Memes – should you use them to advertise your business?

As the old saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words.

But what if the picture was of a disillusioned Willy Wonka or Michael Jordan crying?

We've all sent silly memes to our friends to get a laugh out of them, but have you considered using them to promote your business?

Memes are a big deal, with studies showing they have ten times the reach of standard marketing visuals. However, it's essential to use them correctly so you don't come off as behind the times or, even worse, inauthentic.

So, don your 'deal with it glasses' and get ready to pull a surprised Pikachu face as we look at the do's and don'ts of memes in marketing.

Examples of businesses using memes in a good way

Not all businesses use memes right, and when they do it wrong, it can be a bit cringey. A well-known example is when DiGiorno Pizza used a hashtag talking about domestic abuse to sell pizza.

However, there are brands out there that use memes and use them well.

For me, Domino's Pizza is on point – and the great thing is that all the memes the social media team creates are well-branded. You know it's a Domino's Pizza meme without looking at the account name.

Ryanair's social media tone of voice isn't to everyone's tastes. However, you can't deny that the social media team is great at jumping on the latest meme trends while they're still fresh.

Finally, Duolingo doesn't always use memes in its marketing, but when it does, they're not just bang on trend, but highly relevant to the language-learning app!

Why use memes in your marketing?

• Memes are low-cost as you're taking an existing meme and making your own edits to it. One of the easiest ways to make a meme is the Meme Generator – just choose your template, add your text, and download
• Memes are highly shareable – 55% of 13-35 year olds send memes once a week, with 30% sending them every day. This means you're getting your business in front of prospective customers who might not have heard of you before
• Memes show that you're human. Rather than churning out soulless sales messages, you're showing customers that you have a fun and playful side. Customers who see your brand as human are twice as likely to love your brand and over 1.5 more likely to buy from you

The lifespan of a meme

The average lifespan of a meme is just over four months.

However, many memes don't even last that long. A lot of memes reference pop culture moments and news stories, which age quickly. Plus, if people see hundreds of iterations of the same meme, they're going to get fed up with seeing it sooner rather than later.

The common observation is that once a TV programme capitalises on a particular meme, it's over and done with.

However, there are memes out there that stand the test of time, meaning you can use them anytime without fearing the wrath of your followers. Disaster Girl, Drake, Distracted Boyfriend – social media users can't get enough.

Want to double-check the shelf-life of your proposed meme? Run a check in Google Trends. If your chosen trend has peaks and troughs over a long period of time, it's probably safe to use.

If your trend exploded in popularity over a short period of time and then quickly faded away, I recommend leaving it alone.

How to use memes to your advantage

Memes are a great way to show your personality and get noticed in the fast-moving social media newsfeeds, but getting them right is an art form.

Let me leave you with a few final thoughts:

1. Know your audience

Before creating memes, think about your target audience. Brands like Ryanair and Domino's get success out of the content they post as their key customers are Gen Zers – voracious consumers of memes.

However, you can still use memes if your target audience is on the older side – it's just a case of finding something that resonates with them. For example, a common source of amusement amongst Generation X is that they are ignored by the other generations – this article explains things well.

Find out more about how the different generations use the internet.

2. Don't be offensive

You want to make friends with the memes you create, not alienate people.

Steer clear of political or religious memes and be aware of the underlying messages of particular memes. For example, the alt-right has adopted Pepe the Frog as a mascot of its movement.

While you might want to move quickly to capitalise on a meme before it becomes unpopular, it's vital to do your research first.

3. Don't force it

One of the worst things you can do as a business is shoehorn yourself into a meme that's not right for you. A particularly bad example was when the US Department of Health used the ever-famous Doge meme to promote Obamacare.

While I can see that the department wanted to promote the benefits of the healthcare system to a younger audience, this wasn't the best way to go about it.

When considering a meme, think:

• Is it relevant to my business?
• Will my target audience get it?
• Is there a risk that it will give people the wrong impression?

Memes are fantastic, but you do have to have your finger on the pulse.

If in doubt, stick to the evergreen memes I mentioned earlier and use them sparingly. I've used so many memes in this article that I might need to take a break from them for a bit!

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