We discuss the following topics in this blog:
- Why Must Business Marketers Embrace Memes?
- How to Use Memes as an Effective Marketing Tool?
Contents
Overview
How many times have you enjoyed reading a creative internet meme and shared it right away with your friends or colleagues? There is an excellent chance that these memes will capture the interest of your clients and customers as well. Have you wondered how you can tap the immense potential of memes and turn them into a successful advertising and marketing strategy instead of avoiding them? The simple but clever Bernie Sanders meme that helped raise US$1.8 million for charity is the latest shining example of the power of meme marketing.
What’s the Deal with Memes?
The concept of “memes” as they are called today has been around since the 1970s. Initially used for spreading cultural information, it is now a means of digital communication amongst many other forms of content we share online.
Getting a piece of content to go viral is like striking a jackpot for social media users, and why must marketing teams be left behind? But most memes are forgotten as quickly as they become viral and therefore, it is critical for marketers to understand how to put out valuable, non-fading content.
Viral marketing relies on the audience to promote a message or service through hard-hitting content. Most of the modern viral marketing on social media is driven by the popularity of memes. Memes are not always necessarily associated with a product; they can make principles viral as well. Through memes, marketers can share a brand’s buzz-worthy ad or message and let it spread like wildfire.
Why Must Business Marketers Embrace Memes?
Other than the apparent reason of a wide audience reach, there are other advantages to include memes in your marketing strategy:
- Emotional Validation
The primary motivation for anyone to share content online is emotional validation. When you spot a meme that you agree with, you tend to feel validated and wish to share it with others. Social sharing has a significant influence in tapping into emotional responses. Tapping into this emotional space is a crucial component in creating content that incites your audience to share it widely.
2. Universal applicability
Memes follow a common online language and bridge the gap between people who may not generally communicate. They are ubiquitous, fun, and can reach millions within seconds. They are simple yet powerful images as they tap on both personal and universal experiences. They have grown from being mere cultural expressions to helping in delivering highly customized user experiences.
3. A Strong Branding Platform
Meme culture will organically boost your brand recognition through your fans. If you begin with an impactful meme, one reader may add his sprinkle of imagination and share it and the next one will give his own twist and so on. These fan-generated memes eventually become a craze and end up as a marketing jackpot for the business. For instance, Netflix, the online media giant managed to leverage several fan-generated memes for many of its productions.
How to Use Memes as an Effective Marketing Tool?
A few tips on how to use memes as an effective marketing tool:
- Memes must align with your brand reputation.
- They must understand your audience and respect their choices.
- Memes must be relevant and reflect current events.
- Humor must be an integral part of every meme.
The Final Word
Memes when used for brand promotion back your brand and express their loyalty towards it. They are an affordable and relatable way for your business to gain traction and enhance your brand’s visibility.
