When it Comes to Industry News, Keep Up, Not Left Out

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In a previous post, we mentioned that attending networking events where you and a bunch of your peers stand around and swap war stories probably isn’t the best way to land new clients. Still, networking with peers and others in your industry is one of the key ingredients to a small business owner’s success.

For one, keeping up with your peers and your industry can help you earn more money and more clients. You’ll be up on the newest trends and innovations, and with friends in your industry, you can share tips and tricks of the trade and even clients.

How does that work? Take freelance writers as an example. While freelance writers all write, many specialize in certain types of writing. Specialists have more expertise in that area, can write more knowledgeably in that area, and can also command the big bucks while doing it. But a specialist in apples might not want to write a white paper about oranges, and that’s where you – if you’re an orange specialist – come in. The same goes for any industry. A plumber who specializes in apartment complexes may not want to install a tankless water heater in a single family home, but you can bet that, if a client asks, he’ll want to recommend someone who can. Why can’t that be you? Even if you are just starting out in your industry, if you prove yourself trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable, others in your industry will notice and give you a leg up.

So how can you keep up with your industry news and your peers when it seems like you already work 80 hours per week? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. Online Social Networking – Joining an online social network is an easy, low-pressure way to get your feet wet with your industry peers. While LinkedIn is known as the “professional” networking site, people are increasingly finding ways to use Facebook and Twitter for business reasons. (check out these powerful Twitter tips) But, social networking relationships can take a long time to build, and the people you meet are often thousands of miles away. If you’re interested in peers in your own back yard…
2. Attend Networking Events – Networking events are a great way to meet peers in your area. Plus, some people – especially if they did not come of age in the digital age – trust face-to-face meetings more than 140 character musings.
3. Join an Industry Association – Most industries have a professional association or two. Join and meet other peers who are as serious about their business as you are. And don’t just join for the line or your resume or the logo on your website. Participate and you could very well have the chance to shape the future of your industry. Also, membership often gives you a free chance to…
4. Subscribe to Industry Publications – The movers and shakers in your industry will publish tips, tricks, trends, recommendations and warnings here. Keep up so you don’t end up left out. And if you have something to say, write a letter to the editor or pitch your very own article for some instant industry cred.
5. Subscribe to an RSS Feed Reader Full of Industry Blogs – Who are the role models in your industry? Who are the companies that lead the way? Subscribe to their blogs (and ours?) and be sure to stay current on what they have to say. They can clue you in on trends or even inspire you with a new money making ideas, and they’re much immediate than printed industry publications. There are also news aggregation services out there for most industries. Find one (or all of them) and stay updated.
6. Set a Google Alert – The internet is a vast place and industry news has a way of slipping through the cracks. That’s why you should set up a Google Alert (or a hundred) with key terms regarding your industry. Depending on your settings, Google will send you a periodic email with a list of sites where your keywords have turned up.
7. Co-Work – Don’t stay cooped up in your home office all day, get out and work with an industry colleague. Bounce ideas and processes off of one another. You might learn a time saving trick, or even decide to collaborate.
8. Teach a Class or Seminar – Is there one aspect of your industry in which you excel? Teach a class on it! Whether face to face or online, when you teach you meet people in all stages of a career in your industry. And remember, the best teachers learn from their students, too.
9. Don’t Let Your (Virtual) Rolodex Gather Dust – Now that you’ve met all these people in your industry, don’t let them get away. Make the occasional call or lunch date. A simple lunch could lead to a new idea or a new client, or you may just end up having a few bites with a colleague who understands where you are coming from. Either scenario is a winner, and you’ll never know until you go.

How do you keep up with your peers and industry news? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments.

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