Internet memes are on a stratospheric rise. We’ve all seen them, laughed at them, and have often shared them too. But what if we said you could capitalise on this trend by incorporating it into your social media marketing strategy?

When we talk about an internet meme, this refers to a humorous image or video with a definite style and concept that is posted on the web. On the surface, memes may seem like nothing more than mindless diversions, but in reality they can be powerful tools for viral success.

The meme is most successful when used on social media, and for this we have the millennials to thank. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, (those aged between 21 and 36), are the most talked about socio-economic group because they are behaving differently from previous generations of consumers in notable ways.

Having grown up with the internet, (as well as other socio-economic influences), they are used to, and crave, easy access to information, instant results, digital interaction, and are part of a faster, always ‘on’ culture. As the most dominant generation using social media, it’s the millennials setting the trends, and therefore, the ones we need to observe and cater for.

“Been there, done that, found a meme about it.”

It’s the millennial approach to everything, and right now it has become part of everyday (social media) life, not just in the UK, but globally.

With memes now rating as some of the most shared content online, many successful social accounts earn 10,000s of Likes and Shares per day, achieving new levels of impressions and engagement. But how can your business use a meme effectively?

Here’s the need to know basics to meme success.

1. Styling your meme

Memes are known for their concept. The text of a meme is usually kept short and aligned to the visual. Keep it simple with a humorous message, whether satire, sarcasm, wit or irony, applied to a relevant subject matter.

The image itself can be a photo of a famous person, a moment taken from a film or television, or even an illustration. You don’t have to create your own, they are designed to be re-posted and to spread.

2.The power of instant humour

A great deal of Generation Y have gone off the idea of using social media to share details of their personal life, but what they do like to ‘consume’ is comedy.

The instant ‘lol effect’ caused by memes while scrolling down a social feed is often followed naturally by a tap of the Like button, which does wonders for your impressions and engagement rate.

Remember the snowy weather warning in the second week of January?

3.Relatability. The inside joke

People like humour that seems tailored directly to them, and memes, while they may seem to be generic, are best at their most relatable, meaning more people enjoy, share, own and create them.

Social media advertising tools mean you can target age groups very specifically, and are worth utilising when creating content to appeal to a particular audience.

4.The comfort factor

There’s something comforting about sharing your joys and struggles with people who’ll also identify with them, who’ll understand your pain or happiness and help you laugh about it at the same time.

A problem shared is a problem halved, and memes let you share on a huge scale.

Take Trump’s shock presidential victory. From the instant the results were announced, the world set about creating memes to show its anger and shock at Clinton’s loss, a perfect illustration of how we seek solace online and use shareable content to voice our opinions and connect with like-minded individuals.

5.Long life span

Memes are a concept which replicates itself and multiplies (like a gene, hence the name), meaning they have a considerably long life span. Just like a favourite song that we happily listen to again and again, or a favourite party trick or joke, an internet meme is also resilient to reuse and reapplication time and time again.

Memes won’t suit every marketing strategy as the humorous nature could conflict with a business’ cooperate values and brand image, so for more advice and guidance on how to successfully market your brand on social media tweet us @RedMarlinPR or call us on 01926 832395.