Memes are a marketing marvel when you get a hit on your hands, as they can make a lasting impression on your target audience and a good impression on your bottom line.
Memes come in all shapes and sizes and there are many examples of how they can take on a life of their own and spawn an almost endless wave of remixes. A great example of this phenomenon at work is the marketing campaign carried out for the Dos Equis beer brand, which was titled “The Most Interesting Man in the World”. Since this first hit internet screens in 2006, it has pretty much become the go-to example for anyone wanting to compare themselves to “interesting”, irrespective of whether you are being sincere or ironic. This infographic takes a look at the history of memes and its spike in popularity in recent years.
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There are all sorts of examples of different forms of memes and also some background on why memejacking (“hijacking popular memes for your own benefit”) can actually be a good idea. But, if you are going to adopt a memejacking strategy you need to act fast.
You should also take the time to consider whether your customers will be able to understand the meme's meaning and context to your marketing values. If you get it wrong and fail to strike the right chord with your target demographic, you could always resort to the “You're Doing it Wrong” meme which is often associated with FAIL images across the net. If you are struggling for a bit of original inspiration, you could even use a meme generator like quickmeme.com or use Google trends to see what your customers want and what is on-trend at this point in time.
This social media marketing class, How to Use Visual Storytelling to Improve Your Marketing, led by instructor Brandon Whalen, explains how visual storytelling through social media is a powerful way of connecting with people online and generating great content that builds brand awareness as well as brand loyalty. You'll learn how strong content that uses visual storytelling on social platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter engages the right audience in the right way.