Memes are the lifeblood of Internet users. They have evolved into a form of communication - changing how people perceive knowledge by making it easy and entertaining to consume.
Humor has always been a powerful coping tool. Memes provide a sense of relatability and worth to the consumers.
Instagram claims that one million people use the platform every day to share memes.
One of the reasons internauts love memes is that they serve as a reality check of their experiences in a satirical way.
What Is A Meme?
A meme is a piece of data that encapsulates the cultural beliefs and norms of a particular group. It is frequently in the form of a text-and-image combo, GIFs, or videos.
Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, created the term meme in his book The Selfish Gene. Dawkins outlines how ideas replicate, mutate, and evolve as a means of spreading common data or trends to a particular audience.
Memes have proven to be more than a fad. Millennials and Gen Z have turned to them as their primary source of information.
Why Should Businesses Use Memes In Their Branding?
Memes translate complex business concepts into a language that today’s customers understand. They make brands look trendy, relatable, and smart.
Popular brands in the world include memes in their branding strategy. Here is why:
Memes Boost Customer Engagement
The internet-savvy despises outmoded marketing tactics.
According to the Daily Mail, memes are similar to the bubonic plague as they originate in a specific location and spread from "person to person" in a wave-like fashion. Unlike the virus, however, memes can assist your customers in engaging with your company.
Memes enable brands to remain on top of current events, increase brand relevance, and appeal to their target audience in a fun and relevant way.
Denny’s Diner, an American restaurant chain, uses meme-marketing to increase customer engagement. Their memes on social media often go viral.
Denny's "zoom in on the syrup" meme went viral, sparking a flurry of responses. It is a spin-off of the "zoom-in" Twitter craze, in which users were asked to zoom in on various spots in a still image to reveal hidden text that directs them to the next point of text until they reach a message or punchline. “Has this taken your mind off your existential doom?”
Denny’s received more than 100K likes, 75K retweets, and 5000 new followers from its “zoom-in” meme.
Memes Showcase Your Witty Side & Entertain Your Audience
People love entertainment. They're also on the lookout for new ways to laugh and have fun.
A study by Sprout Social reveals that 72% of consumers expect brands to be funny on social media.
Memes are a source of amusement for people. When a person like a meme, they will share it with their friends. As a result, your consumers become brand ambassadors, spreading the word about your company to a larger audience.
BarkBox, a monthly subscription service for dog items, uses memes to its advantage by sharing amusing dog-related memes on its social media accounts. Their memes, dubbed "Doggo," are a hit among its consumers.
Memes Increase Brand Recall
Consumers remember memes for a long time. They acquire a fondness for a brand that they can't resist sharing.
Your customers will develop a strong brand memory if your meme-marketing has a USP.
Create a meme genre so that your customers can recognize you from afar just by glancing at your meme.
Netflix has mastered the art of meme marketing. The popular streaming service seldom misses an opportunity to share a hilarious meme with its viewers.
Memes Are Inexpensive & Easy To Create
You don’t require any fancy software to create memes. All you need is a great idea, a popular meme, and a simple editing tool. You must have the ability to employ all of these elements to make your brand appealing and humorous.
On the Internet, you can find meme templates. You can use Canva, Pinterest, Adobe, Kapwing, and other websites to design memes.
5 Best Tips On ‘How to Use Memes’ To Build Your Brand Image Organically
Though developing memes appear to be simple, there are a set of guidelines that marketers must follow if they are to wow their consumers.
1. Know Your Target Audience
Just because your meme is amusing doesn't mean it will resonate with your target audience. Millennial jokes, for example, aren't funny to Generation Z. The same applies to memes.
"If this is you, you best fill out your FAFSA," the Federal College Financial Aid Twitter account said, along with a still from the movie "Bridesmaids" that read "Help me, I'm poor." Given the high number of people battling with student debt, the tweet drew criticism.
FAFSA later removed the tweet and apologized. "We regret our previous tweet's insensitivity. Our mission is to make college a possibility for everyone. Please accept our heartfelt apologies," the company wrote.
Corporate memes are popular among people who work 9-5, life jokes are popular with almost everyone, and dog memes are popular with dog lovers.
Brands must determine who their target audience is. Find a common interest that will appeal to everyone if your target demographics are diverse.
2. Be Original: Create Your Own Memes
When it comes to memes, duplicating doesn't work. You can use popular meme themes or viral videos, but be sure to personalize it with your message.
You can even dig up old hit memes to take your audience on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Try to be genuine in everything you do and infuse it with your brand's personality.
Seamless, the US food delivery service is known for making its audience laugh with food jokes and puns. During the 2016 Academy Awards, the brand shook the internet with its OscarNomNoms memes, which later turned Oscar-nominated movie posters into food memes like The Wolf of Waffle Street.
3. Stay Trendy: Make Sure To Time Your Memes Correctly
Memes have a finite lifespan - they are transient. But, iconic memes are an exception.
As a result, it's critical for marketers to keep on top of the trend and capitalize on memes before they fade away.
To make the most of meme-marketing, stay active in meme forums and follow popular meme pages on social media.
4. Conduct Meme Research
Before posting a meme on social media, do some research. If a meme is ancient, look into its history to see how well it performed.
Examine all sides to ensure that your meme does not offend any members of your community.
It is important to remember that there is a thin line between being funny and being offensive. Do not attempt to be the latter.
5. Don't Go Overboard
Everything is good in moderation. The same applies to meme-marketing. Using memes every day will lose its luster and bore your audience.
To summarize, memes continue to grow in popularity on social channels like Pinterest, IGTV, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Brands need to utilize memes to increase their brand image, build customer interaction and gain traction.
