What Does it All Meme?
Memes are eye catching and easily relatable. Similar to GIFs, they have become a way for people to communicate quickly online within a shared context. They are so prolific, that Instagram estimates that approximately one million memes are shared on the platform every day – and that’s just on Instagram. Brands will likely want to leverage this type of image to connect with their audience, and we don’t blame them. However, before diving into the meme game, it’s a good idea to review the benefits and pitfalls of using this type of content.
Benefits and pitfalls of using memes
If you haven’t considered using memes as part of your strategy yet, there are some key benefits to using meme content.
- Affordable – Creating content can range wildly in cost. However, creating a meme is quite affordable, especially if you use a free generator such as Imgur. If your marketing team can come up with clever ideas that fit your brand and leverage trending memes, this content is easy to produce.
- Boost engagement – Memes are entertaining and can help brands boost engagement. They are bite-sized windows into the current zeitgeist and easily sharable, so they can spark followers to like, comment and repost.
- Join the conversation – Memes help brands join the conversation of the day or week. Sometimes it’s hard to connect your brand with current events or media happenings, but a clever meme can place your brand right in the middle of whatever is trending, even if it doesn’t directly relate to your company or products.
While memes can provide a lot of great content and benefits, it’s critical to ensure you fully understand the source material. If you’re going to use a meme that isn’t generated by your own brand, it’s imperative that you understand the source material and assess whether the image or joke is appropriate for your brand. If you don’t completely understand how the meme originated, you run the risk of creating something offensive and alienating or angering your target.
If you need help developing a marcom strategy that includes memes, give us a call to connect with one of our strategic marketing experts!