Here's a secret for you. There are a ton of social media consultants crawling the Internet these days each claiming to be able to give you the secret to success.  Well here it is...it's YOU. That's right, YOU are the secret to success when it comes to social media.  Let me explain. Consultants Are Great...But There are good consultants (many bad ones too) out there right now specifically specializing in social media.  However while a consultant can help develop a strategy for your company, even show you how to get started, at the end of the day there is one important ingredient to success - you.  Not only is it central to your social media success it is the very essence of what your customers are looking for.  People are interested in dealing with people not strategies, policies and procedures.  Your ability to bring this one on one interaction is what will help differentiate you from your competition.

If you could go back in time knowing what you know now, would you?  I mean let's say you could flip a switch and go back five years. What would you have done differently in your business, career or personal brand? We all would have done something different for certain. That's human nature to second guess our self. What I'm suggesting is to stop looking in the rear view mirror and focus on the road ahead.  Especially the signs along the way. In hindsight, the signs are usually really big and really bright along the road.  However, if you are not currently paying attention to them you will look back five years from now and think what could have been. Here are seven of the current signs you better be engaging in your business, career of personal brand.