14 Nov Meme, Myself, and I: A Brand’s Guide to Using Memes
Comedy clubs and Saturday Night Live are great and all, but have you noticed how funny the internet is lately? Just take a scroll through Facebook and Twitter, and you’re guaranteed to find a post that immediately makes you LOL and then tag your best friend. One of those funny posts is likely to be a meme, which feels like the world’s largest inside joke.
Memes are one of the gems that have come out of the internet over the last few years, so of course there’s room for brands to be in on the joke as well. That said, proceed with caution … it’s all about the execution. Read on for the rules of posting when it comes to memes.
you've heard of elf on a shelf, now get ready for pic.twitter.com/i2heZWAx8P
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) September 20, 2017
Timeliness
If you think now is a good time to post a “Most Interesting Man” meme, think again. Believe it or not, this meme is 10.years.old. In social media years, that’s about 284. Try to get on memes as soon as you hear about them, because by that time you’re likely only a bit late. There’s nothing worse than a brand showing up late to a meme party.
Know The Origin
When it comes to posting memes, this is quite possibly the most important part: do 👏 your 👏 research 👏. More times than we can count brands have jumped on a meme without knowing the origin and it landed them in deep water. Before you post the meme, make sure it doesn’t have ties to politics, social issues, or anything that can come across as offensive.
If you’re researching a meme and still not sure, try looking it up at knowyourmeme.com. They’ll have everything you need to know, including where it came from and when it started.
Connect Back to Your Brand
Be sure to tie the meme back to your brand in a fun, interesting way. If you’re posting a meme just to try to come across as “cool” to your followers, it’s likely going to be a fail. You should be keeping in mind who your audience is and what your brand voice is to ensure it’s going to land well. It doesn’t need to be completely on the nose, but it shouldn’t feel like you’re posting this out of left field.
A great example of this is Go Red For Woman and Salt Bae, which happened to get big at the same time as Salt Awareness Week. The timing couldn’t have been better, and it perfectly connected back to Go Red For Women’s message.
https://www.facebook.com/goredforwomen/photos/a.110425509740.117446.52436029740/10156022511869741/?type=3&theater
These tips should help get you started, but if you need help getting your meme game strong, or if you just need a content refresh, be sure to contact us.
