There’s so much content out there that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. 

How do you even stand out in the ocean of posts? What will help make your content memorable?

Sticky Ideas is the answer to these questions.

No matter what form of content is created, be it videos, podcasts, or blogs, the ones that stick in people’s minds have certain common characteristics. 

Components of Sticky Ideas

First, let’s have a look at 8 components of sticky ideas that make your idea easily recallable for the consumers. 

A sticky idea may have one, or a combination of these traits.

1. Simple

The idea should be simple and easily understandable by the users.

The core and the intention of the idea are explained clearly, leaving no room for ambiguity.

2. Dramatic Turn

The idea can be counter-intuitive and takes the reader by surprise. 

It often breaks a stereotype or a commonly held myth by presenting a non-conventional perspective and approach to the solution.

3. Success Stories

Results are great motivators. The idea can capitalize on the proven results of others who followed it before it was formally launched. 

This results in a ripple effect.

4. Authentic

The idea can be backed by a credible source such as research, a proven fact, or an experience of a credible personality.

5. Emotional Connection

The consumers can connect deeply at an emotional level with the idea.

This provokes sentiments with which the users can relate.

6. Easy Implementation

The idea should not at all be complicated to implement. 

It must be inclusive and accessible to large groups of people. It should not require complex skills or equipment to be applied.

7. Middle Ground

The idea can address a common challenge and provide an alternate solution to the existing ones, so, as to make a win/win for the users.

It finds a middle path to achieve the desired result.

8. Inspirational

The idea can consist of inspiring stories that people find themselves relating to, hence applying the idea to themselves and advocating for it too.

Popular Ideas that are Sticky!

To help you understand what sticky ideas are, we are going to take a look at 7 popular sticky ideas that are used by many. 

1. The Briefcase Technique

Ramit Sethi’s Briefcase Technique has gained popularity among job seekers. 

The technique encourages doing thorough research upfront and getting all the details printed on papers with you, that you can pull out of your briefcase during the interview. 

This technique gives a great impression to the employer because it indicates a lot of preparation done and time invested in understanding their business and challenges.

Such candidates are already ahead of their competition because the orientation required for them is almost none, and they are precisely addressing the challenges of the business.

2. 80/20 Content Promotion Rule

It’s indeed a common perception that more content means more business. While it’s true that you need to create a lot of content for good returns, that is just not about it. 

You need to manage your content. You need to choose the right channels. And most importantly, you need to PROMOTE what you’re creating!

The 80/20 Rule of Content Promotion Rule by Derek Halpern suggests that instead of creating excessive content just for the sake of creating it; more time should be invested in carefully crafting good content and then focusing on promoting it – 80% of the time. 

This helps in reaching out to the right people with great content, thus, building strong credibility and a loyal fanbase.

3. The Slow-Carb Diet

In this idea, Tim Ferris presents the technique of losing weight via having a slow-carbs-based diet with One Cheat Day per week. 

The technique has been tested on 1,000s of people and compared to other techniques, has shown the highest compliance rate in the majority.

The reasons to lose weight may vary from person to person, but it is indeed the desired result for a significant population across the globe. 

What also makes this method attractive is that it includes no supplements or ‘unnatural’ shortcuts; following this will only lead to a healthier body.

4. Growth Mindset

You are what you think you are. It all starts in the MIND. 

Most successful people are successful because of how they approach life and business, and rarely because of their skills alone. 

Carol Dweck’s famous idea of Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset allows us to understand the ‘auto-programming’ of our minds and then acknowledge that these behaviors are indeed not fixed unless we allow them to be.

The idea is taught across levels—in universities, corporate training sessions, schools, etc.—because of its vast application. 

5. Time Management Matrix

Stephen R. Covey presented a beautiful 2×2 matrix to manage time and accomplish tasks by categorizing them in their levels of urgency and importance. 

The method makes life easy! 

You’re able to prioritize what needs to be done immediately and what can wait. What may be important, and what may not. This boosts productivity and helps in task management.

6. Hell Yeah, or No

Derek Sivers popularised this idea of polarization in decision-making when possible to avoid wasting your time. 

As an example, when offering services to clients, you’d either be getting a Hell Yeah feeling or a No feeling. Don’t paralyze yourself with a Hell Maybe—it doesn’t exist.

Life is too short to waste on maybes. If it’s not a Hell Yeah, move on, look more. You will surely get more Hell Yeahs!

7. 300% Mindset

This idea of mine in one of my OneMinuteShow videos on Instagram became very popular.

I asked people to look at everything they are doing at 3 different levels:

100% level is when you are performing all that is required from you with the best possible effort you can put in.

200% level is where you try to exceed expectations of what is required from you by over-delivering on the task. It can be by completing tasks much before the deadline or delivering 5 outputs when 3 are required.

300% level is thinking beyond the task that you are required to do. It is trying to understand what other value you can add that is beyond the scope of your work. It can be helping in design work when you are required to do programming work only or helping in execution as well when you are only required to do planning work.

How Can You Come Up With Your Own Sticky Ideas?

Understanding what sticky ideas are, and seeing them in action is just the first part.

It’s time to get to the most relevant and important part for you — how can YOU come up with your own Sticky Ideas? 

Ideas, that you can use in your content, that’ll build your credibility and will serve as a magnet for your followers!

Here is the 4-step process you can follow, to come up with your very own sticky ideas:

1. Wear the Sticky Ideas Lens

Now that you are deeply familiar with what are sticky ideas, some common attributes of them, and how some popular concepts have these features that make them sticky; the next step is to start viewing things with this lens. 

The good news is that it won’t take too much effort now that it’s already fed into your minds.

For every piece of content you come across, your mind will naturally pause and dissect what made this idea popular. 

Then, when you are creating your own content, your approach will NOT be simply creating content, but creating ideas that will stick in the minds of your target audience, and you will end up creating meaningful and focused content that conveys these ideas efficiently.

2. Forming Potential Sticky Ideas

Well, we know what sticky ideas are, and how to create them, but… what should these ideas be about? 

Throughout our lives, we’ve dealt with people and systems to live through life. 

In the process, we subconsciously have developed mechanisms, systems, frameworks, and approaches that allow us to carry out essential tasks effectively.

These are skills that we are NATURALLY good at. 

Your first target of sticky ideas shall be these techniques that make your life easy, and can potentially improve the lives of others too! 

The fact that you live them and apply them in your daily lives, makes you an expert on the subject, which serves as a great point to kick off!

3. The Sticky Ideas Components Check-list

We have gone through the components of the sticky ideas.

When you have your own potential sticky idea, run it through this list and make sure at least 2-3 of these elements are being satisfied within your idea.

This is a good checklist to compare with and make adjustments to your idea.

4. Time to Test Them!

Once you feel your sticky idea has gotten some sort of form, start testing it out everywhere you can. On your blogs, in your videos, in your conversations, on your social media platforms, and see how it is received by the audience. 

This will be free feedback for you and an opportunity to see if people understand it and recall it over a period. 

It is also vital to know that one must have a list of potential sticky ideas. We just can’t accurately predict which one will take the flight. 

Even great authors and entrepreneurs who’ve come up with magnificent concepts are often known for very few ideas. 

While it’s true that not all great ideas gain popularity, even 1 idea that sticks, is enough to build your credibility and attract the audience to the rest of your content. 

Over on my blog, Digital Nomad Academy, you can find several other articles and masterclasses that will teach you different aspects of building your own laptop lifestyle.

Also, for behind-the-scenes mischief, you can follow me on Instagram and join 30K+ others like you who are in different phases of building their location independent lifestyles.

Hope to see you around globe-trotting one day 🙂