Author: Colin Buckley, Senior Marketing Strategist
In the last decade, the prevalence of memes has increased exponentially on digital social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Memes first existed as a microcosm of the modern internet. There were only a few templates, and the community of creators and consumers was small. However, memes are not only popular nowadays, but integral to pop culture. Megastars such as Rihanna, Joe Jonas, and Taylor Swift have all shared or acknowledged memes, validating the capability of memes to reach anyone with an internet connection. Most people are familiar with memes, but what really are they? And why should a marketer care?
What’s a Meme?
Oxford Dictionary defines a meme as: “an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation.”
That’s an impressively vague assortment of big words, but memes can be explained more simply.
Memes are pieces of content (image, video, text) that are relevant to pop culture and are copied with slight variations. Let’s look at an example:
This template (image) is one of the most commonly circulated memes out there. The image itself tells a story; the man’s attention is focused on the woman in red rather than the woman in blue who appears to be his romantic partner. But to make this image a meme, the details must be changed while maintaining the context. In this example, it is conveyed that millennials prioritize avocado toast over serious responsibilities. Obviously, this is generalizing, ironic, and objectively not true, but that’s what makes it funny!
Memes have become somewhat of a common language on the internet. Even if someone doesn’t understand the topic details of a meme, they’ll likely understand the context and make a connection. Let’s look at another example:
Engineering is the topic of this meme. Now let’s be clear, I know nothing about engineering or studying the field, yet I still understand this meme. The text infers that engineering students are incredibly busy with work. The text is also a quote from the iconic TV show, The Office, so those that are familiar with the show have an additional layer of understanding.
Putting Memes to Use
Ok, so we understand how memes work, but how can silly pictures be leveraged to grow your business and bolster your marketing strategy?
If memes are the universal language of social media, then why wouldn’t a marketer utilize them? Memes create an opportunity to informally communicate with your audience in a fun way. They are especially useful in capturing younger demographics such as students and postgrads.
An additional benefit to using memes is that they’re super easy to make. Need a piece of content to post by tomorrow but don’t feel like spending hours designing a graphic? Find a meme a meme template online and plug in your creative text variation. It’s really that easy!
Memes Are Here to Stay
So, you’re not sold yet? You think these silly internet jokes are a waste of time? Well that’d be right if the year was 2012, but times have changed and so have marketing strategies.
Elon Musk, founder of several companies cumulatively valued over 1 trillion dollars (with a T!), is a proud proponent of meme marketing. Take a look at this “silly” meme he posted about crypto currency:
The simple, humorous image generated 760.5 thousand likes, 96.1 thousand shares, and 32.5 thousand comments. How silly is that?!
Granted, Musk already had a large platform and has been known to be unconforming, but that’s the point. Musk posts what he likes and let’s his audience find him. Traditional branding strategies try too hard to please everyone and end up being bland. To gain a following that’s truly interested in your business, you must be original.
If you don’t believe me, take Elon’s word for it:
Takeaways
Younger generations are shifting the way that they communicate at a faster pace than ever before. Marketers that fail to adapt to the interests of their target market and cultural evolution will be left behind in the dust.
Determine if memes are relevant to your market and start creating meme content now! Who said work couldn’t be fun?
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