up to date by attending weekly webinars and panels on emerging trends. I also joined Slack groups where peers from the industry share and discuss new tools and insights. This peer collaboration helps me stay up to date with the latest in marketing, technology and broader business trends. – Thomas Guilbert, Lambs
7. Connect With Other CMOs
Ongoing training is an absolute must for a CMO. Subscribing to trusted experts who are proven in their field is an efficient way to stay on top of the latest trends across multiple tools and technologies. Additionally, connecting with other CMOs in my network has proven invaluable for sharing insights and strategies. – Stephen Spratley, Marketing Armor
8. Foster Internal Innovation And Experimentation
I review my strategic plan to identify emerging tech tools and market trends, leveraging partnerships with vendors and my marketing network through associations, forums and subscribing to specialized media. Most importantly, I maintain an open mind, fostering innovation and experimentation within my team, and encouraging them to propose solutions to enhance our action plan and objectives. – Jorge Lukowski, NEORIS
9. Leverage Your ‘Marketing Army’
Lean on your teams. Regularly gather insights from them on what they’re seeing and hearing in social listening, customer marketing and community programs. The best way to keep on top of insights and trends is by leveraging the eyes and ears of your “marketing army” because, collectively, they can bring you many more insights than you could ever gather on your own. – Scott Morris, Sprout Social
10. Follow Marketing Execs, Leaders And Recruiters
Follow people you trust on LinkedIn. This should include CMOs and other marketing execs you know, as well as other functional leaders at companies in your sector and across verticals. I also find that recruiters are a valuable source. They talk to many like you, and the good ones often summarize what they’re hearing to help make prospective future clients even more marketable. – Joe Garber, Radiant Point
11. Combine Education, Networking And A ‘Test-And-Learn’ Approach
To stay on top of marketing, tech and business trends, I blend ongoing education, networking and a “test-and-learn” budget for myself. I attend yachting conferences, subscribe to newsletters and engage in online forums. This approach keeps me connected to the latest developments, providing fresh insights and ensuring my strategies remain innovative and aligned with emerging trends. – Josh Valoes, VALOES Yachting Advisors
12. Participate In The Flow Of Innovation
To stay up to date, I make sure to follow the flow of innovation—collaborating with tech founders, beta-testing tools before they’re public and accessing exclusive insights from top analysts. Actively engaging with thought leaders across industries means I’m not just aware of trends but I’m also shaping and using them before they hit the mainstream. This approach ensures an upper hand in every decision. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
13. Review Trusted Newsletters On Your Time
I rely on a few trusted email newsletters that help me stay current on technology news and business trends. I might not get to read them on the spot, but I review them together. This way, if multiple authorities are addressing a topic, I can get varied perspectives and also a sense that it’s a trend worth watching. – Jennifer Best, AAE Speakers Bureau
14. Have An Advisory Council
Because marketing and advertising agencies vigilantly keep up with industry and technology trends to remain competitive for their clients, I maintain an advisory council with strong agency representation. The council serves as a consolidated and streamlined reference point and resource for me, allowing me to stay updated on the trends and tools they’ve vetted without a colossal burden on my time. – Stephanie Bunnell, Aki Technologies
15. Prioritize Recap Outlets
Regardless of how busy my calendar gets, I always block off time in my morning to catch up on trends and news. That said, we know every day is a firehose of news and trends, so I prioritize great recap outlets like pop culture podcasts or marketing websites and newsletters. This allows me to stay up to date without having to comb through multiple social media platforms and websites. – Dixie Roberts, DKC/HangarFour
16. Read Software Update Articles
When software updates are released and there is a notification about what is new, one way I stay up to date is by actually reading the articles. These can give you tips on how the technology can work for you or tricks that you may not have known before. It seems so obvious, but it is often dismissed without any thought. – Sarah Lero, A.L. Huber
17. Add A Marketing Technology Officer To Your Team
Every CMO needs a marketing technology officer on their team. And it doesn’t have to be a senior role. One of the functions of the marketing technology officer is to be the super user of the tech, platforms or tools the marketing team needs to operate and be innovative. This role can not only help a CMO to keep up with the latest tools but can also support driving implementation and adoption. – Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson, JMMB Group
18. Consume Content From Diverse Voices
A way that I stay up to date on larger technology and business trends outside of marketing is to follow diverse voices on social media that not only include women and men in various functions and industries but also represent different cultures, races and ages. The content I consume from these influencers encourages me to see the world a little more broadly than I naturally would. – Rekha Thomas, Path Forward Marketing LLC
19. Build Synergy With Tech Leaders
Technology is the key driver of modern marketing—almost a twin to marketing. CMOs have to be up on technology and find ways to build synergies with technology partners for generative AI tools and analytics and data-driven marketing approaches. A CMO has to be a good friend to the C-suite, including the Chief Technology Officer, Chief Data Officer and the soon-to-arrive (or already-arrived) Chief AI Officer. – Namita Tiwari, Namita Tiwari
20. Collaborate With Peers And Stakeholders
One way to stay current is by constantly collaborating with various stakeholders and peers within the industry. Learning comes from observing the work happening around you, both within the industry and beyond. Listening to different perspectives is one of the best ways to learn and stay updated, as it offers real-world examples that go beyond trends and tools. – Arnav Sharma, Tech Mahindra
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