I love networking with other writers. Writers are my people. And I have gotten many of my best leads over the years from fellow writers. But I recently realized that I need to do a better job of networking with influencers and potential clients within my niches. But all of this is totally out of my comfort zone and other writers have shared the same sentiment with me.

By doing this, I hope to make contacts that will likely lead to more work, help me learn about the latest happenings in the field, and hopefully develop a reputation within the industry as the go-to writer. So I have decided to add this to my 2014 Resolutions. The trick is to look for places where people who hire writers with your skill set hang out, both online and in real person. While we are accustomed to connecting online, there is something to be said for face to face connections as well.

So, to help others with this goal and push myself out of the confines of my happy cave, here are five ways to make contacts in your niche:

1. LinkedIn groups – There are thousands LinkedIn groups and almost certainly many for your industry. Spend some time searching on LinkedIn to find the group that most closely matches your target client. Lurk on the group for a while and then begin contributing knowledgeable posts to the group when appropriate, such as sharing the link to an article related to the topic (either one you wrote or found) or providing information about a survey or statistic. As writers, we end up knowing a lot about our topics and I guarantee that you will begin to see how you can contribute. Refrain from pitching your services or advertising. It is prohibited on most groups and demonstrating your knowledge will have a much more powerful effect.

2. Social Media – While not as effective for direct networking as connecting in person or LinkedIn, interacting with others in your industry is essential for many reasons. I know that I am tempted to interact primarily with other writers, but social media can really help expand your reach. If you see a great piece of content or interesting comment on social media, be sure to share it. You should also work to interact directly with influencers in your field as well to both learn about the topics important to potential clients and help increase your reputation in the industry. A great way to find social media discussions related to your industry and join in is to check out hashtags related to your niche.

3. Industry Conferences – Just like writers, almost every industry has conferences that provide information relevant to professionals and companies in that field. Attending one of these conferences can be a fantastic way to meet many potential clients in one place as well as learn more about your industry.

4. Meetup Groups – I recently searched through Meetup groups in the Raleigh area and found many that catered to my niches, including meet ups for tech and financial professionals. The benefits of attending these groups are similar to going to a conference, but have the added benefit of being cheaper, taking less time since they are local and allowing you to develop ongoing relationships if you attend regularly. Avoid coming across as being their primarily to sell your services, but head to the event with the mindset of learning more about your target clients and the industry you write about.

5. Industry Associations – Another way to make contacts is to join industry associations specifically for your niche. Some associations may be priced too high, but it might be worth contacting the association to see if there is a journalist rate. By joining an association, you receive benefits such as trade publications, access to forums, webinars and discounts to conferences.

Have you networked with professionals in your industry? What did you do? How did it turn out? Any tips for others?