This 6-Point Checklist Will Make Any Piece Of Content Literally Unforgettable

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🧠 Brainiac

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• 🍫 Circular chocolate tastes sweeter than squares

• 🍷 Wine tastes better when poured from a heavier bottle

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💡 how to make content stick

A few months ago I realized that certain pieces of content I read or viewed just stuck in my head better than others.

Sadly, it often had little to do with the usefulness of the content itself.

I dug deeper into why this was and looked for ways I could make my own content more memorable.

The book “Made To Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath explores why some ideas thrive while others quickly fade away.

It presents six key principles that make ideas memorable:

• Simplicity

• Unexpectedness

• Concreteness

• Credibility

• Emotions

• Stories

(SUCCESS without the last S).

This simple mnemonic forms the perfect content checklist.

Let’s go through how you can use each of these principles to prevent your content from being forgotten.

A 6-Point Checklist For Making Content Memorable

For any piece of content, the more of these you can tick off, the better.

1. Keep It Simple

Cut the fluff.

Zoom in on the core idea of any piece of content and remove anything that distracts from it.

The simpler you can make the message, the less likely it is to be forgotten.

Example:

Apple’s 2001 iPod slogan, “1000 songs in your pocket”.

It transformed a complex piece of technology into a simple, powerful message that anyone could grasp, remember, and share with others.

2. Make It Unexpected

Break the pattern of predictability.

Add touches of unexpectedness and excitement to your content.

Jolt the audience out of complacency.

Give them something “out of the ordinary” to remember.

Some Ideas:

• Visual Surprises: Eye-catching, unusual images or graphics that grab attention.

• Counterintuitive Facts: That go against typical expectations.

• Unique Formats: Structures that deviate from the norm.

• Unusual Comparisons: Between seemingly unrelated topics.

• Humor: Especially effective when the topic isn’t traditionally considered “funny”.

3. Make It Concrete

Abstract and vague concepts are hard to grasp and remember.

To create “concrete” content, use detailed imagery, hands-on examples, and relatable scenarios.

Example:

The “Golden Circle” is a model presented in Simon Sinek’s viral Ted Talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”.

It’s made more concrete through the use of specific examples including Martin Luther King and The Wright brothers.

He takes an abstract concept and makes it more memorable through examples.

4. Make It Credible

Content can be made more credible through:

• Referencing research data.

• Statistics or infographics from credible sources.

• Collaborating with industry experts.

• Case studies or real-life success stories.

• Stating the amount of time, money, or effort that has gone into creating the content (see costly signalling).

The more trustworthy you can make your content, the more likely it is to be remembered.

5. Add Some Emotion

As we went through in a previous issue of this newsletter, high-arousal emotions have been proven to make people more likely to share content.

Although I couldn't find a specific study to reference here, content that evokes strong emotions tends to be more memorable too.

You’ve probably noticed how a normal, everyday event has stuck in your memory, simply because it was an emotional moment.

Example:

Humans Of New York is my favorite example of emotionally engaging content.

It dives into the joys, struggles, and triumphs of everyday people and creates a powerful emotional bond with the audience.

6. Add Some Storytelling

The human brain is wired for stories.

People connect with narratives more than they connect with information.

Add elements of storytelling into your content and you create a more immersive and visual experience for the audience.

Narratives help people process information and makes it easier to remember.

Coming Up:

I’ll be digging deeper into each of these six principles in future newsletters.

Given how powerful they can be, each of them deserves their own breakdown with detailed examples and ideas for your content.

So stay tuned!

🐰 rabbit holes and resources

🍫 Today’s link candy for content creators:

• The 5-step method for finding irresistible content ideas using Reddit (link).

• 5 ways to make $1 million as a writer (link).

• How to (ethically) steal content ideas in 3 steps (link).

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