What is a meme? A popular term for a quote, catchphrase, joke, or idea that often starts with a short sentence, phrase, or scene from films and TV programs.
Many memes start out on social media and then get a lot of traction amongst individuals, but many brands are seen to use them as well—for the "fun" of it.
These memes tend to become trends among consumers, so be sure to take advantage, especially if they relate to your company or industry.
Memes have become a widely used strategy on social platforms to engage your audience and gain your brand's following. They're witty, relatable, and a quick-fix for a prompt answer.
Many brands post memes on social media these days, whether for a promotion or just for fun. They don't always have to say something valid or essential - they can just be for the good times.
All in all, if you're going to use a meme, it should be about something relatable, and that has lots of engagement for your audience.
Introduction to meme marketing
Meme marketing is a simple way of having your brand's message relayed with memes. It's a fantastic way to easily reach out to people and engage them with your content, as memes are something that everyone has come into contact with.
A fitting definition of memes is an idea, attitude, notion, or theme that's gained much attention over social media. They're usually expressed through viral videos, text posts, pictures, or GIFs and come in all forms of media.
Memes have been popular for a while, and more people are using them as a form of marketing. They only take a few seconds to create, and they're accepted by most people.
The best part about a meme is that you don't have to do any work to promote it! They spread quickly on the new media and have a clear idea. Potentially humorous memes are a great way to generate engagement with an audience.
When you attach a meme to a post, people cannot just help but like, comment, and share it. Memes bring people together as they can be seen on many posts and can't be ignored.
Strategic hashtag, keyword, caption/description, and CTA use will add more fire to the wildfire - that’s how you’ll be spreading if mastered and applied correctly.
Instances of how renowned brands use memes in their SMM campaigns
1. The Living Potion
When the 'Certified Lover Boy' album cover by Drake went global, the rapper was happy knowing that his cover could be used for memes. After all, it didn't take long for people to create their own versions—including The Living Potion (to promote their perfumes).
2. Ruka Hair
One meme that spread quickly on social media was a picture of Oprah during an interview with Meghan and Harry, with her hand raised in dissatisfaction while she looked away.
To represent significant pain points for gel users, Ruka Hair created its own version of the meme.
3. Kai Collective
Last quarter of last year, Black Wojak memes went viral, and many other people started to make their own variations of the meme.
This is a meme of two black women meeting, blending over something, and enjoying each other's company.
December was when this viral content was at its peak, and Kai Collective leveraged it pretty well.
4. Strong Black Lead by Netflix
Netflix's new media managers are good at coming up with funny memes by sometimes taking a cue from memes that already exist on the internet and creating a similar thing using their in-house ones.
Netflix likes to use its massive range of images to come up with content for social media.
5. Diamond Express Travels
Diamond Express used an image from one of Drake's music videos to build brand awareness. He can be seen looking disapproving at something until he's presented with the better alternative.
They recreated the meme to capture some of the issues people face when arranging and making travel arrangements.
It's a sound business decision to attach your company logo or name to memes you create; memes are highly distributable, and this helps give credit where it's due.
6. Hydrop.io
This meme is about a guy who's with someone but can't help but pay attention to the passing person.
Founded in India, Hydrop.io is a water brand that uses the meme to represent how its audience sees other brands.
The caption went into detail about the advantages of alkaline water.
7. Clean Skin Club
This brand liked the way Bernie Sanders looked at the camera during the Presidential Inauguration of 2020 - indifferent and doesn't seem to care.
They used this image to create a meme with the message "make an informed decision."
8. Purity Coffee
A famous beverage brand, Purity Coffee, coined a meme out of an old conversation that they found in a 2002 Star Wars film. The conversation is between a duo, and one of them is about to be excited about something to the other.
This coffee brand used this meme to enlighten its users about a problem they may not know while simultaneously building their brand value.
9. Yappy
This meme can be used in all sorts of situations and is popular with pet lovers. Yappy is an online pet store that captivates its audience by showing lovingly cared for animals that are up for adoption.
Brand memes are becoming increasingly popular, reaching a potential audience with humor and relatability. This will develop your social networks quickly.
The ripple effect will be massive engagement once you know how to use memes and tailor their meaning to the targeted audience.
10. Black Rooster Taqueria
The same Oprah Winfrey interview meme was used by this Mexican restaurant to convey the message: why eat tasteless, frozen, flour tortillas when we can offer you fresh corn tortillas?
11. Mypsomagen
This meme is based on a photo of Kim Kardashian and her sister, Kendall Jenner. It signifies a contrast between before and after, light and darkness, positive outcomes and negative ones, etc.
Mypsomagen is a biotechnology company that produced Gutbiome+, a product kit. Using this meme, they promoted their product through their social feeds.
How to create a meme
Below are four basic steps to create a meme with the help of InVideo:
First step: Create an account with InVideo.
Second step: Click the search bar to find your desired meme template, and then pick the size you want.
Third step: Choose logos, voice-overs, music, or videos of your choice and edit the text to your preference.
Fourth step: To get your designed meme, click the download button in the right corner of the interface. Once downloaded, your meme is ready for you to share with followers everywhere!
Meme advertising tips
Meme marketing is an effective and powerful way to keep your community engaged with your brand. To do it the best way, you need to create memes that are useful to them. Here’s how:
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Focus on your brand
Trendy things are only cool if you can build on the trend. Make sure your meme is different from everyone else's, with a clear connection to who you are as a brand.
Choose the right meme for your brand AND message. Be wise in what you choose to post with your logo or tagline on it.
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Be courteous
Memes can be a great way to engage with your audience and spread your message, but don't do it if you don't know what you're doing. You might be inadvertently encouraging certain behaviors and hurting your business in the process.
Before posting a meme on social media, see if you answer YES to these few questions:
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Are a selected group of people getting picked on?
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Is there any offensive language in this meme (slurs, harsh words, shades, insults, etc.)?
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Does it hinge on suggestive images or language?
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Think carefully before using memes.
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Abide by meme rules
It can often be challenging to do things properly, even when it comes to memes. Using the below tips will also help you get it right quicker.
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Be concise and enjoyable
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Use user-friendly words and large fonts
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Ensure your meme is identifiable
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Don’t edit out the essence of the meme
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Don’t include a direct Call-to-Action
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Use the meme while it’s still trending
Memes should be shared while they are still relevant. Otherwise, it can feel challenging to re-ignite the topic.
Conclusion
Meme marketing is an excellent means of sharing your brand with potential customers. It can make your brand more appealing to a broader audience, especially when it's hard to create graphics.
Memes are a great format to get your message across because you want to make sure people can relate to them on some level.
