Now that we've covered the basic methods of identifying topics, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. This can be tough work, but I don’t mind getting a little messy. I’m like the Mike Rowe of trend hunting – but without the contract to pimp Ford trucks. Maybe you have a gut feeling about something that might be a trend. Before you unleash your mind-dazzling observations on the community, put a little more thought into exactly WHY you think it is a trend. There's a very fine line between a genuine trend and the herd mentality of mass adoption.

No one in my industry is going to like what I’m about to share. I'm not a fan of “buying followers” or trading follows in social media. But if you want quantity and you don’t give a damn about quality, then consider this your guide. In the interest of transparency, I’ll tell you straight up that social media (SEO, content, online media buyers) professionals want you to believe there's no way to you could possibly do what we do. But that's a lie. It might be more accurate to say there's no way you could possibly do what we do as WELL as we do it.

I need it really fast and I don't have a lot of money. Oh and I want to be able to control it after your done because I don't want to pay you for your maintenance and community servicing ability. Wait… it needs to be 'social ready,' have blog ability, browser based CMS, and tons of widgets! Oh, oh, oh – it should have a free mobile app where I can post while I'm in the airport! Well of course it should have a built in traffic and metrics – don't be silly...