You Can Have One Big Idea and Still Do Great Things. Here’s How
I was sitting down to write. A great storyline came to mind, and...
Bam, I forgot what I was thinking. My phone started to buzz. It was my friend and I needed to pick it up.
You see, distractions come in every form. And they’re the biggest invaders of success. When there were fewer distractions, I’d think that I needed more ideas. When the distractions got bigger, I knew sticking to one central idea was enough to sustain the creation game.
Believe me when I say that even without distractions, one big idea is all you need to grow. One good idea can be churned into a million beautiful pieces of content. You can have one big idea and still do great things. Here’s how.
Creating an Impact
I come from an advertising background, and all I see is the uniqueness of a brand or product. If you’re a fan of great taglines, you probably know the most popular ones — McDonald's (I’m lovin' it) and Nike (Just do it).
These brands had one big idea: to encourage their customers to follow their hearts. Yet, they did and still do so well. It’s because the catchphrases stood out in people’s hearts.
Much like it, creating an impact comes down to focus-oriented content; narrowing down, talking to one set of audience members, and having one message.
Keeping It Minimal
The ‘Got Milk’ campaign had just two words but solved the country’s biggest problem: declining milk consumption. It wasn’t easy for Goodby Silverstein to solve a nationwide crisis that also involved health factors.
They focused on one idea: to remind Americans how much they loved milk. Ever wondered what makes certain advertising campaigns so popular? It’s the simplicity. Much like that, use one idea to convey the message.
Fewer words = Powerful outcomes.
Avoiding Perfectionism
There’s a secret to storytelling that not many writers tell you—flaws! Flaws make the content feel more natural. If you were talking to a friend, would you keep correcting your words now and then? I don’t think so.
Your readers are your friends. Your clients and customers are your friends. Create content that speaks to them than at them. For this to happen, you need to let go of perfectionism.
McDonald's didn’t follow grammar rules, sentence structure, or logic. Neither did Volkswagen’s ‘Think Small’ campaign.
The point is that imperfections increase credibility. It’s because people know that you’re creating from your heart and with your heart.
Repurposing Content
If I’m talking about effective audience strategies today, I can take tidbits of the content and turn them into social media posts tomorrow. We know this! The idea is to take singular points and turn them into separate posts.
Meanwhile, you could play around, like changing the theme of your idea to make it sound more unique. For example, turn copywriting strategies article into
- Writing effectively online
- Creating your first digital product
- Ideating from scratch
- Side hustles for a corporate goer, and so on...
You get the point; just take an idea and turn it into multiple pieces of content.
Enjoying the Process
It could get overwhelming to start afresh, not knowing where to begin. Even seasoned writers have their bad days. But the key is to be comfortable with one big idea.
Take that one big idea and delve into the details. Shred it into a million pieces. And find something worthy of sharing every single time.
During this process, incorporate your personal stories and experiences. This way, you can ensure that you’re writing from your heart and enjoying the process.
Final Thoughts
Brainstorming over a million days for that one big idea can be draining. But once you develop a knack, there’s no stopping. Whatever you do, remember to enjoy the process, because it sure shows in your output.
