INTRODUCTION :
If you’re looking for a fun way to engage people on social media, using memes for your marketing strategy can be one of the best ways. Memes have become an integral part of the digital age and can be found across all social media platforms. They are humorous pieces of content, featuring an image or text, intended for quick use by the consumer. Memes can be engaging and fun, but can they be used for marketing? In this blog, we will get to know what exactly memes are, what they are used for, and what effective strategies are important for meme marketing.
WHAT ARE MEMES?
The British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “MEME” in his book “The Selfish Gene’ in 1976. The word is a combination of the Greek “meme,” meaning something imitated, and “gene,” pronounced to rhyme with cream.
As described by Dawkins, memes are contained in how our ideas, ideals, cultures, and customs replicate themselves. It gets viral as it goes from one person to another through imitation, sharing, and repetition. There is also a study about memes at the University of Vermont that shows contagious diseases follow similar transmission patterns to internet memes.
Social networking sites are the hottest thing nowadays. They are perfect for transmitting these cultural genes. If a post hits the right chords with the audience, it can go viral almost instantly. The most successful memes tend to capture a moment, a thought, or a feeling in a visual, social media-friendly format.
In simpler words, memes are a cultural phenomenon that seems to have stayed with us for a long time now. Now, the question is whether brands should use memes for marketing or not. To know this better, we have to know about the benefits of using memes for social media marketing strategies.
BENEFITS OF USING MEMES FOR MARKETING :
Memes are cost-effective:
Memes are now very much in trend and have a charm that has cast a spell on the Internet. Anyone can get engrossed in watching memes and spend a good couple of hours on them. Moreover, creating memes is super easy. Anyone can get involved, using sites like Meme Generator, to add text to the classics of the genre.
Brands can use memes created by other people for marketing purposes, but it is always a good idea to create your own memes if you are using them for marketing purposes. Marketers always have to keep researching the things that are most hyped up in the market.
It is relevant to the brand and to the audience without destroying the connection with a pushy sales message.
If memes are executed with proper skill and humour, they are a reasonable and cheerful way to attract social media interaction.
MEMES CAN BE A POWERFUL SOURCE OF BRAND MARKETING :
Memes can be created by you, too. Brands can create content, and if it’s meme-worthy, it will be considered a meme. In recent times, Netflix’s superhit series “Squid Games” has led to countless memes. Different brands have been making memes about the squid games in their own ways. Pepsi has already attracted over 37,000 likes for this Instagram image of a highly symbolic squid game visual reference. It is vital for marketers to hop on the trend and embrace its spirit if they want to use it as a vehicle for brand messaging. The more memes are shared, the more people will get to see the brand. And for the most hilarious memes, hang around for a good time.
MEMES CAN SHOW A HUMAN SIDE TO YOUR COMPANY :
When brands use memes, they are showing their human side. A 2017 study into complex contagion models online that accurately predicted the duration of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge found that when people see a meme that reflects their current mood or situation, they feel relatable or seen. Some people also end up sharing these memes in the hope that they will find validation from other social media users.
That also shows that memes don’t always have to be funny. They can be thoughtful and give an insight into the meme, not just giddy. It is safer for brands to start with light-hearted memes, although the more serious images tend to be political in nature.
MEMES GENERATE INSTANT FEEDBACK :
Memes attract marketers for all the right reasons. Good memes have made their mark and are going viral, and that is what every brand has talked about since the advent of social media. Memes are an uncertain element that may or may not stay for a long time. It can die out very quickly. But all the brands should see it as an opportunity, not to forego memes and grab the trendy memes. If the marketer is making a meme and it’s not cringe-worthy content, viewers will give feedback on it. They can use memes to generate instant feedback from their audience.
If the meme fits the bill perfectly for the brand, it is worth taking a shot at creating a meme. They are cost-effective, can be produced easily, and tend to fade away promptly if they do not take off. The other case could be where they go viral and you discover a whole new platform and get to know the insights of your audience.
Sometimes, marketers make a meme with good hopes of it doing wonders, but it does not. The approach may not have worked so well if the audience did not get the joke, but there’s no harm in trying. Isn’t it Moreover, it’s valuable to learn about the cultural and political meaning of memes.
With a little observation about the core principles and proper research on the keywords of meme marketing, brands can avoid these pitfalls.
WHY SHOULD YOU USE MEMES FOR MARKETING?
Brands must be aware that memes can only help them meet some of their marketing objectives. If they push a sales message with it, it will be a put-off for the viewers, and they will not be interested in going further with the meme. The key is to get the correct nerve of the audience and get our way through it. Marketers should add something that contributes at the moment. Brands that think of it as a medium for sales are on the wrong track, will not attract an audience, and will eventually have to pay the price of it. Having said this, memes can be part of a serious marketing strategy. A few tips and tricks can be beneficial if you are adding memes to your marketing plan:
Keep an eye on the recent times :
Keeping an eye on & maintaining your speed with current trends is the most vital part. Being on time is the key for the meme to be widespread
- Show your human side with the meme :
If you are trying to reflect something about your brand or want to show a brand message, use humor to deflect & to show a human side.
- Find the correct medium of channel :
Memes can be found on all platforms from Instagram, Facebook to Snapchat and even LinkedIn, but they differ in format and tone from channel to channel. So, if you want your meme to go viral then be active on different social media platforms & showcase your memes accordingly.
- Use a tone that fits with the brand :
Even while exploring, creating and sharing memes, it is important to stay professional. Whether it’s a social media challenge or a basic meme, maintaining professionalism is important. Customers expect the brands to act in its boundaries with its root identity. So, to find that correct tone and create memes accordingly is essential.
- Research your audiences’ preferences :
One of the most vital roles that can make meme marketing a success is the audience. So, to know what the audience wants by using proper social media advertising tools & identifying the cultural reference. Detailed research about viewers preference before launching a meme, can be truly advantageous.
- Hop on to trends & challenges :
Getting involved with recent trends and challenges, can bring in a lot of popularity. Since these are already viral, they ensure that the meme will catch the audience’s eye. Just be wise while using that money on the right content & it will definitely blow up for you.
CONCLUSION :
Therefore, memes can be a powerful medium for marketing. Use it with proper analytics, and it can turn out in your favour. Memes are in trend, and if they hit the right chords with the audience, the marketers will definitely end up accomplishing something from them.