You can’t just blindly do social media marketing because some guy at a business seminar told you to. Whether you’re running a Facebook business page, looking for leads on LinkedIn, or (hopefully) using multiple social platforms to spread brand awareness, you need to track what’s working -- and what’s not.

By now, you’ve probably heard social media is supposed to be this treasure trove of free and cheap advertising. But if you’re like a lot of manufacturers and other folks who frequent trade shows, you’re still waiting for the evidence. Well, don’t give up just yet. And, don’t assume what you’ve been doing up until now hasn’t been working -- you just need a few more trade show ideas that connect with modern buyers.

One of the top concerns among our clients is a lack of brand awareness. They have so many great things to offer, but no one seems to know they exist. Sound familiar?

You make stuff. Your stuff helps people. You want more people to know just how helpful your stuff is.

Start by getting them to your website. It’s the 21st century, so there’s no way around it. Blogging is ideal for driving quality traffic to your website.

Halloween is fun. It's scary. It's sweet. Halloween is all-around an incredible American experience. Like every other holiday, it's also a chance for brands to flex their creativity with Halloween marketing campaigns. This holiday is especially fun for me, because I enjoy seeing how companies push the boundaries of what makes good "marketing."

These companies serve us new unforgettable advertisements every single year. They're highly entertaining, but they're ALSO perfect learning experiences for your own marketing. With each example, I'll give a quick point on what I believe made them successful or unsuccessful, and what you can take away from the campaign. 

Without further ado, here are 7 Halloween marketing campaigns that I, at least, will never forget.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

That’s my awesome clock. It’s excitedly counting down to Inbound 2017, my very first marketing conference experience, Sept. 25-28 in Boston.

Looking for inspiration? Let’s celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit. That spirit built the inbound marketing methodology. It built this great inbound marketing agency. It built the following 3 success stories I’m absolutely stoked to hear at Inbound.

In the filthy, weedy backyard that is the internet, growing a beautiful blog is key in your company’s quest to increase brand awareness.

Where the Internet is involved, there are horror stories. It's not always the company’s fault -- Xerox sure couldn’t help it. But not all companies are so innocent. When building your company’s B2B branding strategy, it’s best to learn from horror stories of the past to avoid the same mistakes.

Building your business's brand is as important as innovating and marketing your product. Just look at the sales of large companies in the past 10 years.

When Tata Motors bought Range Rover and Jaguar from Ford Motor Company (for $2.56 BILLION), they weren't buying them for the factories, employees, and raw materials. It was the brands they were after.  Kraft's purchase of Cadbury (for $19.5 BILLION), wasn't for their chocolate recipe. It was for their brand. 

Increasing the value of your B2B brand should be a strategic initiative. How will you increase your brand awareness (and your business's value) over time? 

You can start by evaluating your brand's 'personality' against the following B2B branding mistakes.

We love social media here. It’s so … so … multifaceted. Where else can you see industry trends, baby pictures, live news, “fake” news, and relationship drama all in one place?