If there’s one thing that brightens your social media feeds each morning, it’s memes. Internet memes can be described as any “fad, joke or memorable piece of content that spreads virally across the web.” Memes generally consist of an image or short video and a savvy comment. Usually, the comment is meant to be funny or sarcastic.
When brands use memes in clever ways, they generate attention and awareness. But, like all forms of effective marketing, it’s important for marketers to be thoughtful and strategic. Even though a meme is a simple picture and comment, it can have a lot of impact on how people feel toward your brand.
Let’s examine some of the benefits to meme marketing and how to fit it into your social media strategy.
Understanding Memes in Marketing
Memes can help brands go viral. Some of the most popular types include animals/babies saying or doing funny things and popular lines from TV shows and movies. The reason why these memes are most widely used is because they are relatable. When people see a picture of one of their favorite characters from TV (or a squishy baby!), their attention is instantly drawn to the content.
Here are the key benefits of meme marketing.
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Easy to create
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Easy to consume
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Economical
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Shareable
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Relatable
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Clever and funny
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Short lifespan
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Get your brand trending
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Prompt a quick reaction
Adding Memes to Your Social Media Channels
Before you add a meme to your social media strategy, start by defining its theme. Do you want to make your audience laugh? Instill a sense of pride? Also, consider your goals and the feelings you want to evoke. Many marketers use memes to show a more lighthearted and human side of their brand. When you answer these questions, you can choose an appropriate image and text.
Once you are done creating the meme, share it on social media. You want the majority of your audience to see the content, so use all of your social media channels to distribute the meme. As you create a few memes and track the response from your audience, you will get a better idea of how this content works to engage your customers.
Here are a few tips for using meme marketing for social media management.
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Know the language. It can be helpful to hire people who are well-versed in memes and social media, as they know the language. Trying too hard to be funny or cool can have a negative effect on your brand.
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Don’t be too serious. Memes are meant to be witty and clever. Show your brand’s human side and that you know how to have fun.
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Don’t try to appeal to everyone. Only a targeted group of people will “get” your meme, and that’s OK. There’s probably plenty of memes you scroll past because you don’t know the line or character; the people who are meant to get it will.
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Allow for sharing. To help the meme go viral, include relevant hashtags and encourage people to tag their friends.
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Be timely. Culture changes quickly, so pay attention to the trends. Create memes that align with the most talked about celebrities, YouTube videos, events, and more.
Meme marketing is a fun and effective way to engage your audience and enhance your social media marketing strategy. Get started making your own memes with sites like MemeGenerator.net and Memes.com. It’s easy, fun, and it can have a positive impact on your brand!
