GIFs And Memes in Marketing: Guide on How to Use Them
April 4, 2022, Author: mystic-admin_@
Content in different marketing campaigns has been a debatable topic for a long time and almost every brand has its own approach to it.
One of the vital parts of a successful and viral marketing campaign is graphics. They capture the attention of a potential customer in an instant if they’re appealing.
So the question here is how do we know if the graphics are appealing?
Well, as said before, every brand has its own approach. Some take the emotional route, some are aggressive, and some try to be humorous.
Speaking of humor, have you heard of or considered using memes in marketing?
Have you been living under a rock?
No worries! That’s why we’re here today.
In this blog, you’ll discover how to utilize memes to interact and connect with your audience.
SO, WHAT ARE MEMES?
Nothing represents our usage of the internet more clearly than memes.
Just for the record, it’s “meem” and not “me’me”.
While an exact definition of a meme is difficult to pin down, the phrase is most commonly connected with a picture or video depicting a certain notion or idea that is then typically distributed through social websites.
This concept spreads through social media, forums, instant messaging applications, and even news websites.
Every day, millions of people laugh at memes consisting of grumpy cats, innocent dogs, and music videos without audio, while others ridicule injustice, advocate marriage equality, mock NSA surveillance, or call out discrimination.
So now you know that we’re dealing with a global phenomenon here.
The same goes for Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) but those are animated images.
With the history lesson out of the way, let’s look at a few reasons why you should be using memes in marketing campaigns.
USING MEMES IN MARKETING CAMPAIGNS: 5 REASONS WHY?
Reason 1: They’re Easily Recognizable
Memes are mostly recognizable and you can’t miss this fact. In an age when many customers avoid advertisements whenever possible, marketing using humorous and familiar media can captivate hard-to-reach consumers.
Meme marketing is an incredibly low-cost option for professional storytellers—digital marketers, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and creative pros—to generate interesting material that draws a following.
Across businesses, more marketers are utilizing memes to develop engagement, connect with their audience, and stay in the minds of their audience.
We can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t use memes in your social media marketing campaigns.
Reason 2: They’re Inexpensive
Memes are based on media made by other people, therefore you don’t need to come up with an original clip or image or spend a fortune on them. They are time and budget savers for small businesses and digital marketers globally.
You can instead play on current media by providing a fresh subtitle or twist. Also, memers appreciate DIY, low-resolution work, so don’t be concerned if you lack design abilities.
You could also use one of the many free meme generators available on the web.
Reason 3: They Generate Maximized Shares
Memes, by definition, are meant to be shared, thus the content is frequently published and re-memed around the web to engage an even larger audience.
Remember, when a person forwards a meme to his/her friend for a quick laugh, they are expressing their loyalty to and support for your company.
Reason 4: They’re Easily Relatable
Memes are entertaining, which fosters engagement across your followers. They give your audience a sense of connection since they can identify with the scenario you’re referring to and everyone is laughing at the same story.
You’ll get connections and help viewers engage with your business if you can make your audience giggle.
For instance, the meme mentioned above was posted by Mystic Advertising following the whole Chris Rock/Will Smith situation at the Oscars. As an advertising agency, they highlighted the true feelings of graphic designers when someone critiques their designs.
Pro Tip: Brand recall rises when your meme incorporates an odd picture or catchy song.
Reason 5: They Create Brand Relevancy
Since memes are frequently associated with a current trend or incident, they add authenticity, modernity, and humanity to your brand. Memes draw attention to current or cultural happenings that your audience is aware of, creating a strong and contemporary sense.
This kind of advertising aims to unite a group around a similar interest and makes your company appear more personable.
USING MEMES IN MARKETING CAMPAIGNS: THE ESSENTIALS
Hold it right there! Don’t assume that since something doesn’t require a budget or a resource, it doesn’t have its fundamentals.
Everything has its basics, that’s just how the world goes.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when using memes in marketing campaigns.
1) Be up-to-date with your Memes
The number one thing to keep in mind is that the memes you use should be relevant. Nobody likes stale and soggy memes. You can use current memes or generate your own to construct a meme library of memes.
You can go through popular meme template collections such as those on imgflip or Giphy. Look for popular meme templates or viral videos, photos, or GIFs, and then add your own twist.
When you add a hilarious caption, you transform a known piece of media into something that speaks specifically to your community, providing your followers with a fun experience.
Because viral YouTube videos frequently become memes, keep an eye out for highlights and hilarious moments in popular videos to find new material.
For reference, you can see how this meme can relate to the audience in UAE.
As this trend grows, several marketing agencies are now using memes in marketing campaigns in Dubai. You can also create custom memes.
How do you ask? This is how!
If you have a product that allows users to easily capture images, seek approval to utilize their photos and videos and create memes out of those. Furthermore, you and your team could create content on your own.
It’s really easy. Just keep 03 things in mind when creating custom memes for your brand.
1) Meme Type – Should be relatable & trendy
2) Fonts – You can use some signature meme fonts or you can take a leap of faith
3) Elements – Incorporate visual elements that reflect your brand image
2) Memes Should Reflect Your Brand’s Image
While most marketers are aware of the use of memes in marketing that may appeal to their target demographic, using them while maintaining brand integrity may be tricky.
However, as memes become more popular, even high-end lifestyle firms are experimenting with them to stay and create a following.
Memes in marketing have the potential to greatly increase your reach, especially if your target consumer is in his/her youth.
The trick is to be real yet not be unduly conservative. Edgy material reveals that your brand has a personality and a distinct voice, distinguishing it from bland commercial competition.
Memes, while polarizing and unlikely to appeal to everyone, can assist reinforce specialized positioning and reaching a certain audience. Begin by precisely identifying your target persona when developing your tone.
Pro Tip: Many meme marketing efforts fail because they are constructed as generic advertisements rather than social criticism. There is no “shop” or “subscribe” button in the body of an effective meme.
3) Using Memes to Grow Social Following
There is a variety of techniques to include memes in marketing content for social media managers who are new to meme marketing.
Like sharing your remarks about anything happening in actual time, such as the Oscars or a thrilling football match.
By recycling Twitter material for Instagram to put up a brand-related meme, social media managers can create some snappy comedy. Ensure to mention the original creator’s account name and Twitter username in your snapshot.
Keep in mind: Meme creators often tolerate or even welcome people to republish their work because memes are, by nature, meant to be shared. Marketers can re-gram and re-share memes openly, but make sure you’re re-sharing ethically!
But before we jump to any conclusions, here are a few famous memes in marketing campaigns that have been used by major brands.
1) Tinder
Memes in marketing strategies are becoming increasingly popular, with meme-related content appearing on visual content sites such as Tumblr, Pinterest, IGTV, LinkedIn, and Twitter. More individuals than ever before are producing and enjoying memes online.
Memes in marketing ideas are an excellent platform for many firms’ marketing strategies. Trust your instincts when it comes to humor, as you should with the most creative efforts. If you don’t believe a meme you made is humorous, fascinating, or insightful, chances are your consumers won’t either.
Just keep everything in mind and MEME on!
Plus if you want to know why digital marketing is important for your business, you can check out this blog.
