Creativity
A key to creativity is to pursue knowledge without a sense of whether it will be relevant in the future. Too often, people assume that they can judge in advance what they need to understand and what they do not. Instead, creative people build up their knowledge base so that they will be ready for the opportunities that come later.
I have always been fascinated by what motivates people. Social media marketing is more than cute, random posts – it involves identifying consumer behaviors, coming up with ideas and bringing them to life… delivering strategy IN A CREATIVE WAY. As Steven King reminds us, creative insights come to those who are prepared. Author JoAnn Locktov astutely points out that intuition bridges preparation and creative insights.
Sometimes it seems that the more I learn, the less I know. Maybe it is because the nuances of digital marketing work change at warp speed- daily, right in front of our eyes. Algorithms, technologies, and best practices of social media are constantly shifting. Audience temperaments, language, trends- also always in flux. The “next best thing” constantly lurks in the periphery. If you are not with or ahead of where the puck is going, you will get mowed down by those who are. The constant opportunity to grow and learn is what I love about Social Media Marketing.
The saying “yesterday’s great is tomorrow’s mediocre” is my humbling reminder to stay present and always keep learning.
Lately, my learning curve has included a mix of creative and cerebral. The advances in photography and video are the fun part. Then there’s the cognitive side of marketing- which has placed the following books in my reading stack:
Unconscious Branding This book brings neuroscience to marketing, challenging the way marketing strategies are developed. With concepts from cognitive science, the author does a deep dive into the HOWs rather than the WHYs that guide consumer behaviors with real-world examples from advertising, marketing, media, and business.
Conversational Intelligence With insights coming out of neuroscience, this book presents a framework for knowing what kind of conversations trigger the lower, more primitive brain; and what activates higher-level intelligences such as trust, integrity, empathy, and good judgment.
The Fourth Age This book not only discusses what the rise of A.I. will mean for us, but it also forces readers to consider HOW rather than WHAT to think about Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and their many corresponding issues. If you are a futurist, this book is for you.
I am interested to hear what is in your reading stack- if you have any smart books on marketing or creativity to recommend, I would love to hear from you at courtney@courtneyprice.com
