Golden Goose Marketing

Even though internet marketing is a largely faceless and solitary pursuit, the value of networking can still be tremendous.  Successful product launches don’t happen without extensive and powerful personal networks, and many marketers have missed out on the hottest, most lucrative short-term trends because they didn’t have personal networks of like-minded individuals to help them stay ahead of the game. With that in mind, I’ve created this list of networking ideas for internet marketers.

• Attend marketing events. This should be a no-brainer.  If it’s at all affordable, or if you can convince your employer or a client to pay for it, make an effort to attend internet marketing events.  If your budget is tight, keep in mind that ad:Tech is free for the exhibit hall only (if you register well in advance), and Affiliate Summit often gives out free passes through popular marketing forums.  Barcamp events are smaller, but they also offer a very affordable alternative to big events.  And remember, if you need cheap or free lodging, you may have luck with a site like CouchSurfing.
• Be active on forums in your niche. Chatting with other marketers on forums can be a great way to forge relationships that can later evolve into IM chats and phone conversations.  Once you’ve had “real” contact like that, people are far more likely to open up and start sharing what’s really working for them.  Remember it works both ways, though.  Don’t expect the other person to do all the sharing.
• Use social networking to find other marketers. Lucky for us, marketers are some of the loudest people on the internet.  If you can’t find a few friendly souls among the thousands of marketers on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, and other social networking sites, you might just be in the wrong business.

Now get out there and start networking!