Post-Release Strategies: A Case Study on Memeifying ?? Your Music

By Steph Guerrero (She/Her/Ella) - Digital/YouTube Manager, YouTube Marketing at ONErpm

When you drop a new single, the initial excitement is electric. Streams are flowing, fans have been counting down, and if you’re lucky, you’ve snagged a spot on a "New Music Friday" playlist. While this buzz is thrilling, it is important to remember that this is not where the life of a record ends. Those first-week release numbers can start to dip as the novelty wears off. This is known as the "post-release-streams-decay". I cannot stress this enough, continuing to promote your single post-release is vital to a record and an artist’s career development.

The Reality of Post-Release Promotion ??

In my experience, one of the biggest challenges for artists is maintaining momentum after that initial boost. All of the build- up and rollout of a single often leaves artists with a bit of mental exhaustion and dwindling ideas about what content to post to continue beating the “here’s my new single” drum. That’s where the power of creative marketing, like finding ways to meme-ify your content, comes into play.

The Power of the Meme ??

Memes have become the lifeblood of internet culture. They’re quick, witty, and endlessly shareable. For artists, this means tapping into a powerful, organic promotion method that can exponentially increase the reach of your music. Memeifying your content involves creating or leaning into existing experiences that resonate with your audience, encouraging fans to engage, share, and even create their own versions. The beauty of this strategy is that it provides your audience with a template to build content around your single. Once a meme format is established, fans can easily adapt it, putting their own spin on it, which helps your music spread even further, without much effort required on your part.

A Case Study: The Unexpected Audience ??♂?

I was involved in a fascinating case that perfectly illustrates this. A rising female pop artist had? released a track that was, at its core, designed to resonate with women—it had all the elements: pink, glittery visuals, and lyrics steeped in heartbreak. The song was a hit with its intended audience, riding high on that first-week wave. But then, as it always happens, a few weeks later, the numbers started to dip. Along with the artist team, I searched for ways to give the single another push, and I knew just where to look: start with what fans were saying and sharing about the song on social media.

That’s when we noticed something unexpected: men were having a surprisingly strong and emotional reaction to the song. Videos of guys passionately singing along, crying, and jumping to the dancefloor with the track started popping up online. It was clear that this song, originally targeted toward women, was also striking a strong chord with men as well.

Seeing this, we knew we had to capitalize on it. We began to create and share memes highlighting this trend, branding it as the “[SINGLE’S NAME] effect on Men.” These memes played on the unexpected emotional response that men were having to the track, and we quickly saw fans picking up on it. By giving it a name and a template, we made it easy for others to join in. The artist, herself, started to repost these videos, react to them, and feature them in her YouTube Channel further amplifying the meme, and encouraging even more fans to share their own versions.?

The Results ??

This strategy did more than just keep the single relevant; it breathed new life into it. The influx of short-form video content created by fans spread like wildfire across social media platforms, giving the single a second wind and expanding its visibility far beyond its initial release. By embracing the meme culture and leaning into this unexpected audience, the artist was able to reach a broader demographic, keeping the song fresh and in the public eye long after the initial buzz had faded. This not only led to more creations on social media, but it also increased the number of streams and further exploited a viral moment around the track.?

The Takeaway ??

I’ve learned that adaptability is key in this rapid moving release cycle of the music industry. The unexpected can often be your best ally, and staying authentically in tune with your audience—even when they aren’t the ones you originally targeted—can lead to incredible opportunities. When your fans start creating content around your song, think of it as a golden ticket. Engage with it, share it, and encourage more. Memeify it! Memes provide a template for fans to get creative, making it easier for them to contribute to the conversation and keep the energy around your single alive.

In the end, promoting your music post-release isn’t just about keeping the numbers up—it’s about being creative, staying engaged, and finding new ways to connect with your audience. So, when you drop your next single, don’t just let it ride out the initial wave. Find out if there is an easy way to memeify it: give your audience a template reflected on what they’ve already shared, and watch how far your music can go.

For more information on switching from "tease" mode to promote-mode, check out our article on Pre vs Post Promotion to make sure your next track gets heard!