Memes and social media are perfect for each other.
Both concepts are about connecting with people online. While social media is a platform for communication, memes are a way of expressing a culturally-relevant idea. A meme is an image or video that represents the thoughts and feelings of a specific audience.
Most memes are captioned photos intended to elicit humor. However, there are many viral video memes too.
Memes are a worldwide social phenomenon, and an increasingly important aspect of viral marketing and social engagement. Memes often relate to existing cultures or subcultures. Often, memes spread rapidly through social media, email, and forum boards.
Where Does the Word “Meme” Come From?
The term “meme” was coined by Richard Dawkins, a biologist. Dawkins believed that cultural ideas are like genes. He thought that our concepts as a society spread from brain to brain, multiplying and mutating as they went. The resulting trends were his definition of a “meme.”
Most modern “memes” are cultural inside jokes. They’re a way of connecting with people across the internet through unique photos that become instantly recognizable. Memes collect emotions, ideas and actions into an easy-to-translate format. Memes are ideal for the digital age.
Though memes are popular in the consumer world, they’re also powerful for companies too. Companies use memes to:
Share information in a fun and memorable format.
Humanize your brand through a demonstration of personality.
Showcase complicated concepts like company culture uniquely.
Obtain higher engagement with their audience.
Why Marketers are Using Memes
Most internet users spend around 100 minutes a day on social media. Most of our conversations today are informed by the jokes and references made online. Whether it’s a picture from a social influencer or a video from a brand, memes are affecting the language that customers speak online. This means that brands need to learn how to translate their advertising for this new world.
Memes elicit better reactions from audiences because they’re tailored for social media. People naturally share memes as part of their online experience, so they’re a great way to improve engagement.
How to Use Memes on Social Media
Brands using memes on social media need a strategy.
Like any other social marketing plan, posting memes must be a measured and audience-specific process. Remember to:
Target your customers: Know your audience’s sense of humor before you begin posting. Humor has a very wide spectrum and poor planning could cause offense.
Create branded memes: Rather than copying and pasting memes, organizations often see better results when they create their pictures and videos. Just make sure you understand the context of the picture or video you’re using.
Don’t force it: If memes look forced or out of place, they will damage your reputation. Make sure that your use of memes seems natural.
Don’t overuse memes: Memes are best used sparingly and in the right circ*mstances. Too many memes on your timeline will make your clients question your professionalism.
The word “meme” comes from the Greek mimema, meaning something that has been “imitated.” According to Britannica, the word was first introduced by Richard Dawkins, a British biologist, in his book The Selfish Gene; his intention was for “meme” to sound similar to "gene.” In his book, Dawkins makes a direct connection ...
1. : an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media.
A meme (/miːm/; MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme.
In French, the word “même” translates to “same” and the Greek word “mimoúmai” means “to imitate.” In his book, Dawkins said, “We need a name for the new replicator, a noun that conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation.” He wanted to use a monosyllable that sounded like “gene.” Dawkins ...
Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionary biologist, first used the term meme in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. The word meme was influenced by the word gene and is the shortened version of mimeme. It was derived from the ancient Greek word “mīmēma,” which means “imitated.”
Gifs and memes are very similar. The only difference is that gifs are animated and move, while memes are usually static. Recently though, videos, gifs and images have all been used to make memes.
Internet memes can take various forms, such as images, videos, GIFs, and various other viral sensations. Characteristics of memes include their susceptibility to parody, their use of intertextuality, their propagation in a viral pattern, and their evolution over time.
The most popular memes often feature a recognizable image or video clip that is paired with a witty caption or phrase. For example, the "Distracted Boyfriend" meme features an image of a man looking at another woman while his girlfriend looks on in disapproval.
The familiar noun mémère, derived from the concept de mère ("of mother") and pronounced "may mehr," has a bit of a split personality: It can be used in a very positive sense, and it can be used in quite a negative sense.
One of the most popular memes of all time, “success kid” uses a 2007 photo taken of a little boy with a clenched fist and determined expression. It is almost always used to display small successful moments or “wins” that happen to someone throughout a normal day like getting an extra chicken nugget in a fast-food meal.
An image or video that's recognizable and easily associated with the joke or concept. Text that is humorous, clever, or relatable. Social, cultural, or political references that resonate with the target audience.
A meme is an idea or habit that's passed between people and generations through imitation. An example of a meme is the cultural tradition of women wearing skirts. A cultural idea, value, habit, or even something like a tune is a meme if it is picked up from someone else.
A meme stock is a stock that gains popularity among retail investors through social media. The popularity of meme stocks is generally based on internet memes shared among traders, on platforms such as Reddit's r/wallstreetbets. Investors in such stocks are often young and inexperienced investors.
A meme on social media is a kind of joke or idea spread through the internet using pictures or videos. It can be a funny phrase or image people share and post on their social media profiles. These memes can be relatable to everyday life and can be shared among friends and family.
Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242
Phone: +577037762465
Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor
Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis
Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.