First things first, what is a meme?
According to the highly reputable Urban Dictionary, a meme is “an idea, belief or belief system or pattern of behaviour that spreads throughout a culture”.
You may not have known the exact definition, but you’ve more than likely come across a meme before. Why? Because they’re EVERYWHERE.
But why are they everywhere? In a nutshell, memes are a fantastic marketing tool that benefit both readers and brands.
Familiar – The great thing about memes is that they are easy to understand and identify with. Readers are increasingly looking for tailored content that is relevant to them rather than random adverts that interrupt their reading or viewing pleasure. B2B marketers should note that a good industry joke can instantly grab a reader’s attention.
Funny – More often than not, memes tickle the old funny bone which is good news for your brand in more ways than one. Humour is a great way to engage readers and because people are usually keen to share mirth-inducing finds, you could see yourself climbing the social media hierarchy. Just make sure you’ve got the right buttons to enable this invaluable shareability.
Easy to consume – If you had to choose between a 500 word blog post and a series of entertaining images, what would you be more likely to go for? Memes are simple, easy to scan and are generally far more appealing than words on their own no matter how juicy the blog post or how entertaining an article.
How to use memes
Use existing memes – A quick Google image search will throw up a whole library of memes that you can use if they are relevant to your industry and the message you want to get across.
Create new memes – If you can’t find a meme that is relevant, make one yourself! Memes are best and make much more of an impact when they are adapted to your cause.
Learn from industry peers – Take a look at The Best of Content Marketing Memes, a post we put together back in January, to get an idea of how to use memes in your branded content.
Have fun – If you enjoy writing about something, the content is likely to be interesting and of a high standard, and it’s just the same with memes. If you make lots of good quality memes you will be rewarded with likes, shares and loyalty.
Image source: http://memegenerator.co/instance/35113928
Jenny Maclean
