The world is changing at whirlwind levels, so it's critical that you stay ahead of the game and able to hunt. 

Knowing how to networking and get in a room with people who can help you earn money, gain opportunities and live your dreams is half the battle, no matter what industry you work in. 

You need to start thinking about hard work and competence in your field as the minimum. Going the extra mile to provide value and build relationships is where the separation truly happens. To separate yourself from the pack and make sure that you're going into the new year with some solid networking advice, consider these four strategies. 

1. Go Live Often

Are you aware that about 80% of online users are watching streaming video on Facebook?

Facebook Live is here to stay, as are services from YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms. 

Since this is where the meat and potatoes of today's web users are hanging out and browsing content, you need to make sure your brand is there and capitalizing. Log on, start streaming and share your voice and expertise with the world. This is a great way to snag some viewers that are happy to exchange information and ideas with you. 

This is a recruiting tool in itself since valuable subscribers can be people you do business with in the future. These platforms are wide open for you to find your audience and get your message out more widespread than ever. 

2. Attend Conferences And Participate 

Nix the thought of conferences being something optional, a luxury, or worse -- just an excuse to travel and get out of work. 

The real entrepreneurs and business people of the world attend conferences faithfully because more networking happens here than anywhere else. Conferences are more important than ever since face time builds trust and rapport -- something that easily gets lost in today's cyber-centric world. 

However, don't just attend a conference -- make sure you go in with a gameplan and that you participate in panels, ask questions and build genuine connections with people. That little cocktail hour in the hotel lobby is every bit as important as the Q&A session with the keynote speaker. 

Quickly build a nucleus of people that you hang with at the conference, and help each other continuously grow your networking circles. Above all, keep in touch with people and make a point to meet up and do business at a later date. 

3. Keep Diligent Notes And Always Brush Up On Your Pitch

Think of yourself as a singer or a standup comedian. 

If you're trying to break into Hollywood, you need to be prepared to do a few quick bits at any given moment, because you never know when you're going to meet the exec that can make or break your life. 

The same applies in the business world because you must always be ready to sell yourself. 

For this reason, you should open up an Evernote file and practice getting your ideas out on a daily basis. Formulate these ideas into fully formed presentations that you're ready to execute with vigor whenever the moment dictates.

Practicing your speech gets you used to commanding audiences as well, which is necessary the further up the ladder you climb in your industry. Above all, be ready to communicate big ideas in a clear and concise way.  

This way, selling yourself becomes second nature -- which is the backbone of networking. 

4. Become A Serious Content Creator

Finally, make sure that you treat yourself as a small media company. 

We all hold small media company infrastructure in our pockets today in the form of cell phones. You need to continuously get your voice out to the world in the form of blogs, vlogs, eBooks and any other media that makes sense to your brand. 

When people are getting value from your content, they'll continuously connect with you and the opportunities will pour in hand over fist. 

Using these four strategies will improve your networking exponentially. Refocus your mind around these ideals so that you're ready to take the world by storm in 2018.