Using Memes to Market Your Company

The main difference between a typical Internet Meme and a true cultural artifact is that it's more of an online/offline hybrid. Because the original form of a typical Meme involves posting messages to a chat room or forum, the nature of a typical Internet Meme is subject to change depending on the environment and the purpose of the messaging board in question. In some cases, certain topics elicit responses from participants that are more complex and long lasting than other threads. This is usually indicative of a popular topic or video. Other times, specific images or text may elicit particular responses.

The differences between a real cultural artifact and a typical Internet Meme stem from the fact that a cultural information item is meant to be shared with others and that the information-sharing component of a culture is highly valued among its members. A true Internet Meme, meanwhile, is intended purely to poke fun at existing cultural information or to upend those values. While there's nothing inherently wrong with either of these forms (a quick look at some of the more popular Internet hoaxes will show that), it's important to understand the difference between the two. After all, if a truly great Internet Meme existed which talked about the difference between Star Wars and Star trek, the conversation would likely never have happened.

One way to differentiate between a true Internet Message and a fake or spam Internet Message board is to pay close attention to the format of the message. Internet message boards frequently use terms like "meme" and "meme culture" to describe their online conversations. When you see the words "meme" or "culture" used in the title of an Internet Message, this is almost certainly a fake or spammy board. On the other hand, most Internet users will have heard the term "meme" at least once. If the title of a popular post contains the word "meme", it is quite likely that the post is real and not a work made just for the Internet Amateur.

The way that certain types of photographs or videos are shared is important to consider when distinguishing between real and fake Internet Memes. For example, consider a picture (or video) of the Curiosity Comet landing (which really took place on the Curiosity Science Channel). If a Reddit user were to search the title or content of the post using a dictionary, he or she would find some synonyms for the word "curiosity," such as "epicurean," "gif," "impression," "sniffer," and so on. If there is even the slightest resemblance to a photograph of a space craft on the Discovery Channel, the likelihood that the user has come across a fake Internet Message board is pretty good.

What does this all mean for us as Internet marketers? It means that when you spot a potential candidate for a niche, you should not simply run with the best strategy; instead, you should try to determine if that strategy will actually work. For example, a lot of marketers use the "meme strategy" to market products or services. They simply create a funny video ad for a product or service, post it on a popular website, then link the site to their Twitter or Facebook page to spread the viral marketing message. Many of these "meme" videos become viral on their own and gain multiple views in a very short period of time.

However, there are some common characteristics between "memes" and Virals that make marketing with them much more effective than other methods. First, a "meme" tends to be self-sustaining. Once a Meme has been established online, it can continue to spread for a long period of time without requiring additional content from the promoter. This is important because many people who come across a potentially funny video have no desire to view anything else unless it has a caption or tags that indicate it's a particular type of video.

This alone makes the use of Meme's a great way to connect with customers on a more personal level. For example, if you work at an advertising agency, you may want to consider how one particular sponsored video might fit into your client's life. By using a "meme strategy," you can give your client something to identify with and relate to while also allowing you to share one particular aspect of their life with the world at large. Therefore, it's much easier for them to identify with your company if you use a consistent strategy of using various kinds of Memes.