Every morning, I come into work (usually with a Starbucks in hand, much to the dismay of my bank account), and sit at my computer. I take a moment to glare at the beauty of my Mac, and turn it on. First things first, I check my email. Next, I check Tweetdeck. And lately, after those two crucial things, I read blogs.

I haven’t always done this. Normally, I immediately delve into my workload. Sometimes my pile of work sits staring at me, forcing the belief that there just isn’t enough time in the day to catch up on industry news or trends. Forget checking Mashable, I’ve got to write that blog post or prepare for that brainstorm meeting. Well, no more!

Don’t get me wrong, work is definitely priority numero uno. I love my job, so keeping busy is never a daunting task. But from here on out, I’ve made a promise to myself and my company that I’ve got to do more, and that includes keeping up on industry news, trends, announcements, and opinions. If I don’t, I cheat on my responsibility to my work, clients, and ultimately, my employer. And since making more time to keep up on everything, I’ve noticed that my passion for the industry and the quality of my work has improved. Coincidence? I think not.

It inspires me. It gives me fresh ideas. It allows me to contribute more in meetings. And sometimes (as much as I hate to admit it), it even makes me jealous, creating a drive to do better. But either way, I become a better, harder worker, even if I’m not putting my nose to the grindstone immediately when I arrive in the morning. So I will continue to read, continue to learn, and hopefully it makes a difference in what I bring to the table.

Here are the blogs I enjoy (and actually provide something of value):

Mashable – THE resource for all things social media.

Brass Tack Thinking – everything from ideas to execution, the basics of making things happen.

DC | Baltimore Egotist – keeping up on all the local industry news around DC and Baltimore.

We Love Viral – great resource for cool videos.

Hey Whipple – an extension of Luke Sullivan’s amazing advertising insights.

Soshable – news and announcements from around the web, all in one place.

Chris Brogan – the do’s and don’ts of the industry – great how-to and advice pieces.

Terry Starbucker – great blog on leadership, management skills, and making a difference.

I get daily newsletters, too:

AdAge Daily

Creativity Online

PSFK

CoDesign Daily

And for occasional comedy…

Hyperbole & a Half or The Oatmeal – be careful, you might pee your pants laughing… and that wouldn’t be very becoming of you while at work.

I’d love to hear what you do to keep up on industry news. Leave a comment and let me know what blogs you read & what feeds you subscribe to.

Here is a really interesting video with some statistics about the current state of the internet and how it has evolved. Videos like this help us step back from the minutiae and realize how fast we are moving.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

…wow. That was cool.

While we’re at it, here is another video with cool statistics. It’s a little preachy at the end, but we like the overall idea:

Yesterday, as I walked into work with our creative director, my attention was brought to a pile of phone books lying on the ground beneath our mailbox. Darren, our CD, noted that they were for our office complex to use, but that they had been sitting there for about a year. A YEAR!

The nearly untouched pile of phone books got our minds turning. How long ago was it that EVERYONE wanted a spot in the Yellow Pages? It was one of the best tools to use in any print campaign.

We don’t mean to continually beat it into the ground, but times are changing. Web 2.0 is happening. It’s no longer the way of the future. Need a number? Google it. Need to find a company? Google it. Advertisers need to step up and embrace new mediums to really meet their customers.

We also don’t mean for you or your company to jump the metaphorical traditional advertising ship. Not at all. Print media is still relevant and can have a place in an advertising campaign. We’re just saying that it can’t be the only weapon in your arsenal. And more than anything, we believe in integration: using the right tools for the right audience, mixing necessary mediums.

So if you are one of those people or companies that is stuck in that traditional mindset of only using print advertising, you better step up your game and embrace new ways of communication. Because if you don’t, you’ll get left behind, just like the pile of untouched phone books sitting on the cold, hard ground outside of our office.