If you’ve scrolled through your social media platforms’ newsfeed for at least a day, you might encounter “inside” jokes that are in the form of memes. While most people aren’t really too familiar with how memes work, it’s still known for being one of the best ways of getting engagements in social media. After all, having a quick laugh from a simple but witty joke can definitely get someone’s attention.
But other than just being a quick laugh, most memes don’t necessarily need too much work or effort compared to more “formal” marketing posts that require a good amount of attention to detail and content. This makes it a great way of reaching out to the general public while still being entertaining. But there’s definitely more than what meets the eye when it comes to memes, especially since it’s skyrocketing in popularity.
So how do we use memes when we’re marketing a business or a product? What are some ways of effectively getting the attention of the public? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Meme Jacking
The topic of using and acquiring content, images, and videos on the internet for marketing can be tricky, especially when some of these types of content are copyrighted. But compared to other types of intellectual properties found on the Internet, memes can be used by anyone without proper permission. While most individuals can still ask permission from the “creator,” it’s proven to be a difficult process since millions of users can easily create memes of their own.
Since any organization and individual can use memes, this is a great way of marketing without touching the subject of copyright laws. But just like any other type of marketing: it’s all about understanding what’s popular with a certain demographic. This practice is known as meme-jacking, where most marketers would use memes to get their target market’s attention. This is especially useful if you want to become more popular with a younger market group.
Utilizing Memes in Marketing
So what are some ways of utilizing memes for your marketing campaigns? Here’s what you can do:
Make It Authentic
Although memes are low-effort, this doesn’t mean that you should recycle memes. Although you might want to engage your audience with witty quotes and a good laugh, they’ll still be aware if you’re recycling the same meme. It’s important to start creating your own “memes” that are still riding the market’s trend.
You must understand what some of these memes will imply and how you can align these to some of your products. Most of the time, memes with dialogues will usually come in comic strips or simply images with captions. This is a great way of marketing and endorsing products and services while still catching the attention of your audience. Fortunately, a cartoon generator can be used to create memes to catch the attention of your audience.
Know What’s Trending
Knowing what’s currently “in” will help you know what your target audience will want. If you’re going to post a meme that was popular five years ago, there’s a good chance that people won’t be able to relate to it. In other cases, people will find the meme weird. That said, timing is crucial when you’re marketing memes. Try knowing what’s currently trending in terms of local and international news. Can you make a meme out of it? This is one of the effective means of marketing.
Businesses that have a good sense of humor will usually have an even better chance of gaining engagements. Being able to “ride a joke” can definitely give you attention.
There are different ways of utilizing memes for your marketing campaigns. Still, you’ll need to ensure that the “template” and the theme of your meme will go with what you want to instill in your target audience. Otherwise, it will seem like you’re “trying hard” if you’re using memes without the right context. The bottom line? You don’t have to go for complicated memes; as long as these memes are popular and easy-to-understand, you’re on the right track.