Why some brands stick in your mind: Six social media tips
You throw, and you throw, and you throw those “noodles” (your posts) at your social media “walls” (accounts) again and again, yet none of it sticks… And when you look at other businesses, you notice that people are humming their brand names like a melody stuck in their heads.
Why do some brands have greater memorability on social platforms than others? What secret sauce do they add to their content that, as if magically, enhances their social media presence?
This article, packed with expert strategies and real-life examples, will help you become a “master chef” and “cook” the stickiest content to make your brand unforgettable on social media.
The basic ingredients of social media memorability
So, what does one need to make a brand memorable on social media? In fact, the recipe for social media success presupposes an ingredient mix that hinges on emotion and cognition.
The psychology of emotion
Here are several examples of emotions or feelings that grab social media users and don’t let go, pulling at their heartstrings:
- Joy
- Nostalgia
- Compassion
- Astonishment
- Curiosity
- Tenderness
Whether it’s an uproarious TikTok video or a heart-melting Facebook post with the “aww” feeling — emotional responses like these can make your brand more memorable.
The principles of cognition
Now, over to cognitive rules driving social media memorability:
- Simplicity
- Resonance (connectivity to the user’s life)
- Social proof
- Novelty or newness
- Visual contrast (yep, science says that people memorize content with contrasting colors more effectively)
- Thought-provoking hooks (questions, challenges, polls)
For example:
An authoritative post mentioning your brand by an influencer, brand ambassador, or customer is automatic social validation and, sort of, a cognitive “click.” It leaves social media users thinking, “This person approves of this brand, so I should consider it, too, and remember it for the future.”
Your pocket cookbook to make your brand memorable on social media
Let’s see those elements in action and strengthen your brand recall on social media with proven tips from experts and brands.
1) Drop humor pinches here and there
Laughter is sticky. People remember brands that bring out their inner Cheshire Cats, especially when they expect it the least.
Grab the following humorous post ideas for better memorability on social media:
- Playful product or service animations
- Hilarious memes or jokes
- Witty wordplay/pun
- Behind-the-scenes bloopers (hilarious “Oops
” moments) - Funny “how-NOT-to” examples
” moments)It’s as easy as inserting a dramatic-fainting GIF with the caption, “When you realize today is Monday.” Alternatively, you can also use mockery as a comedy tool.
For example:
See how Duolingo mocked Twitter (now X) when Threads, an alternative to Twitter, launched in 2023: “Does this make me the alpha bird?”
Source: Duolingo on Threads
You can likewise turn to humor in B2B marketing to crack a good laugh out of your B2B audience.
For example:
When uncorking the humor jar, Digital SunBird used the following marketing meme on Facebook: “Trying to do marketing without knowing your audience…”
Source: Digital SunBird on Facebook
2) Post with a relatable flavor
This is so me! 
That’s what your social media audience should cry out loud when seeing your next posts.
“If a social media post mirrors users’ experiences, it immediately becomes a memorable hit. You simply need to go in total resonance with people’s joys or struggles,” claims Adrian Iorga, Founder & President at 617 Boston Movers.
For example:
Thanks to this video POV, Chipotle resonated emotionally with TikTokers: “Your first time at Chipotle.”
Source: Chipotle on TikTok
Pro tip: Encourage users to interact with such posts — “Comment if you did this,” or “Share if you recognize yourself.”
3) Add a dash of the extraordinary and unexpected
Picture a field of horses. You expect only horses to be there, right? But what happens when you notice a unicorn? 
A “wow” factor comes into play.
The study shows that something peculiar and unusual always drives lasting memories. It has to be something a little bit weird and unconventional — just like a unicorn among horses.
But how can you surprise your social media audience, having seen almost everything already?
Echoing the sentiment of Michael Nemeroff, Co-founder & CEO at RushOrderTees, “It might be quite tough to catch social media users off guard with the never-saw-it-coming effect. That’s true. Anyway, try to keep them guessing what comes next, even when they assume or expect something.
One of the best ideas is to let your audience guide the process by challenging or daring you to do something and waiting where it leads you. And when the time comes — bam! — surprise them with the unanticipated.”
Actually, RushOrderTees implements this social media strategy in TikTok marketing. When producing custom T-shirts, the team takes the followers’ wildest requests and brings them to life.
For example:
Look at RushOrderTees accepting the challenge of using ketchup and mustard to design a T-shirt.
Source: TikTok
Weird? Yep. Memorable? Absolutely!
Pro tip: Ask social media users to dare you, just like RushOrderTees: “What should we try to screen print next?”
4) Brew fascinating stories
Did you know? The chances to recollect something increase 22-fold if coated in a captivating story. Why so? Stories have enough power to strike a chord and engrave your brand name on people’s mental canvases.
You can benefit from storytelling with these types of stories:
- Brand’s story (“How it all started” or “Our history year by year”)
- Transformation story (before-and-after scenarios)
- Holiday (seasonal) story
- Milestone story (“We’re turning 50 today! Here’s a look back at our half-century journey.”)
- Employee’s story
- Customer’s story
At this point, Lev Peker, CEO at CARiD, remarks, “Video stories are typically more powerful and memorable than textual ones. When we share video content with our clients’ stories of successful Prove Pre-Fill implementation, they not only function as social proof but also gather more emotional reactions and, as a result, better social media memorability due to audio-visual appeal.”
For example:
The Prove Identity team often leverages video as a more effective storytelling instrument, particularly for customer testimonials.
Source: YouTube
Now, it’s your turn to treat your audience with a “tasty” story on social media.
Suppose you want to tell the world about your corporate sustainability efforts. You can just write a text-only post captioned, “We’re sustainable!
” But why not shoot a powerful video story showcasing your company’s eco-conscious journey?
For example:
Tele2 totally nailed it with the following sustainability film on Instagram.
5) Sweeten holiday celebrations by giving something away
Boo
Cheer
Wish an eggcellent Easter
And do everything to get your social media audience in a festive mood because that’s what people memorize most — holidays and festivities.
To strengthen the celebratory effect, Jerry Han, CMO at PrizeRebel, recommends organizing holiday-driven giveaways to make your brand unforgettable on social media. He advises, “Prepare a special freebie, prize, or gift card to treat social media users with something special for the holiday so that they remember this day forever.”
For example:
Sleighing through the winter holiday season, the company ran a “Happy Holidays” giveaway dedicated to Christmas with an exclusive PrizeRebel Yeti Tumbler as a prize.
Source: PrizeRebel Yeti on Instagram
You can find tons of Instagram giveaways on other holidays, too. For instance, let’s “taste” what ASOS, a fashion retailer, prepared as a Black Friday treat on social media in 2023.
Source: ASOS on Instagram
Pro tip: Don’t forget about not-so-widespread or sometimes even odd holidays (but not less impactful!), such as National Lazy Day, Gingerbread House Day, or others.
Pro-pro tip: Focus on holidays relevant to your niche.
Assuming you’re in the coffee industry. What holiday should you celebrate with a giveaway? International Coffee Day 
, of course!
Look at this example of Lucky’s Coffee Roasters.
Source: Lucky’s Coffee Roasters on Instagram
6) Avoid overstuffing your posts
Jeez, there’s so much text. No way am I going to read this! 
Or —
Whaaat? 40 mins?! That’s a hard pass from me.
These are pretty much the thoughts crossing people’s minds a second before skipping your overloaded social media posts. The reason? You’ve dished out a too-large, non-digestible portion of information, via text, image, or video. Users’ brains automatically perceive it as cognitive overload and refuse to pay attention.
How to prevent cognitive overloading in videos
“The shorter videos — the less cognitive load — the higher memorability,” claims Jeffrey Zhou, CEO and Founder of Fig Loans, sticking to this formula in educational videos with law advice for LLC businesses.
Zhou argues, “Video duration heavily depends on content and platform peculiarities. For YouTube, it’s generally about a quarter of an hour. For TikTok, a video must be approximately 30-60 seconds, sometimes longer if you need more time for a particular topic.”
For example:
If you visit the @LLCAttorneyOfficial YouTube channel, you’ll notice that videos are up to 10-15 minutes long.
Source: LLCAttorneyOfficial on YouTube
However, they run around one minute on the LLC Attorney’s TikTok profile.
Source: LLCAttorneyOfficial on TikTok
What it all boils down to
At the end of the day, these tips will help your social media content stick in users’ minds. They will surely put your brand name on repeat and recall it only with positive emotions.
