Good ideas drive good business, bad ideas don't. Then why do we not place more value on creativity in digital media? Why do we so often dismiss it in social media? If your brand is planning to do anything beyond listening to what others have to say -- if it's preparing to engage in any way -- you risk disaster by not thinking creatively about every single aspect of the program: the platform, the strategy, the tactics, the messaging, and the objectives.

As more brands embrace social media, it has become apparent that there is a tendency to focus first and foremost on the technology, the platform, and the apps --the "shiny trinkets"-- rather than starting out with a strong, strategically based, unique campaign that embraces (or even invents) the correct technology as a part of the overall creative idea.

I speak of "creative," the noun, in a broader sense than its usual advertising world definition because social media is forcing a rethinking of the term and everything that goes into it. Great creative is single focused and speaks in a tone or voice that befits the brand. It pushes the envelope, challenges our senses, and forces us to engage with it. Great creative makes us talk about it, impels us to share it, and makes us anticipate when and where we'll see more. Great creative accomplishes goals.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the most compelling (and least compelling) applications of creative thinking within the social media marketing realm.