Bite the bullet and start tweeting. Follow the leaders in your field, in printing/print production, and in other media as well. Use Twitter to learn about trends in old and new media and to hear about breaking news.

Commit to attending our print buyers conference in November. Here's a list of actual benefits to help convince your boss you're worth the investment. The price is incredibly low for the value - 2 days with 16 sessions, unlimited networking with buyers and show sponsors, all meals, cocktail party, plus experts' wisdom and guidance in these difficult times - for under $500.

Start your own peer group with buyers in your industry. Meet regularly for breakfast and brainstorming or do conference calls. It may just be a handful of you: perfect! Band together and discover ways that others are dealing with the trials/tribulations of being a print professional in a Web 2.0 world. Use LinkedIn groups (like our PBI Group) to find folks in your area.

Overhaul your resume with an eye toward featuring your achievements - particularly those that can be quantified. Be careful that your resume isn't totally print-centric, which could limit your chances if you're looking for employment.

Identify and develop the one skill you need to master but haven't been able to. Content development? HTML? Creating high-level PDFs? Learning new graphics software? Start today.

Call your favorite printers, paper pros and mail experts and get their help in how to stay current with trends and technologies. Meet them individually; take notes. Have questions ready. Why? You need to keep current. Make sure your managers know you're "on it."

Pay attention to the adoption of new media by corporate America. What's gaining momentum - and is your company/industry joining in? You need to be familiar with all media channels, regardless of whether your firm's using them now or not. This will increase your knowledge and therefore your value.

Document your recent accomplishments (quantifiable ones) and send them upstream (professionally, appropriately) to your managers. Most print buyers operate in a vacuum - no one really knows what you do. Now is the time to tell them.

Even if you don't do so naturally, try and train yourself to think strategically about ways to help your company increase the value of their print campaign. Be as proactive as you dare.