Market Better with Memes

Social media rules the Web, and businesses are competing to achieve virality. Of course, creating viral content isn’t an exact science, although some strategies are growing in popularity… particularly memes.

Google describes a meme as an element of culture or system of behavior that may be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation. More specifically, a meme is a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users. The word derives from the Greek word mimema, which describes that which is imitated. In 1976 British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the word to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena, citing examples including melodies, catch-phrases and fashion.

An Internet meme is a similar concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet through blogs, forums, e-mail and social networks. It’s become so popular that marketing professionals have embraced the concept as a form to create “buzz” for their brands. Not only are Internet memes cost-effective, but they can possess superior longevity as sharing continues among an ever-growing audience over time.

Although a meme can originate from just about any image, text, video or action, certain popular themes have emerged, including:

Photo memes include any image of a person imitating a popular action, such as planking, owling or Tebowing. Photos of individuals holding up signs for popular catch-phrases, including “I am the 99 percent,” “Obamacare” or “I beat cancer,” have also gained momentum on social networks. A video meme often includes a well-known video clip dubbed over with humorous speech or ironic music.
Photo memes can prove useful to marketers when they ask readers to post pictures of themselves engaging in a certain activity. Readers can be encouraged by qualifying for a contest or earning a discount. The more posts, the more likely the content will be shared.

Often the most viral Internet memes are images that have slightly been altered than an original photo, usually a familiar photo or cartoon with humorous or awe-inspiring captions. Image memes can be the most successful in spreading a message.

Marketers benefit from image memes by slightly altering them with their own captions, such as announcing a new product or an upcoming sale. Once a brand message is attached to an already-trending meme, its audience more likely remembers and relates to the brand.

Even if you’re not well-acquainted with graphic design, you can create some great image memes on sites like memegenerator.net and quickmeme.com.

A Twitter hashtag is actually a form of meme. When a popular word or phrase begins to trend by placing a hashtag in front of it, content related to it can more easily go viral. Research trending phrases on your social media accounts or with Google Trends.

A meme that targets the wrong audience can backfire. Memes are more popular with millennials and other tech-savvy readers. Therefore, a business marketing toward low-income retirees won’t find the right audience among those who are likely to share a meme. It’s also important to consider whether a meme with humorous intentions might offend its target audience of consumers.

One of the best ways to ensure a popular meme is to alter another one that has already gone viral. It’s important find a meme that, while viral, has not already been meme-jacked by too many others. Overused memes can get old fast. Perfect to share on social media, meme-jacked memes also take less time to create. Just be sure you don’t change the original meme too much.

What types of memes are you most likely to share online?