I recently finished reading the book “Made To Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. The whole book was about taking the ideas that you have and getting them to stick into other people’s minds. What good is an idea if you can’t get other people to remember it?
In the book they described six different principles that make an idea stick in someone’s head. Instead of just listing them off, I’m going to go through each one and talk about how to apply it to your creative ideas in the church media world.
Because what good is the information in a book if you can’t apply it to what you do?
1. Simple
The first thing you need to do is trim down what you are trying to say. If a video or element is trying to say too many things, people won’t remember it. Try to find the core of your message. Write out a short phrase that describes exactly what you are trying to accomplish (sign up for small groups, attend a baptism, love your wife, etc.) Use this phrase to help guide your creative decisions.
2. Unexpected
A great way to get an idea to stick is to use surprise. If people aren’t expecting something to happen, it will get their attention. And when you get their attention, there is a better chance of the idea sticking in their head. Take whatever you normally do during a video announcement and change it up. Break a pattern.
Mysteries also create a sense of the unexpected. When people don’t know what is going to happen next, it creates anticipation, which creates engagement. Don’t always let people know the point of a video from the beginning. Leave room for speculation until the ending, or leave it open and let the pastor explain during the message.
3. Concrete
When describing the story, use concrete details and adjectives. Instead of saying “the community needs our help”, say “the homeless shelter down the street needs a new coat of blue paint and their leaky faucets repaired.” Also put people into the story. In the above example, instead of saying “the community needs our help”, say “the community needs your help.” Make it personal for people.
Concreteness also has to do with goals. If people don’t know the ultimate goal in tangible terms it will be hard for them to wrap their mind around it. In the above example, the goal could be “have 10 people paint and fix faucets at the homeless shelter on May 30th.” By having a goal, it also helps you know if you have accomplished what you set out to do in the first place.
4. Credible
When creating credibility, you are helping people to believe. Since believing is one of the main points of Christianity, we need to do anything we can do to help others believe. A great example of credibility in the church is a testimony video. Someone who has been through a tough time in their life, but with God’s help they have come out of it. People in the church are always wondering if God is going to come through for them during their difficult time, and these videos help to remind people about God’s faithfulness to us.
Another way to create credibility is to use statistics that people understand. Talk about how many families were fed in the latest food drive. Talk about the number of people who were kept off of the streets by opening up the church during the winter as a homeless shelter overflow. If some statistics are too large for the average person to comprehend, break them down using comparisons to other things that would make sense (i.e, the length of a football field).
5. Emotional
A lot of the media created in a church setting is intended to get people to act, and one of the best ways to get someone to act is to make them care. To get people to care you have to connect with them emotionally, and this is very hard to do with generalizations. Break things down for people to the smallest possible level. Instead of asking for money for Haiti relief, highlight a single organization, and within that organization, highlight the story of one specific individual in order to form an emotional bond. People become more emotionally vested, which leads to action, when they only have to focus on one person.
6. Stories
Everyone knows the power of a story. We read a good story in a book or we watch a movie with a great storyline and we can’t get it out of our head. It sticks with us. Learn how to tell a good story. Learn the main parts of a story and incorporate them into your elements. Stories can be used as a simulation and tell people how to act (like a mock video showing how a small group works). They are also great for inspiring people to act (If someone else can turn their life around, I can too).
I hope these 6 things are able to help you increase the sticky factor of your ideas.
Any other thoughts for making ideas stick?
kathryn east says
Well, for someone to make things stick, I’d encourage them to be Anointed. Be led by the Holy Ghost…. because, God’s word isn’t going to come back to Him void. Say what He says. And, if you don’t know what He’s saying, I’d encourage you to establish a relationship with Him before you speak in any kind of leadership role in the church. Amen.
John Saddington says
good reminder kathryn…! yes, we assume (and hope) that this is always the case!
Marcus Williamson says
Good point on the idea of Story. I am learning more and more on the idea of Story through Donald Miller’s book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.
greenhornet79 says
I’m reading through that book right now. Great info about the power of story in people’s lives.
oschurch says
Great summary post. I, like some of the others, always wonder what the line is between me doing my best with the gifts God has given me to convict and/or move people and letting God do what He wants when He wants. Maybe there is no line and you always have both-and.
Kevin
http://www.opensourcechurch.com
joshwowman says
Nice article. It’s good to hear valuable advice put out simply. In my experience it’s easy to forget the little things that give our work polish and extra potency. If the message isn’t being communicated clearly and the ideas don’t “Stick”, then what’s the point?
greenhornet79 says
Exactly. Sometimes we need to step back a little bit and make sure people are understanding what we trying to say.
PhillipGibb says
yeah, maintaining credibility while keeping the surprise element ready.
The only other one I can add is – Relevance – not always necessary but people want to identify with what they are watching. I find that at my Church when they keep wanting to play Media from North Point – what on earth is a 401k plan? And while I know what American Football is; I will be more impacted by South African Rugby (impacted, lol) You know what I mean.
greenhornet79 says
Good point. If people can’t relate to something then they probably won’t engage with the message.