Looking for an interesting way to attract people to social networks? Have you considered using memes in marketing?
In this article, you will learn how your business can use memes to interact and communicate with people.
3 reasons to include memes in your social media content
At a time when many consumers skip advertising, when possible, marketing with humor can attract hard-to-reach consumers. For professional storytellers — digital marketers, entrepreneurs, animators, and creative professionals — meme marketing can be an extremely cheap way to create engaging content.
On social networks, memes usually take the form of GIFs or static images, often with text overlaid on the image.
In different industries, more and more marketers use memes to create a community, communicate with their audience. Here are three reasons why memes should be part of your social media content.
Memes - Inexpensive Content
Memes reproduce content created by other people, so you do not need to create the original video or photos yourself. They save the time for small businesses and digital marketing professionals to produce original content.
Just add a new headline or a new twist in a familiar storyline. In addition, memers value DIY, low-resolution content, so don't worry if you have limited design skills.
Memes support a sense of community
Memes are funny and it helps to develop the community. They create a sense of belonging because your audience may relate to the situation you are referring to and everyone is participating in the same joke.
If you can make your audience laugh, you will attract followers. If your meme includes an absurd visual or catchy melody, brand awareness improves.
Brand relevance
Since memes are often associated with a current trend or event, they make your brand more real, modern, and human. Memes appeal to modern or cultural events that your viewers are aware of, which seem authentic and fresh. This content serves to unite the community around a common criterion and makes your brand more attractive.
# 1: make sure the meme matches your brand
While most marketers are aware of memes that may appeal to their audience, it can be difficult to align them with the brand.
But as memes become more and more popular, even high-end brands have begun experimenting with them in order to stay relevant and develop their followers. Memes can greatly expand your reach, especially if your target customer is Millennial or younger.
Memes usually use satire, social media comments, or nostalgia.
Content should be genuine and not too conservative. Sharp content demonstrates that your brand has the personality and uniqueness to distinguish your company from commercial competitors.
While memes can be controversial and not liked by everyone, they help maintain niche positioning and reach a specific community. Start by clearly defining your target person:
• What content does your client consume?
• What music, TV shows, or celebrities do they like?
• How can you please and entertain them?
• What challenges do they face that are common to their community?
A commitment to a subculture or niche is the goal, not the enemy of good marketing.
Advice for Professionals: Many attempts at meme marketing do not hit the target because they are basically structured like regular advertising. Successful memes do not include a call to action; there is neither “buy" nor "subscribe" in the body.
But when your content on social networks delights and entertains those who interact with it, the content is likely to be distributed. Your brand can reach a wider audience, making it easier to reach potential customers and sales in the long run.
# 2: Design Your Meme Library
To create a meme content library, you can use existing memes or create your own.
Reassign existing memes
Browse trending meme templates or viral videos, images, or GIFs, and then add the original signature.
You can also rethink the dialogue from a popular GIF or movie. This method works well for beginner meme creators, because the format provides an outline for a joke.
Viral videos on YouTube often end with memes, so stay tuned for vibrant and fun moments, starting with trending videos and ending with a source of fresh content.
Create original memes
The original content is a little more complicated, because you need to find material for the meme, choose a format, and overlay some relevant comments. It will take more time, energy and creativity, but there is a greater likelihood that your content will be viral.
If you have a product with which customers can easily take photos, ask your community for permission to use their photos and videos. In addition, you and your team can shoot content yourself.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating custom memes for your brand:
• Types of memes. There are many different ways to create memes on the Internet, whether using photos, screenshots, videos, or GIFs. Experiment with them and see what users react most to!
• Fonts: Montserrat or Helvetica Neue are standard meme fonts because Twitter uses this style, but creators also use Arial, Comic Sans and others in different contexts. Despite being popular 5 years ago, the Impact font has gone out of style and tends to make memes look outdated.
• Style: Consider using emoticons, rounded corners, and inline text. Meme consumers are accustomed to these visual elements and recognize them immediately.
# 3: How to include memes in your content on social networks
For social media managers new to meme marketing, here's a list of ways to include memes in social media content:
Respond to a recent moment or cultural phenomenon
Report on what’s happening in real time, such as a random holiday (Chipotle’s free burrito day) or a live broadcast, such as the Women's World Cup.
Participate in challenges
A relatively recent meme is a bottle opening challenge. Think about how you can open it.
Tweet screenshot
Social media managers can joke quickly by repurposing Twitter content for Instagram to create a brand meme. Make sure you include the original creator's Twitter account name in your screenshot.
Repost relevant user memes
Because memes are by definition intended to be shared, meme creators usually accept or even encourage others to post their materials. Marketers can change and re-share memes directly, although double-check to make sure you share legally!
Conclusion
The popularity of memes is growing. Meme related content is found on visual content platforms such as Tumblr, Pinterest, IGTV, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Many brands use memes as an effective tool for their marketing strategy. Like most creative processes, trust your instincts. If you don't think the meme you created is funny, interesting, or insightful, your customers probably won't. Know that the more memes you consume, the better you will create them. Go and meme!
