4 Reasons to use memes in your marketing strategy
In the digital era, memes have evolved into a type of cultural currency that can be found on all social media platforms. They’re crisp, hilarious pieces of material with a picture and text that are bound to be consumed quickly. But can memes be used for marketing?
What are memes?
In his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins invented the term “meme.” The name comes from the Greek word “mimeme” (something imitated) and “gene,” which rhymes with “cream.”
Memes, according to Dawkins, are “our ideas, beliefs, civilizations, and habits that replicate themselves.” They spread from person to person by imitation, sharing, and repetition, much like a virus.”
Today’s social networks are ideal for passing on these cultural genes. If a post resonates with the public, it has the potential to go viral very rapidly. The most popular memes tend to convey a certain event, sentiment, or emotion in a visually appealing, social media-friendly way.
Below are the 4 most fascinating reasons to incorporate memes in your digital strategies.
1 Memes are inexpensive to make.
Internet memes have a particular homey feel to humans. Anyone can create and use memes to bring in some spice to their marketing strategies. The difficult part is coming up with a witty caption. This is where professional marketers play a huge role in assisting brands.
It should be relevant to both the brand and the audience, without deviating from the connection with a sales pitch. Memes, when implemented well, are an inexpensive and fun method to get people to interact on social media.
2 Memes may be an effective brand-building tool.
You may also make your own meme-worthy content. That is, companies have the ability to generate content that has the potential to become a meme in itself.
If marketers want to utilize a trend as a vehicle for brand messaging, they must embrace the spirit of the trend. The more it’s shared, the more people will become aware of the brand. The finest memes, on the other hand, may last for years.
3 Memes may give your firm a human touch.
Businesses that involve memes ultimately reveal their human side. This might include making gentle fun of the brand’s traditional practices.
People are ‘seen’ when they locate a meme that fits their present mood, according to research. As a result, they post the meme in the hopes of receiving social validation from their friends on social media.
That implies memes don’t have to be humorous all of the time. Not only can they be entertaining, but they can also be thought-provoking and enlightening. However, because the more serious pictures tend to be political in nature, it is safer for companies to start with the lighter memes.
4 Memes provide immediate feedback.
For all of the reasons stated above, memes appeal to marketers. Their sole purpose is to go viral, and this is something that every company has discussed since the introduction of social media.
On this front, there are no certainties, and most memes will go away quickly. However, this should be viewed as a chance for businesses to learn rather than a reason to abandon memes. Marketers may utilise memes to gain rapid response from their audience as long as the meme effort isn’t terrible
It’s worth an attempt at making a meme if it’s appropriate for your brand. They’re cheap to make and, if they don’t catch on, they’ll go away quickly. And if they go viral, you could discover that you’ve learned something new about your audience.
