Meme Marketing: The Next Generation of Advertising

Consider any geographical location across the world, and you’ll find at least 70% of its internet users hooked onto memes. From Instagram and Facebook to Twitter and even LinkedIn is flooded with memes.

Yes, you heard us right! Meme marketing is not a term that we’ve just coined. Considered the biggest revolution in content marketing & advertisement,  it is the next generation of advertising that already has a crazy fanbase! 

But what’s so special about it?

Try this experiment — put up a short infographic on your social media and a funny/sarcastic piece of content around the same. 

The statistics will surely favor the latter, and there are two reasons behind it. First, anything funny is always refreshing, and hence, the attention span isn’t limited. Second, it is more shareable as nobody minds sharing a good laugh, do they? 

Based on the same ideal that favors ‘virality,’ ‘meme marketing’ is the go-to-market strategy for every business around the corner; they are now a substantial part of the internet culture.

And whether it’s the ‘put your best face forward’ tagline by Dove or the ‘funny take on blades’ by Dollar Shave Club, history has witnessed that a good advertisement is always banking on the culture, and so should you!

How do you make the most out of the meme culture?

Well, by making memes for your brand and including it in your advertising strategy right now! And while you’re on it, here’s what you should keep in mind to effectively leverage the results:

• Choose the right image: 

Consider this the basic thumb rule for every time you create a meme. The picture you choose is the story you are selling. While it could be anything ranging from your product display to a service offered to a viral photo on the internet, the right image is necessary.

Anything that doesn’t go with your company’s basic guidelines or branding ideals is a strict no. If otherwise, you may end up putting your brand’s image at stake. 

Also, choose high-quality pictures that are trending or are extremely relatable to your brand. An excellent way to go about it is to search the web for the most viral images and tweak it with content that cleverly complements either your selling offer or the brand awareness campaign.

• Never forget the basics:

Memes are viral for obvious reasons. Anything that doesn’t abide by it is of no use to your brand.

But you’ve to make sure that your meme is easy to understand and is relatable to the audience you’re targeting. Not just that, it is also important that the memes are accessible and shareable by a larger part of the general audience.

And, funny, witty, or sarcastic enough to suffice the purpose of its existence in the first place!

• Zero down a theme always:

A meme without a theme is like shooting darts out in the open! So, while creating a meme, you must always focus on the ‘feeling’ you want to capture and how you relate it to your brand.

A meme that does not relate to your brand delivers no results, even if it’s a major hit! So always spend some time conceptualizing and relating your product/service/brand with the meme you intend to create. 

In case you have trouble finding a theme, there are always plenty of ‘ideas’ to take inspiration from. Study the existing ones first and then try creating on your own.

Once you’re done finding a theme, make sure it is not offensive to your target audience and cannot be perceived negatively. Always think about your audience’s reaction to whatever you put forward.

A good piece of advice here is to avoid political, religious, or controversial themes to eliminate any risks.  

• Remember, sharing is caring:

Memes are meant to be shared by the brand so that it is later shared by the audience. Once you’re done creating a funny take or a witty reference to your brand, make sure you share it on every social media platform with the right hashtags.

Never forget to tap into the most viral meme by creating and sharing something on it. 

Another important thing is to do a little A/B testing for analyzing the results from each platform and theme. Maximize on the platform and idea that delivers the best engagement. Also, decide on the content you push on different platforms.

Most of the companies prefer LinkedIn as a professional medium and avoid posting memes there. However, there is no rule that defies incorporating any platform when it comes to sharing! 

• Invest in the process:

While there are many free meme-making sites like MemeGenerator, InVideo.io, LiveMeme, or MakeAMeme, we’d always advise you to invest in creation instead, mostly because the watermark at the bottom of free memes is neither a great sight nor a favorable image for your brand.

However, these free sites can be used to browse the most popular and trending photos that are royalty-free and not copy written. 

The best way to go about it is to hire a designer who’d edit the text and add your brand’s watermark for a better establishment. However, if you’re not looking for an investment in human resources, you can always avail of premium membership at Canva and start all by yourself! 

You can implement and experiment several ways while in the meme-making business since it’s ever-evolving. While it’s best to have an in-house team coordinating social media trends and designs, you can always start slow, analyze the results, and get bigger!

Don’t worry if your meme doesn’t get viral, visit here to learn about the best meme-making software and increase your social media presence. Trust us when we say it’s a win-win because a valuable and relatable offer never goes out of fashion.

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