Meme Tips: Stop Doing These!
Memes can either be very funny or very cringe-worthy. You very much want your content to fall into the former category. So here are three simple tips on what you should stop doing so you can make sure your memes keep everyone laughing.
1. Stop Avoiding Research
We understand: research is long and tedious - but it's important. In fact, we would suggest avoiding using memes that you haven't researched yet.
But why is that? you might be asking. Aren't memes just jokes?
Well... not always.
Many memes are created to continue a social, cultural, or political conversation happening. It may seem funny, but it's touching upon serious issues. And the people who care about these serious issues won't appreciate seeing a business hijack their memes to promote their own products and services.
So to avoid unintentionally offending people, all you have to do is do some research!
2. Stop Misunderstanding The Meme
Misunderstanding a meme is a common problem that businesses face - so don't feel bad if you've fallen victim to this! But it still helps to actively try to avoid doing this.
Here's how: by becoming familiar with the meme before you replicate it.
Don't see a new viral meme and instantly start to create it. Why? Because even if you take the style of the meme, doesn't mean it's going to be funny.
For example, there is a common joke amongst the Internet that Chick-Fil-A's employees will go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service (even by chasing a car of customers on foot to tell them that they forgot their receipt). A business might see a meme like this and want to insert their own company name into it - but it won't work because this meme was created specifically for Chick-Fil-A.
Here's an example of what not to do and what you can do:
The difference? One changes the meme to force their business name into a meme that has nothing to do with their brand, and the other builds on the meme by adding a funny twist to it.
3. Stop Using Slang
Don't feel bad about this tip. There are very few businesses who can get away with using slang when marketing (very, very few).
Now, to be clear: this doesn't mean that you can't market toward the youth. It just means that you can't start speaking like them. The youthful audience that you are attempting to appeal to when using slang will actually be driven away once they see a business trying to use their language.
Instead of speaking to them like a friend, try different approaches, such as: speaking to them like an older sibling whose advice they respect but they can still relate to; or as a teacher who guides them in the right direction; or a public figure who they admire and want to be similar to.
These are just a few different personas you can take - there are so many more that can better align with your business's brand!
Need More Guidance?
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