Practical Sales Training™ > How To Get Attention > The Meme Effect
What is it?
Memes are the language of the internet – they can connect with your audience in a way other posts can’t, but businesses are wary of using them as they contain humour which can damage your brand.
Why does it work?
It works because it appeals to how humans communicate. It’s a short form piece of content that not only catches attention with a strong visual, but then converts that attention to engagement or action because the meme itself often contains relatable elements. It’s the relatable elements that cause us to take action, feel understood or share the meme with a friend and THIS is where the power lies.
How can you use it?
Anyone can add text and images together to make a meme, but that doesn’t mean it will be funny enough to connect and engage with your audience. The real magic of a meme is the alignment of the subject matter of the meme, with the business, the potential buyer and a relatable feeling/emotion/situation.
In terms of technically creating memes, using a meme generator to take classic meme templates and add your own spin is one of the simplest ways to do it and you can see examples of others for inspiration too.
A word of warning – memes should not contain swearing, extreme viewpoints or make fun of anyone other than the recipient. Being funny can be great for business, but being offensive can be a problem and this is why so many businesses shy away from using them…
Example
There are numerous branded memes both in print and online – the image below is far more relatable and memorable than an advert that simply says “buy our crisps”. And that’s the point.
See also
