That billboard you just can’t stop thinking about. The finale that stays with you long after the season is over. The post on X that you shared with your followers and are still talking about with friends. That’s the sticky stuff. For better or worse, it’s content that literally “sticks” with you. Whether it’s thought-provoking, shocking, scary, or hilarious — that’s sticky content.
And back to “for better or worse”, the measure for stickiness is engagement, meaning anything can be sticky. So, how do we stand out with something sticky for good?
What is Stickiness?
Put simply, stickiness is the content people stop for and can’t stop thinking about. It’s shaped by whether people want to engage, connect, interact, remember, and share. In social media terms, it’s the viral TikTok, the trending hashtag, or the post you screenshot and immediately send to all your group chats.
Stickiness for Good
Good stickiness is content that makes people care about something. It uplifts and inspires. It pulls people into a moment, if even for a moment, and motivates action. And in some cases, actions that lead to change. For instance, in the #DefendDACA movement, social media didn’t just spread awareness; it helped organize protests, sustain attention, and connect people to real ways to get involved.
This can be seen in public health campaigns, too. In response to a rise in suicides in 2022, Congress designated a three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988. With this easy-to-remember, “sticky” number, the Lifeline received 2 million more calls, chats, and texts than the previous year with the 1-800 number, and response times dropped by about 75%. Meaning people could connect much faster in the most critical moments.
The Not-So-Good
While sticky content can promote good, the responsibility is on the user to make sure it doesn’t stop there. Viral content can oversimplify complex topics. And limiting action to a like or a share is performative — the appearance of doing good without the real effort. It’s important to avoid contributing to a “one and done” culture by doing the offline work needed to educate and raise awareness beyond the likes and shares.
Sticky content is called sticky for a reason. It stands out, is evocative, and sadly, not always true. Social media rewards engagement and often amplifies the most attention-grabbing content, not necessarily the most accurate. This can lead to swift and widespread false information.
Staying on the Good Side
When something sticks for the right reasons, it connects people to each other and to what matters. The question worth asking before you share isn’t just “will this stick?” It’s “what do I want it to leave behind?”
To stay on the good side, pause before the like and share and ask that last question. That’s how good sticky cuts through the flashy, attention-grabbing noise.