Image memes are non-sales web-based works created to illustrate a concept or inspire humor. They are most often used in forums, message boards, and comment sections of various social media sites. Like their cousin’s pop culture icons, they can be passed around via email, blogs, chat rooms, social networks, and other content sharing platforms—which is why they’re popular with marketers.
Anyone can produce image memes for any reason. However, many organizations have successfully employed them as part of an online marketing campaign. If you’re looking for a way to increase awareness about your brand using image memes as your marketing tool – then there are several pros and cons to consider:
Advantages of Using Meme as Your Marketing Tool
Memes, when properly used in the context of your marketing campaign, can help you:
This is a good way to get others to talk about your products and services, raise awareness, and increase traffic to your website. It also provides you with an opportunity to post links on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, maximizing the overall effectiveness.
Marketing professionals use memes because they are so easy to create and share, especially teens and young adults. Visit Meme Scout to know more. However, marketers must take precautions to avoid alienating their target market by using offensive memes or having inappropriate content appear on their websites or blog posts. This can lead to a loss of credibility that may be difficult to overcome.
Image Meme Disadvantages
As with all types of content used in your marketing campaign, there are several disadvantages you should be aware of when using image memes as your digital tool. For example:
A poorly designed meme can have the opposite result from what was intended. The idea behind a well-developed, effective meme is to create a powerful yet entertaining message that compels viewers to share it with others—increasing brand visibility in the process. If your meme falls flat, it will simply disappear quickly and go unnoticed.
More isn’t always better. When attempting to use memes for promotional purposes, marketers must be mindful not to inundate their target audience with too much information, or they may become overwhelmed and tune out instead of engaging. In other words, too many memes in one space can be just as ineffective as none at all—so choose carefully which ones to use and when.
Meme marketers must also consider copyright laws before sharing any images they did not create themselves. This is especially important if you’re using a meme created by an outside organization or individual without explicit permission. Failure to do so may result in negative consequences such as fines, copyright complaints, and other legal issues that could potentially ruin your company’s reputation. Marketers need to understand that using copyrighted material within the context of a marketing campaign isn’t always illegal, but it does require proper permissions from the content owner.
Overall, image memes are a handy tool in the world of digital marketing. Though they have their limitations, these digital works of art offer a quick and easy way to connect with your target audience—with some caveats. If you want to create an image meme as part of your marketing campaign, make sure you follow the appropriate steps to ensure its effectiveness.
