In B2B marketing, seeing is believing. You can write an article from behind a screen, without talking to real sources, and share it to your website in a matter of hours.
If you work in horticulture, ChatGPT can tell you how a greenhouse works, what it’s made out of, and the most common crops that grow inside it. When all is said and done, the article you write will be polished and informative. It will probably even perform well on your website.
But you, as the writer, don’t really know what you’re talking about. You’ll have outsourced your thinking, your learning.
And once you attend industry conferences and tradeshows, your lack of knowledge will become apparent.
The best way to come across as a trusted industry voice is to fully immerse yourself in it. Not only will this help you learn the ins and outs of the industry you’re writing about, but you’ll make more connections and establish yourself as an authoritative voice in the industry.
Here are five helpful tips that will help you immerse yourself in an industry while helping you actually understand it.
1. Go On Tours
When I was first starting out as a journalist in the CEA industry, I toured three local greenhouses in the span of a year.
During each tour, I would ask the growers direct questions, see first-hand how the equipment operates, and get a better overall understanding of greenhouse production. In some cases, I even left with a package of greenhouse tomatoes or leafy greens.
The more in-person relationships you can build, the better. Plus, in my experience, people are always willing to walk you through their decision-making process and how they run their operation – it’s something they are truly passionate about.
2. Attend Online Webinars
In most trade industries, companies and established industry professionals will host a free online webinar on a regular basis. The online session typically consists of an educational presentation, with the presenter accepting questions throughout and leading a Q&A session at the end.
Not only is this a prime opportunity for marketers to learn more about a specific part of an industry, but it also allows them to engage with an industry expert while getting some of their lingering questions answered.
Just attending the webinar will deepen your industry knowledge and may help you establish connections that would make for a good interview later.
3. Attend Networking Happy Hours
Tradeshows and industry events can be hectic. Between attending educational sessions to walking the floor, it’s easy to work longer hours than your typical nine to five. However, that’s no excuse to miss the happy hour that happens afterwards – the most meaningful conversations typically happen there.
If you’re feeling drained after a long day at the conference, it’s ok to take a beat and recharge in your hotel room. Catch your breath, doom scroll for a bit, or even take a walk around the block. Once you’ve cleared your head, walk down to the reception area to mingle among the other attendees.
Attending happy hours helps you form meaningful connections, debrief about the conference, and have professional conversations in a casual, less formal setting. Plus, you typically get free appetizers and beverages while you’re at it.
4. Subscribe to Other Newsletters
Your brand’s competitors are competitors for a reason. By subscribing to their newsletters and social media posts, you’ll get a better idea of what you’re up against while learning more about the industry itself.
Some of your competitors’ content may spark an article idea or two for you as well. Never use the same angle as the other publication, of course, but take the original idea or concept and find a different way to spin it.
It’s worth mentioning that you and your competitors can coexist. Sometimes they’re trying to reach a smaller audience, cover a broader range of topics, or only cover breaking news as opposed to in-depth features. There’s enough space in the industry for both of you.
5. Grow Your LinkedIn Network
Building your LinkedIn network is an effective way to immerse yourself in an industry, as it helps you put your content in front of the right people. However, it’s important to reach out to new connections intentionally.
If you chatted with an industry professional at a tradeshow, it’s perfectly appropriate to connect with them on LinkedIn. However, they probably made a number of connections at the same conference, so it would be smart to send a message explaining who you are and why you’d like to connect with them.
Once you’re connected, consider perusing their LinkedIn network. You’ll learn about other notable people in the industry and make a mental note of who you’d like to connect with at the next tradeshow you attend.
Industry Immersion Takes Time
You can’t fully immerse yourself in an industry overnight. But attending multiple tradeshows per year, interacting with your network on LinkedIn, and staying up to date on industry trends can help expedite the process.
Using even one of these five tips will help you fully grasp the industry you’re writing about while also broadening your industry presence. The key is putting yourself out there, not being afraid to ask questions, and building industry relationships.