Creativity is not born in a vacuum. It’s the result of collaboration and digging deeper than what most others are willing to do. Go beyond the proverbial “purple cow”, and learn how to create a brand new animal. Be inspired to get creative; It will make all the difference.

This post is from an interview I participated in courtesy of Kerry Ferrier from Kay Phair Advising in Calgary for popular social media blog Communicatto. It examines the power of social relationships – what makes them possible, why they’re powerful and important and why they matter to businesses.

One doesn’t expect much in terms of commerce when you visit a country like Tanzania, but I was surprised to learn a few things about marketing and perhaps it’s future. Sometimes you find inspiration in places you’re not even looking. Here are three marketing lessons I learned in Africa that sharpened my view regarding what’s important in life and business:

Here’s a sweet inforgraphic that illustrates the inbound marketing process including website strategy, traffic generation, conversion of leads, and measurement. This inforgraphic is courtesy of Impact Branding & Design and embed code is provided by HubSpot. Enjoy!

It’s tempting for marketers and digital agencies to always want to make a big splash with their campaigns. They’re always looking to grab onto the next big thing, become a sensation, and make an impact that will be remembered. The truth is, most marketing efforts make little difference yet cost a lot of money. This post explores how the best marketing tool is often right in front of your face. Learn how social media can take word of mouth marketing to a whole new level.

We all have a tendency to put ourselves first. It’s tough not to talk about yourself and how great you are. The problem is customers don’t really care about you and what you’re doing. They’re a customer because you have something they need or want. So, get over yourself and start thinking about your customer first; It’s the fundamental difference between being good or bad at marketing.