Kyle Fernandes, a 23-year-old, CEO and Co-Founder spearheads Meme Chat, a social network of Memes. Kyle is working towards achieving the vision of making the app popular amongst millennials and Gen Z, and helping the creators who use this app to earn money and also provide incentives. Meme Chat is a homegrown innovative entertainment app supporting the Government’s Make in India movement and enabling brands to grow and increase their engagement with organic marketing and growth hacking strategies.
Over the years, memes have become one of the most loved content formats. They are appreciated, used and shared by multitudes of social media users. As the consumers shifted to enjoying memes and using them as communication tools, brands too joined the bandwagon. Meme marketing is a modern approach to spreading awareness about a company and its products. Why is this trend gaining momentum? This technique allows marketers to easily expand their outreach and target base. As a marketing tool, it can be used to tap into customers hailing from different age groups, walks of life and geographical boundaries. In addition, it boosts the brand’s visibility by reaching out to the GenZ and Millennials, who earlier walked away from product-centric marketing of the past as it was too on the face. Are you curious to know how your brand can amp its meme marketing strategy? Here are some things to keep in mind –
Know your memes
Not every meme is apt for your brand. Before diving into this strategy, make sure you have studied your present and potential customers in-depth. If most of your target audience is a fan of movies, then sports-related memes might not work that well for your brand. You must roll out such memes and campaigns that help you connect with your customers. People enjoy memes that gives them emotional validation and makes them happy. Only topics that your users can relate with will emerge more successful, as the rate with which the audience will engage with and share them will be higher. While creating memes for your brand, don’t forget to add as much humour as possible. After all, what is a meme if it doesn’t make you smile?
Should go hand-in-hand with your brand
In the modern world, a brand’s reputation can make or break its future in the market. Today, buyers have become increasingly cautious about the companies and products they associate with. There is increased awareness among the customers. You cannot push out a bunch of memes without thinking about how they will impact the image of your brand. While developing your meme marketing strategy, have a clear and proper understanding of what your brand is, what it stands for, and how people view it. Once you have clarity on these aspects, the marketing plan will eventually get aligned. It is not wrong to follow a trend, but it is critical to know that not every trend is suitable for your brand.
Use smart content
Memes have the power to turn into a frenzy within a matter of mere seconds. However, what turns them into a buzz? The content used to create the meme largely determines its popularity. Marketers should be in touch with the recent trends on various social media platforms. They must also be up-to-date with the latest news that is grabbing the attention of the masses. Using relevant hot topics to create a meme can go a long way for your brand. This approach will drive home increased engagement. However, in today’s world, no news or story remains a sensation for a very long time. As the custodian of your brand, you should always be on your feet to identify the trending topics. Use them to create some humorous memes before the craze dies.
Be mindful of the language
Every individual has his/her preferred language and style of communication. However, when it comes to a brand, you cannot think on a person to person level. Companies are answerable to a wide-ranging audience base. Your language and tonality cannot be restricted to a select few. Further, these aspects of your business should not be finalised based on the personal likes and dislikes of your marketing team. To be successful in meme marketing, marketers must look at the bigger picture. Think big while selecting your brand’s communication style. For instance, if your majority audience base is overseas, then memes in Hindi will not work in your favour. In such a case, opt for English as it is one of the most common languages.
Respect the boundaries
Some memes might work for a section of people; however, the same set of memes might be offensive or distasteful for another group of individuals. With such cut-throat competition, your brand cannot afford to be on the wrong side of its target audience. Before making your meme marketing campaign, study the types of memes your customers appreciate. Spend time researching the topics, ideas, and issues that are close to their hearts and pique their interests. While doing this, pinpoint the sensitive areas that your audience might not appreciate. Once you have identified the avenues that can and cannot be explored, your meme-making will become easier and more meaningful.
Meme marketing aims to help you connect with your customers. It is emerging as a touted way of increasing brand engagement and awareness. So, what are you waiting for? Start working on your meme strategy!