Let’s be honest — most people’s social media feeds are made up of at least 90% memes, and it’s easy to see why. These fun and clever images can easily resonate with specific audiences. Plus, they are incredibly customisable, allowing for the creation of memes suitable for all demographics.
However, while most memes that you come across are posted by friends, some brands also take part in this meme culture. In fact, these memes can help companies engage with their audience and improve their brand awareness. Thus, if you’re a marketing expert or a complete beginner, you can’t afford to miss out on the meme marketing train!
But as with any form of marketing, you need to get it right from the start. So, let’s talk about the ins and outs of meme culture and meme marketing and how you can leverage them to boost your brand to the next level!
What Are Memes?
Generally speaking, memes are images of places, people, and events that feature a text overlay. More often than not, the included text highlights something relatable or funny about the image itself.
The main purpose of memes is to provide social commentary on a specific topic. But, unlike other media, it does so in a humorous, easy-to-digest and visual way. After all, memes allow people to get their point across with a simple image and a brief caption that rarely has more than 25 characters.
The History of Memes
Although it might sound impossible, memes go way back before the days of Twitter, 9gag, Instagram or any other social media platform. More specifically, archaeologists have traced the first meme back to 3 B.C.
However, it was Richard Dawkins that first mentioned the word meme in his 1976 book called The Selfish Gene. There, he used the word to describe the way cultural trends spread. While he didn’t precisely mean funny cat pictures, the core concept stays the same.
One of the first memes that garnered internet fame, in 1996, was the dancing baby. Then, a wave of peanut butter jelly time videos and gifs took the world by storm, further popularising the concept of memes. As the years went on, these types of videos and images spread like wildfire.
Then came Facebook, which made memes even more accessible and popular. Soon enough, everybody knew the latest memes and was sharing them with their friends. And now, no matter where you look, you’ll see a funny caption, interesting reference or any other type of meme.
Why Everybody Loves Memes?
The main reason why people love memes so much is that they provide an easy way to share relatable content, even with people that have never met. Additionally, memes make people laugh, regardless of their cultural background. And, since laughter is contagious, it makes sense why funny memes would also spread so fast.
Furthermore, memes are incredibly easy to create, find and share. That’s why they’ve become a vital part of the way people communicate digitally. Actually, phone manufacturers and OS developers integrate memes into their smartphone messaging systems. So, if your peers need a good laugh, a simple tap on your device is all you need to send them a funny meme.
What Are the Most Popular Memes?
Memes always come and go, and not every captioned image has the potential to become a worldwide phenomenon. But there are some that managed to beat the test of time and are still looked upon as masterpieces. Here are some of the most famous memes that can make anyone laugh or relate:
- Doge
- Grumpy cat
- Bad luck Brian
- Futurama fry
- First world problems
- Y u no
- Success kid
- Shut up and take my money
- That escalated quickly
- Disaster girl
- Distracted boyfriend
- Facepalm
- Good guy Greg
- Winter is coming
What About Copyright?
When it comes to copyright, things are very debatable. For starters, the images behind most memes are copyrighted. So, unless the creator classifies it as a Creative Commons graphic or the image is public domain, it’s safe to assume that you can’t use it for your marketing campaigns.
As a matter of fact, the original owners of these images are known to seek damages and even sue people. For example, Getty Images settled a couple of infringement cases that involved the Socially Awkward Penguin.
However, the internet is technically infinite, meaning that tracking down all instances of copyright content is almost impossible. Therefore, we recommend that you consult your legal team when planning to post a meme. Or even better, you can just contact the creator whenever possible. That way, you’ll know for sure if the meme you plan to use won’t warrant a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Should I Use Memes in My Marketing Campaigns?
Naturally, brands also took the opportunity to use meme marketing in their campaigns. Yet, while some companies nailed it, many got it completely wrong. That’s because few businesses truly understand how meme culture works.
Unlike promotional giveaways, memes have a very short lifespan. What’s popular today can become irrelevant in a matter of minutes. That makes it very hard to plan a reliable marketing campaign that will be effective for a long period of time. After all, you don’t want to come across as trying too hard to be hip only to always seem a few steps behind current trends.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that, even though popular memes can seem like the key to an efficient campaign, they are also overused. Thus, you should be careful when posting famous memes, as some people may respond negatively to your ads.
Final Thoughts
From engaging with your audience to establishing a community, memes can be a great addition to any marketing strategy. However, you shouldn’t just incorporate them randomly. In fact, it’s best to do your research first in order to find out the current trends and blend them with your campaigns.
Remember that, when done right, memes can become a cheap, easy and fun way to market your brand. So go ahead, pick your favourite memes or create your own and watch as your company becomes the next trendsetter.
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