Google Alerts has the most effect when it comes to understanding your market in near real-time, particularly around what your (1) competition is doing and (2) h

Google Alerts has the most effect when it comes to understanding your market in near real-time, particularly around what your (1) competition is doing and (2) how you can utilize current trends for your own company's press. At Scoop St., we use it for looking at some of the bigger companies in the daily deal and group buying space. I have this set as a daily email digest that comes in my email late at night - making my inbox more manageable, rather than an immediate email each time a phrase is mentioned. I get to see what sources picked up stories on the competition as well as what and why they wrote about them. From a press perspective, this is where Google Alerts shines. Most startups I've spoken with are looking for that "perfect moment" to reach out to press - most times at the company's launch or some new feature. With Alerts, you get an inside look where the press is covering stories - particularly around themes in your industry. More often than not, you can reach out to the reporter or blogger and introduce your company as it relates to the post they just wrote about for inclusion in their next piece.