How to establish a network when just starting out in a service-based business?

I am venturing to start a consulting firm that does social media marketing and content creation. Starting with nothing except my knowledge about the field, how do I create a network and establish myself as an expert?

The core problem is that I don't know where to begin to find clients. How does someone without an existing network break into consulting?

There are a plethora of ways to create a name for yourself and attract prospects. I was part of a consultancy a while ago, and the two channels that worked best for us were:

• Blogging
• Sponsoring local meetups (on topics that attract your target customers)

One often overlooked thing about blogging: write about what your target audience wants to read.

For example, if you're a programmer, it's easy to start writing about programming issues. But if your goal is to create websites for lawyers, you should be creating content that appeals to lawyers. You could blog about "how law firms can use technology to grow their client base", as an example.