INTRODUCTION
Table of Contents
Today we take a look at memes with our lighter side post…These are neat little tools for online marketers, handy to draw in potential subscribers and eventually, buyers…
You have probably seen various versions of a picture or a short scene that has been reworked over and over again, used for a hundred different short takes or shots that everyone loves and shares…
Memes are what they have come to be known as…
These shots are shared over a wide swath of social platforms such as Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, etc. They are a quick take on humor and enjoyable to view…
So let’s have a look, enjoy a few, and then examine how we can use them for our own purpose!
WHAT ARE VIRAL MEMES
By definition memes are:
– An idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture
– An amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet
Here is a cool video that describes the history of the phenomenon…
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This video shows some of the popular memes that have been created and funnily enough, the many versions of one picture can mean the original get lost in the many versions…
The meme and versions take on lives of their own almost as more and more people get caught up in creating their own take on a proven winning subject picture or short video take…
This then may be the key to piggy-backing on successful memes that are out there?
Take what has worked and is working, rework it to fit your own needs, start the ball rolling using some techniques we mention in the next section, and enjoy the benefits through increased traffic and sales!
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MEME
There are a number of free websites that allow you to quickly create and customize your own meme using your materials, or alternatively, you can create one from popular existing memes.
In general, the process is (1) choosing an image template (or load your own), (2) type in your desired text, and (3) share away.
You may want to go through the following steps to make sure you have the best chance of success, however…Do not worry, this is not a long or involved process!
(2) Track What Is Working On An Ongoing Basis
Following the meme popularity flow of the moment and creating something you KNOW is going to catch on using a similar theme can help…
You can see what is popular on Facebook and Twitter…
Particularly take note of the memes that make you laugh and also are getting the most responses (i.e. shares and likes) from people….
Example: One that caught my eye is the Hillary Clinton reaction to pyrotechnics at the 2016 Democratic National Convention…This is spreading like crazy across the internet, because let’s face it, it is funny!
(3) Choose A Subject You Enjoy
Try to stick to something that you know and enjoy…Certain general subjects like cute animal pictures or short videos are always a hit, but look also at public figures you can easily imitate/make fun of.
You could also use some personal experience as the center of your meme…If you decide to go this route, choose one that all potential viewers can easily relate to. This could be a bad date, a bad experience, a fail of one kind or another, just about anything really…
The subject could be a bad date, a bad experience, a fail of one kind or another, something silly, just about anything really…
(4) Decide on your medium
The easiest and fastest medium you can use to create you meme is a photo, but other options include a short but funny video or a series of pictures….If you have a knack for video creation I would give it a go! Why not?
(5) Create and Publish
There is no hard and fast formula, but it seems that if you create something that gets a point across in a succinct manner, entertains, educates (maybe), and appeals to the masses, you are gold!
By its nature, memes are fleeting and tend to go viral fast and then fade over a longer period of time. They are recreated and new versions published and the basic photo used may gain new life…
To fully gain the benefit I think you have to publish a series of memes and keep them coming…Consider adding a contest or a coupon if applicable to the meme so people get rewarded for sharing it…
Over time, people will want to see what is the latest you have come up with, and of course, will share what they consider the best…Your buzz will increase as you continue on this course, as will your brand visibility and reputation…
Once you have your photo — it doesn’t matter if you took it, screen-grabbed it, or found it online — you can use any of the free services (there are many – do a Google search and see for yourself!)and quickly have your meme published and shared.
Here are just a few sites to check out….
For most of the sites it is a few steps from start to finish and you will have your very own meme ready for publishing!
Many will also offer to show you popular memes that are being shared so the research process likely will not take long.
Have a go at it and see what you come up with!
HOW YOU CAN MONETIZE VIRAL MEMES
I would say there are direct and indirect means of monetizing memes…
You can brand the meme, share it to get the viral effect started, and then promote it, just as you might do with any other content…
The whole idea, of course, is to have the sharing process get your message that is behind your meme out to the masses, using organic (and free) methods…The traffic it may generate may not be as good as targeted traffic (i.e. PPC) but it can help you…
The traffic it may generate may not be as good as targeted traffic (i.e. PPC) but it can help you…
But remember that having your name or brand out amongst the masses will get you additional looks and sales over time to the sites that you want people to come to.
These visits count as a contact, and we know that it takes 5-7 interactions (contacts) on average to get someone to take action…It is kind of an end run method to get traffic, indirect but at the same time a fun thing and it can give you progress with your online marketing business…
Memes are kind of an “end run” method to get traffic, in that it is somewhat indirect but at the same it can give you progress with your online marketing business…Plus it is just fun!
CONCLUSION
Today for our lighter side post we took a look at memes…You may have seen a lot of these as you surf the internet and may not have thought of using them to create buzz and help build your own business.
The teaching moment from today’s post is that these can allow you to have a bit of fun while you help yourself to gain more brand awareness, traffic to your social or website, and over time gain some leads and sales you otherwise would not have had!
FINAL POINT(S)
I always add this section to all of my posts, articles, or reviews here…This is where I ask you for a bit of your time before you go somewhere else to do the following……
(1) Rate my post. You will see that I have a star rating element at the top of this page (right under the title and to the left side)… Just give me a rating to let me know what you thought (5-star is better, 1-star is…not so good!).
(2) Consider Sharing the Post. If my post was helpful, entertaining, or would be enjoyed by others, please share it…I have added some social sharing buttons near the top-right side of this page just for this…
(3) Add Your Comment. Lastly, I would ask you to take just a few more moments and add your thoughts on memes in the comment section below. I do believe that we all learn when we share and discuss…
That’s it, and thanks in advance…
Cheers!
ABOUT DAVE:
Dave has been involved in sales for 20 years with offline products and has been fortunate to have traveled the world while realizing up to $4 million USD a month in gross sales of products he promoted.
He has brought that experience to the online world and this is one of his online ventures. This site is intended to present ideas, products, tools, tips and more that will help all those seeking to make money online have success.
Subjects covered are diverse, but in totem, you can learn a lot about the things that you will need to have success with online business right here. This includes things to do and things NOT to do!
Enjoy!