Welcome back to our series on Guerrilla Marketing! Today we’re going to cover the marketing and branding opportunity that is memes. Are you ready to dive into the wild world of memes and unleash their magical powers for your brand’s success?
Buckle up, because in this article, we’re going to show you how to leverage memes to hook people on your content, reel them in, and drive traffic to your website and social accounts. Get ready for a wild ride filled with laughter, viral trends, and plenty of internet humor!
Memes 101: Unleashing the Power of Laughter
Let’s face it, we’re living in the era of memes. They’ve taken over the internet and captured our attention with their cleverness and relatability. Instead of fighting the meme train, jump on it and take advantage!
Memes are like little packets of humor that spread like wildfire, connecting people through shared experiences and a good laugh. By incorporating memes into your guerrilla marketing strategy, you tap into a powerful tool that can captivate your audience and drive traffic to your brand.
Let’s examine a few examples of brands that used memes to their benefit…
The “Distracted Boyfriend” Meme
One of the most iconic memes of recent times is the “Distracted Boyfriend” meme. The image, featuring a man looking back at an attractive woman while his girlfriend looks on in disbelief, has been widely shared and adapted to various contexts.
They recreated the meme using their own products, with the boyfriend looking longingly at Oreos latest line of specialty flavors while his girlfriend was transformed into the original Oreos. This humorous adaptation, that I assume cost Oreos nothing (it’s not like the production value was impressive), generated some buzz and likes and snagged the cookie giant some much-needed visibility for their new flavors.
The “Woman Yelling at a Cat” Meme
Another wildly popular meme is the “Woman Yelling at a Cat” meme, which combines an image of a woman emotionally expressing herself with a picture of a perplexed-looking cat.
Popeyes, the American chicken fast-food chain, immediately created their own version of the meme to take a dig at their largest competitor, Chick-fil-A, who is quick to boast that their chicken is the best in the industry.
Instead of hitting against Chick-fil-A’s assertion, which would only begin a fancentric fight on social media, Popeyes took a better (and wiser) approach. They used the one weakness that everyone agrees on – Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays.
The amateurish meme, designed to look as if it had been created by a Popeyes fan, went viral quickly.
When creating your memes, keep in mind that viral success isn’t guaranteed. Memes can be unpredictable, and what resonates with one audience may not work for another. Stay attuned to your target audience’s preferences, embrace current trends, and inject your brand’s unique personality to maximize the impact of your memes.
Remember, the goal is to create a connection, evoke laughter, and drive traffic to your website and social accounts.
Know Your Audience: Memes that Hit the Bullseye
To harness the true potential of memes, you need to understand your target audience like the back of your hand.
- Start asking yourself the following questions:
- What tickles their funny bone?
- What trends are they obsessed with?
- What specific things are they reacting to most on social media?
- What celebrities are they most often following?
- What do they typically spend more money on compared to other demographics?
- Which is their preferred social media platform – TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.?
Once you understand your audience, visit meme sites and sharing platforms regularly. There you can keep track of what memes are trending and even get a sense of what the popular meme tomorrow will be.
A strong start is https://imgflip.com.
Dive deep into the online communities they frequent and immerse yourself in the meme culture specific to their interests. By creating memes that resonate with your audience’s sense of humor, you’ll make them feel seen, understood, and eager to share your content with their friends.
Ride the Wave: Staying on Top of Trending Memes
Memes have a shelf life shorter than a fruit fly’s attention span. To keep up with the meme game, you’ve got to be quick and nimble. Stay on top of trending memes by following social media platforms, meme pages, and influential accounts in your niche.
When you spot a hot meme, jump on it like a kangaroo on a trampoline!
Create your own spin on the meme, tying it back to your brand or content, and unleash it into the virtual world. The key is to strike while the meme is still fresh and relevant.
And don’t forget to inject your brand’s personality into the meme, that’s the only way you’re going to make your meme stand out.
Don’t be afraid to get creative, or even, amusingly controversial by adding your own twist to popular memes. Make them relevant to your industry or products, while staying true to the light-hearted, humorous nature of memes.
This way, your brand becomes an integral part of the joke, creating a lasting impression and driving traffic back to your website or social accounts.
Shareability is the Name of the Game
Remember, memes are all about spreading like wildfire. Make your memes highly shareable by ensuring they’re visually appealing, easy to understand, and relatable. Use bold fonts, vibrant colors, and eye-catching imagery that catches the attention of scrollers in a flash. The more people share your memes, the more eyes you’ll have on your brand, resulting in increased website traffic and social engagement.
Where To Share?
The Best Platforms to Share Your Memes
Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms are the beating heart of meme culture. They offer an ideal space to share your memes and engage with a wide audience.
We’re talking Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. All are built for meme-sharing, with memes going viral quickly.
When sharing to any of these platforms, remember to engage in the comments section. Join in the conversations, reply with witty memes, and tag relevant accounts to amplify the reach of your meme.
Meme-Focused Websites and Forums
These online platforms are dedicated to meme culture and provide a focused audience of meme enthusiasts:
Reddit: Known as the front page of the internet, Reddit boasts numerous meme-centric subreddits where you can share your memes. Engage with the community, participate in meme challenges, and gain exposure.
9GAG: This popular platform specifically caters to meme lovers, offering a vast audience hungry for humorous and shareable content. Submit your memes to relevant categories and get ready for viral potential.
Imgur: A hub for visual content, Imgur is an image-sharing community where users often discover and share memes. Upload your memes and engage with the community to boost visibility.
Imgflip: An entire site created for image sharing with voting, popularity rankings, and trendspotting built-in.
Niche-Specific Communities
Explore online communities and forums that are specific to your industry or niche. Engage with these communities by sharing relevant memes that speak to their interests and humor:
Discord Servers: Join Discord servers related to your niche or industry and engage with members by sharing memes in the appropriate channels. This allows you to connect with a highly targeted audience and build a community around your brand.
Niche Forums and Subreddits: Identify forums and subreddits related to your industry where members share a common interest. Share your memes while being mindful of community rules and guidelines.
Remember, when sharing your memes on these platforms, be sure to respect the community guidelines, engage genuinely with others, and give credit where it’s due.
The online meme landscape is vast, so explore these platforms, adapt your strategy to each platform’s unique culture, and watch your memes gain traction and drive traffic back to your website and social accounts.
Be Social: Engage with the Meme Community
Meme culture is all about participation and engagement.
Don’t just create memes and release them into the wild—interact with your audience and the broader meme community.
Respond to comments, join meme challenges, and share user-generated content related to your memes. This not only builds a sense of community around your brand but also keeps your content fresh, relevant, and in tune with the latest meme trends.
Congrats, meme master!
You’ve now unlocked the power of memes to hook people on your content and drive traffic to your website and social accounts. By harnessing the magic of humor, relatability, and the ever-evolving nature of memes, you can connect with your audience on a whole new level. So, go forth and embrace the meme-ified world of guerrilla marketing!
Keep your finger on the pulse of trending memes, infuse them with your brand’s personality, and watch as your content spreads like wildfire, driving traffic and boosting your brand’s visibility.
Remember, laughter is contagious, so get those memes out there and let the internet do its thing.
