Ultimate Guide to Meme Marketing

Where to use memes in marketing

Social Media

Social Media is undoubtedly one of the most popular platforms to use memes in your marketing strategy. With the rise of social media, more and more businesses are using memes to engage with their audience and create viral content.

Blog posts

Words can get monotonous after a while. Memes are very useful in breaking that monotony. It's also an incentive for your audience to share the post because anyone would want to share something with memes in it.

Used sparingly, memes can be a great supplement to a key point you're making in that post. Like how I'm doing here.

Presentations

Who doesn't like it when their audience laughs while being on stage. Memes in your presentations instantly makes everyone pay attention because memes don't belong in presentation. It messes with people's head and they want to know why. It helps them remember it better. 

Cold Emails

Cold emailing is hard. It's even harder when you don't get replies.

Try including memes in your cold emails and you may at least get 'lol' as a reply. Even otherwise, you will stand out because most people automatically tune out regular boring email 

Display Ads

Brands spend a lot of money on display ads with abysmal conversion rate. Because, they sell the solution. An easier route is to sell the problem and just let audience infer the solution (aka what you have to offer)

Memes are an EXCELLENT way to sell the problem. The exaggeration works.

Step-by-step meme marketing guide

Step 1: Define the problem your product or service solves

Problems are ideal candidates for memes. Problems are ideal candidates for memes because memes are best suited to make fun of problems. Memes are a form of humor, and humor often relies on exaggeration, absurdity, or irony. Memes allow us to laugh at problems, making them more manageable and less daunting.

Memes are also highly shareable and can go viral quickly, making them an effective way to draw attention to problems. By creating memes that highlight problems, you can bring attention to important issues and start a conversation around them.

In addition, memes are a way to tap into the shared experiences of the internet community. Many memes are based on common experiences, such as workplace frustrations or relationship problems. By creating memes that tap into these shared experiences, you can make your brand more relatable and engaging.

Here are a few examples to help you think

For the rest of the guide, let's pick an Dropbox as an example in the memes

Step 2: List out the top most relevant and painful problems for your target audience

When creating memes to highlight a problem, it's important to list out the top most relevant and painful problems for your target audience. This increases the chances of your memes going viral as most people would relate to your problem.

It is also easier to create memes from specific problems instead of a broader problem. While it's tempting to use memes to communicate all the problem your product or service solves, resist it. Let's go after specific problem sets.

Continuing with your example, here are the list of specific problems that Dropbox solves:

1. Difficulty sharing large files with others
2. Inefficient collaboration on shared documents
3. Security concerns related to file storage and sharing
4. Difficulty accessing files remotely
5. Limited storage capacity on local devices
6. Difficulty syncing files across multiple devices
7. Limited version control and document history tracking
8. Difficulty managing permissions for shared files and folders
9. Time-consuming process of manually backing up important files
10. Inability to work offline without sacrificing productivity.

Step 3: Pick problems that are popular and easy to understand

The effectiveness of memes comes from its ability to communicate more with less. An obvious downside of that is you have very little real estate to communicate. So it's important to pick problems that your audience is already well aware of.

In our above example, problems like "difficulty syncing" or "manually backing up" are real problems but harder to make memes out of because you need to establish context first.

Instead let's pick problems like "difficulty accessing files remotely" or "limited storage on local devices" as they are well established problems that most users face already.

Step 4: Identify real life situations from the problem

Let's pick "limited storage" as an example. To create memes from this, we need situations where these "problems" become real.

Here are some of the situations that are derived from the problem "limited storage"

1. When a user is unable to save important documents or files on their computer due to limited storage space.
2. When a user is unable to download a necessary application or software because there is not enough storage space available.
3. When a user is unable to store large media files, such as photos or videos, on their computer, forcing them to constantly delete files to free up space.
4. When a user is unable to install important software updates due to limited storage space, which can leave their computer vulnerable to security risks.
5. When a user is unable to transfer files between devices due to limited storage space, making it difficult to access important documents or files on-the-go.
6. When a user is unable to download or store files necessary for work or school, which can impact their productivity and performance.
7. When a user is forced to rely on external hard drives or cloud storage solutions, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Step 5: Create memes on the situations

Let's create some memes! Once you have the situation, it's easy to start creating memes mocking them

If we pick "when a user is unable to store large media files" as a meme-able problem, then you need to create memes that makes a mockery of the situation.

Start by searching for the situation on meme template repositories like Supermeme.ai

The second template seems to be appropriate and now let's write a meme caption for it. You can directly derive the caption from the situation itself.

Here's another example

The above memes were created using Supermeme.ai, an AI powered meme generator. See more examples AI generated memes here

Step 6: Distribute the meme

Now once you have the meme, you can start sharing it on social media. Remember that most memes get downloaded and shared separately so it might be a good idea to include a watermark or logo of your brand

Here are some of the potential areas where you can distribute them

1. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
2. Email newsletters and marketing campaigns.
3. Websites and blogs, by embedding memes in blog posts or creating dedicated meme pages.
4. Online forums and discussion boards, where memes can be shared and engaged with by community members.
5. Advertising campaigns, by incorporating memes into digital ads or print ads.
6. Event marketing, by creating collaterals like stickers or badges with memes

Examples Meme Marketing by Popular Brands

Here are some examples of brands that have successfully used memes in their marketing campaigns:

1. Wendy's - The fast-food chain is known for its witty and sassy social media presence, and they have used memes to further showcase their humor. In 2017, Wendy's tweeted a meme of a "pepe the frog" dressed in a Wendy's uniform, with the caption "We beefin'". The tweet went viral and generated a lot of buzz for the brand.

2. Netflix - The streaming giant has used memes to promote their original content, such as the popular show Stranger Things. They created a meme featuring the character Eleven with the caption "Friends don't lie", which became a viral sensation on social media.

3. Denny's - The restaurant chain has a quirky social media presence and has used memes to engage with their audience. In 2017, they tweeted a meme of a pancake with the caption "Zoom in on the syrup" which went viral and generated a lot of attention for the brand.

4. Groupon - The online marketplace has used memes to showcase their deals and discounts. They created a meme featuring a confused dog with the caption "When you realize you saved money with Groupon" which resonated with their target audience and generated a lot of engagement.

5. Old Spice - The men's grooming brand has a history of using humorous and unconventional marketing tactics, and memes are no exception. They created a series of memes featuring their spokesman Isaiah Mustafa, which helped to increase engagement and brand awareness among their target audience.

Benefits of Meme Marketing

While some may view memes as frivolous, there are actually many benefits to incorporating them into your marketing strategy. Here are some of the key advantages of meme marketing:

Cost effective:

One of the biggest benefits of using memes in your marketing is that it can be very cost effective. Creating a meme typically doesn't require a large budget or team, and they can be easily shared on social media without requiring any paid advertising.

Attention grabbing:

Memes are designed to be eye-catching and attention-grabbing. They use humor and wit to make people stop scrolling through their feeds and engage with the content. This can be a powerful way to get your brand noticed and increase your visibility online. Memes have a higher potential to go viral compared to other kind of marketing content.

Stand out from the crowd:

In today's crowded online marketplace, it can be hard to stand out from the competition with your marketing. Everyone does blog posts, webinars, white papers and other such common marketing tactics. Using memes can be a great way to differentiate yourself from other brands and capture the attention of potential customers.

Position yourself as a modern brand:

By using memes, you can position your brand as modern, relevant, and in touch with the latest trends. This can help attract younger audiences who are more likely to engage with brands that are on the cutting edge of popular culture.

Appeal to Gen Z:

As mentioned above, memes are particularly popular among younger audiences. If your target market includes millennials or Gen Z, incorporating memes into your marketing strategy can be an effective way to connect with them and build brand loyalty.

Keep in mind while using memes

Stay Relevant:

Memes have a short shelf life, so it's important to stay on top of current trends and cultural references to ensure that your memes are relevant and relatable.

Be Authentic:

Memes are meant to be funny and authentic, and trying too hard to be trendy or cool can backfire. Be true to your brand's personality and voice while incorporating memes into your marketing strategy.

Know Your Audience:

As mentioned earlier, understanding your target audience and their sense of humour is essential when using memes in your marketing campaign. Make sure that the memes you choose align with your audience's values and interests.

Use Memes Sparingly:

While memes can be a powerful tool for promoting your brand, it's important not to overdo it. Using memes too frequently can make your brand seem unprofessional and gimmicky.

Potential risks in meme marketing

Just like any marketing strategy, meme marketing also comes with potential risks that you should be aware of before jumping in.

Negative branding

One of the main risks of using memes in your marketing is negative branding. If a meme doesn't resonate with your audience or falls flat, it can reflect poorly on your brand and damage your reputation. To avoid this risk, it's important to thoroughly research your audience and ensure that the memes you use are relevant and engaging to them.

Offending someone

Another risk of meme marketing is potentially offending someone. Memes often use humor and satire to make a point, but this can sometimes cross a line and offend certain individuals or groups. To avoid this risk, it's important to be sensitive to cultural and social issues and to avoid using memes that could be seen as insensitive or offensive.

Outdated memes

It's also important to note that memes can quickly become outdated or overused, which can diminish their effectiveness. To avoid this, it's important to stay up-to-date with current trends and to use memes sparingly and strategically. How to create a meme

FAQs

Will memes go viral all the time and get me a lot of traffic?

Yes and no. Memes are like any other content pieces. Quality content will always get amplified by the user. Since memes are easy to consume, their chance of going viral is 5x - 10x more than other content types (blog posts, newsletters or videos)

Also note that you may not always get relevant traffic as memes can reach beyond your target audience.

Where can I learn meme marketing?

Right here on this page (lol,jk). The best teacher is your audience. Keep sharing memes and monitor feedback to understand how your memes perform.

Will I face copyright issues if I use memes in my marketing?

Memes are usually protected under fair usage policy. However, it's best to consult with an expert since it is a gray area.

Author

Sanjeev NC

Sanjeev is one of the co-founders of Supermeme.ai, an AI meme generator. Sanjeev has been creating memes for over a decade and now consults with companies on infusing humour in their marketing