Until fairly recently, print buyers* had it easy. "All" they had to worry about, if they wanted to remain current as buyers, was keeping up to date with printing technologies, paper trends and issues, industry news, and new graphics software that they had to master.

This professional development (usually self directed, by the way) was in addition to their keeping current with their own industry's trends and challenges.

Well, guess what? It's a whole new ballgame. Print buyers have to do all of the above - and then some. Here's why:

1. The use of print as a preferred medium for corporate promotional material and other business communications is shrinking daily. More and more work is migrating to the Web.

2. The printing industry is contracting. Buyers know that some of their preferred printers might not be around forever.

3. As the use of print shrinks, print buyers' positions for the long term are in jeopardy, especially if that is all they do: buy print for their company.

4. The current recession has hit print buyers hard in 2009 (especially in advertising). Buyers' jobs are being eliminated.

What's a print buyer to do?

Find ways to stay relevant in this market and in this field.

I've decided to make this a particular focus this year - helping buyers (and printers) stay relevant. In fact, it is to be the theme of our 4th Annual Print Buyers Conference next November.

In the interest of helping print buyers stay relevant, I suggest the following:

1. Find ways to show your employer how much value you already bring to the table.

2. Increase this value by being proactive in your professional development.

3. Be more relevant by learning about new marketing media.

4. Learn how your company is currently reaching prospects and customers. Can you get more involved in this strategy? Print is but one tool in a corporate marketing campaign.

5. Don't dismiss social media and other online marketing tools. Study them. See #6.

6. Read The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. Written for everyone, it's a comprehensive and very easy-to-get guide to using online tools to expand your reach by targeting your marketing efforts. Suitable for companies of all sizes.

How well you stay relevant depends on how much effort you put into it. Buyers can no longer feel secure in their print-centricity. How can you help your firm integrate its print strategy into an overall communications strategy? Can you work more closely with Marketing, if you aren't already part of that corporate team?

Strive to become marketing media specialists, as opposed to traditional print buyers. Take a hard look at your current resume. Make sure it doesn't underplay your marketable skills and measurable achievements. Maybe it's time for an extreme makeover - if nothing else, overhauling your resume will prove to you how valuable and skilled you really are.

*You know who you are - even though your title isn't 'print buyer.' You are the person in a company or organization who's responsible for getting things printed. Deal with it. Better yet: embrace it!