July 2020

Meme Marketing:

Meme (pronounced as meam) is an element of culture whose styles, concepts, and behaviour can be indefinitely imitated. But when we talk about internet meme, it refers to a humorous image or video having a definite style and concept which usually go viral on the internet. The style and the concept of the image stay the same whereas the copy changes.

An example of an internet meme –‌

WHY DO MEMES GO VIRAL ON THE INTERNET?

Unlike other usual images, memes have their own names (The Success Kid, Bad Luck Brian, Overly Attached Girlfriend, etc.) and positioning in the minds of the users. Memes are precise, spread through social networking websites and have a recall value.

 

Here are a few reasons why memes go viral:

• Not just images (Meme Videos): Memes come in the form of videos as well. Just like the photo memes, video memes have a concept (like mannequin challenge requires you to remain still while the camera person captured the scene), humour, and is shareable. But above all, these type of memes involve the user to be a part of it. Memes also come in the form of funny and relatable GIFs and vines. These kind of memes are most shareable. This trend of memes is one of the reasons for huge traffic on many GIF hosting websites and search engines like Imgur and Giphy. 
• Instant Humour: Memes are known for their concept. An overly attached girlfriend will always be used for a girlfriend humour while a grumpy cat meme will always have sarcasm in it. It’s the visual aspect of the meme which is more important. The copy of a meme is usually kept short and aligned to the visual to make it an instant humour. Everyone gets the joke because of the visual representation.
• Relatable: People like humour that is tailored directly to them, and memes, while they may seem to be generic, are so relatable that everyone shares, owns and creates them.
• Generic: Memes are not copyrighted or related to any specific brand. These are so generic that anyone can own, create, and share any meme without any restriction.
• A Long Life Span: Memes have a considerably long life span. Just like that favourite song in your head which you’ll listen to for a thousand time more before you start hating it, a meme is also a thing of obsession. It remains in the market till the time its overuse doesn’t irritate the users.

 

FUNDAMENTAL TIPS FOR MEMEVERTISING 

The experts share memevertising tips for brands and agencies.

 

• Trends: You need to stay updated with the latest trends and use hashtags that are trending, as memes have a limited life span and doing the old ones is not an option.

 

• Brand Connect: Along with the meme being funny, it should also be related to the brand. The brand communication should seamlessly fit into the meme, at the same time it shouldn’t be overtly promotional. Commercializing the meme kill it’s vibes and comes off as forced.

 

• Force Fit: Trying to be too cool for school or picking an irrelevant template might not work. Don’t do it if it’s a forced fit or doesn’t match your brand tonality.

 

• Template Aesthetics: The viewer should be able to instantly relate to your post. Therefore, the format should be simple and easy to understand. And while you shouldn’t deviate too much from the family of memes being shared, you should add some originality to it. Memes can also be produced in various forms such as creatives and a campaign can also incorporate meme-making challenges.

Having insights about the meme culture will help you find the right balance.

 

• Distribution: Distribution is one of the significant pillars of a meme marketing campaign. You need to make sure the end-product goes live while the topic is trending and high-chatter periods. The amplification should be swift and should last for a short period.

You can also use meme pages the same way use influencers to reach an audience beyond your followers. 

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