The reasons for the popularity of memes are not difficult to spot. They are not only funny and witty but also wonderful for showing off your sense of humor on social media. While marketers always have the option of creating original memes, it can be difficult to be confident that they will gather enough momentum and become viral. However, by hijacking memes that have already become popular, a process known as memejacking, brands can easily and quickly create likable and engaging content that can highlight the brand’s personality and ethos. A few memejacking best practices:
Get On To It Quickly
The best results from memejacking can be obtained when you latch on to a meme at its tipping point – it has already gone viral, but few brands have hijacked it, giving you the advantage of making your point better. If you are late and hijack a meme when everyone and his uncle have had a shot at it, your brand too will fail to deliver the engagement you were hoping for. It is, therefore, vital, for marketers to stay on top of trending memes. They can do it by actively browsing social media sites, especially sites like Reddit or StumbleUpon, as these are known to be platforms where most of the memes with potential are first spotted. You can also use a site like Meme Scout to find out the hottest memes in your industry.
Know the Meaning and Nuances of the Meme
Before you engage in memejacking, you must make sure that you know very well what the meaning of the meme is and all its implications across situations and cultures. It is necessary because, as a marketer, the last thing you would want to have is a group of potential customers who have been offended by your attempt at humor. There is no lack of resources on the internet that can give you all the details you will require to understand the import of memes, including their history and why they are famous. This information will help you to understand whether the meme is appropriate for you to hijack and use in your marketing campaign.
Ensure the Audience Can Relate the Meme to the Brand
You must understand that a meme will only be successful in propagating your brand message if only your audience understands it and identifies with it. If your audience cannot connect with it or find it funny, it will not serve your purpose even though it has already turned viral. It is also important that you are not so carried away by the excitement of memejacking that you forget to make sure that the meme should be easily relatable to your audiences and has something to do with your brand or industry. When the connection is clear, memes will generate maximum engagement.
Conclusion
Even as you try to understand the meaning of the meme, spot the potential early, and make it relatable to your brand, you must ensure that it is entertaining to your audience. Without it being funny, the meme will not generate the desired engagement.
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