Did you know that memes were popular before the internet took over the world? Yes! You heard it right. Memes were a popular part of media reference but were restricted to savvy usage in the print media.
Despite the restrictive usage, memes were as well known then as they as they are now. Today memes have become a modus of communication and response to the present generation.
It has evolved from the stature of snarky humor to a more popular collective response to incidents or ideas. They are a focal point of communication apart from the comic cape and influence a generation of trends and even businesses in the present day!
From the erstwhile personal usage in a guise of limerick to more meaningful and pragmatic use of commercial value, memes have seen it all. If you remember the Friday meme, you can imagine the range of impact a meme has on today’s times.
As entrepreneurial ventures are gathering the courage to go all out in terms of promotion, here are some tips on what to consider before making meme-based promotions.
1. Target Audience
At the onset, let us understand that memes are not for everyone; therefore, it is essential to understand your target audience. A target audience provides you with the framework of expectations within which you have to create, assess, and recreate your strategies.
Targeting a specific audience also helps streamline the content and curate content that matches your brand’s voice and your target audience.
It is always better to head in a definite direction than wander. A target audience is a reference point for the marketer to gauge the response, analyze trends, and direct the content along those lines.
2. Humor on Point
The humour propagated through memes is, in many ways, a snarkier form of comedy that may be distasteful and rude or offensive to a specific section of people.
Thus, your humour must adhere to the sensitivity and sentiments of the public. If your mood is not on point, then it derails all the efforts you put into creating a marketing strategy. Implementing this strategy is included in the subtlety of the humour.
Humour about the meme is one of the most sensitive aspects of it. If this aspect is compromised, then the effect of the meme and its punch gets diluted.
3. Originality Is Rewarding
Part of including memes in marketing strategies is to be genuine and authentic in its usage. Creatives’ originality in a meme does not mean that you are not recycling or remarketing old ideas. It just means that you need to innovate on how to rebrand them.
Though marketing teams may research and analyze what kind of meme culture is trending, conformity to trends is seldom rewarding. Instead, emphasis must be on the originality of usage.
For instance, sometimes a straightforward, funny content using tools like InVideo is more effective in generating the necessary response than the funniest of memes. Thus, it all boils down to the originality of content and ingenuity of usage.
4. Extra Marks For Effortlessness
Sometimes the content may become overwhelming due to its over-the-top presentation. If the joke is identified to put in too much of an effort to make you laugh, the meme becomes pointless. Although underwhelming your audience is also not advisable, the essence of a proper marketing plan is to charm with effortless ease.
Put, if you have to put in a lot of effort into highlighting the meme’s message, maybe it doesn’t fit the context. The entire point of emphasis on memes is to put the message across in a humorous manner subtly! The effortlessness in a meme is what makes it extremely useful.
What Are The Advantages Of Memes To Businesses?
Given the wide popularity of memes, most businesses are tempted to dive right in and start straight away. It is essential to decide whether memes will be able to help your case or not. This assessment is crucial in determining memes’ ability to contribute towards your future as a probable marketing tool. In this regard, the following advantages are pertinent –
1. Affordability
Amid the various content that is available to businesses, whether it be social media or any other channel, memes are the cheapest. With a little bit of creativity and a little help from any online meme maker, you can easily create your memes.
The only thing you need is a meme template for yourself and an essential editing tool. Thus, it can promote your content with minimalistic effort and maximum reward.
2. Viral Marketing
Memes are trendy, and their viral marketing prospects need no introduction. This makes them wildly shareable on the internet today. A large part of the credit goes to humour, and so the funnier a meme is, the more traction it will gain on the internet.
Most channels of marketing are nowadays focused on incrementing sales through the shorter route of viral marketing. Though no one can claim to crack the code regarding viral marketing, memes pose a genuine surety in that content promotion will be sufficient. If done right, it can boost the image of your brand or product.
3. Merits of Trends
Another reason why meme is advantageous for your brand is that memes are often closely based on recent trends or events. Some of the memes are so well known that they become trendsetters for the market.
This gives your brand an image or reputation of being modern and updated with the world’s events. When your brand is seen making engagements or posts on such memes by adding a personalized twist, it builds a better relationship with your prospects.
This is because you seem more friendly and approachable to the common masses.
Final Thought
How you create or brand memes ultimately resides in your discretion and personal choice. It is crucial to market it in such a way to make the most of the meme template and creativity.