Memes have taken over the internet! You could miss out on a golden opportunity if you’re not incorporating them into your brand’s communication strategy.
As more brands target younger audiences, they’re discovering the power of memes as a communication tool. But what makes them so effective? Memes can cut through the noise, capture attention, and make people laugh.
Imagine using memes in your text messaging strategy to strengthen your brand’s rapport with its audience. You’re not just sharing jokes; you’re engaging your audience in a language they understand and appreciate.
So, how can you tap into this goldmine of engagement? Read on to discover how brands use text message memes to resonate with their audience and how you could do the same.
5 Benefits of Text Message Memes
In a world where traditional advertising strategies often fail to cut through, memes offer a fresh, impactful approach. Here are some key benefits of using text message memes in your communication strategy:
1. Culturally Relevant
Memes are a cultural phenomenon. They reflect societal trends, humor, and attitudes, making them instantly relatable and sharable.
2. Easily Digestible
Memes are designed to convey complex ideas or emotions simply and quickly. This makes them perfect for the fast-paced world of text messaging, where users typically prefer bite-sized content.
3. Boosts Engagement
Memes are interactive and fun. They encourage your audience to engage through a laugh, a share, or a comment. This increased interaction can lead to higher customer engagement rates.
4. Enhances Brand Personality:
Memes can help to humanize your brand. A well-crafted meme can reflect your brand’s personality and values, making your brand more relatable and approachable.
5. Cost-Effective
Creating memes doesn’t have to involve big budgets. They can be quickly and inexpensively produced, making them a cost-effective tool for brands.
Brands Excelling at Meme Marketing
Some brands have truly mastered the art of meme marketing. To understand their strategies and successes, let’s dive deeper into three of these brands.
1. Netflix
Netflix is one brand that has taken meme marketing to the next level. Their memes are often created around their content, serving a dual purpose: they entertain while subtly promoting their shows.
2. Domino’s
Domino’s approach to meme marketing is a blend of perfect timing and eye-catching graphics. They are keen to use memes based on trending topics and blend these with their products amusingly and innovatively.
A great example is when they capitalized on the popularity of the ‘Legend of Zelda’ game, integrating it into their meme marketing. This blend of trendy pop culture references with their products significantly increased their audience engagement, demonstrating the power of timely and relevant meme marketing.
3. Seamless
Seamless, an online food delivery service, excels at integrating current meme trends into its marketing strategy. One of their campaigns involved creating memes that humorously highlighted the appeal of their products.
For instance, they once used a chart meme to show the irresistible nature of their burritos. This simple, humorous meme sparked curiosity and encouraged customers to try their burritos, demonstrating how memes can drive product interest and sales.
A Beginner’s Guide to Leveraging Text Messages, MMS, and Memes
Step 1: Understand Your Audience
Before crafting your memes, it’s important to identify your audience’s interests and humor style. If your brand targets millennials, they may respond well to nostalgia-themed memes. For Gen Z, absurdist humor or memes about social issues may resonate more.
Simultaneously, build your subscriber list. Remember, these should be people who have opted to receive your text messages. Their information—age, location, interests—can help tailor your meme content.
Step 2: Meme Creation
Once you understand your audience, start creating memes that fit their tastes. You can use tools like Imgflip or Kapwing.
For example, if your audience loves pet humor, a meme featuring a dog doing human-like activities with a funny caption could be a hit. Ensure the meme aligns with your brand’s voice and values.
Step 3: Integrate Memes with Text and MMS
Integrate the memes into your messaging. For text messages, you could say, “Have you seen our latest ‘dog-tivity’? Click the link to check it out!”. For MMS, you could send the image directly with a caption like, “When it’s Monday, but you’re ready to take on the world!”
Step 4: Time Your Memes Right
Timing is crucial. If there’s a trending topic your audience is interested in – let’s say a popular TV series finale – send a relevant meme when it’s most timely.
Step 5: Test and Analyze
Always monitor the engagement of your memes. If a certain meme style gets more likes, comments, or shares, it’s a clue that your audience appreciates it. If a meme falls flat, take it as a learning experience and adjust your strategy.
Step 6: Engage and Interact
Encourage interaction around your memes. You could create a contest where your audience makes their memes related to your brand. This not only fosters engagement but also provides you with user-generated content.
Step 7: Leverage Tools Like OtterText
With OtterText, you could schedule a meme to be sent out exactly when the TV series finale airs, capitalizing on the trend at its peak. You could also set up automated replies for anyone who texts a certain keyword, allowing real-time interaction with your meme.
Inspirational Meme Examples
Fitness Centers and Gyms
Example: An image of a fitness enthusiast struggling to get out of bed with the caption, “When your bed is just too comfortable, but you remember summer bodies are made in winter.”
Why it Works: This meme plays on the shared struggle of finding the motivation to work out, especially during colder months. It’s relatable for many gym-goers and promotes the idea of consistent workouts.
Bars & Nightclubs
Example: A picture of a popular cartoon character getting ready with the caption, “Getting all dressed up for the living room because it’s virtual happy hour time!”
Why it Works: This meme is both timely and humorous, playing on the concept of virtual social events during the pandemic. It’s a fun way to promote the idea of virtual happy hours or at-home cocktail kits offered by your bar or nightclub.
Pet Care
Example: An image of a dog looking at a mountain of toys with the caption, “When you spoil your dog with so many toys, they don’t know which one to play with first.”
Why it Works: This meme is endearing and relatable for pet owners who spoil their pets. It can promote the variety of pet toys and accessories available at your pet care store.
Retail & Ecommerce
Example: A picture of a person looking surprised at their computer with the caption, “That feeling when your favorite item is finally back in stock.”
Why it Works: This meme taps into the customer experience of finding a desired item available again. It creates a positive association with your brand and subtly reminds customers to check your site for restocks regularly.
Hospitality
Example: An image of a person blissfully sinking into a plush hotel bed with the caption, “That feeling when you check into your hotel room and the bed is just too perfect.”
Why it Works: This meme capitalizes on a shared experience many hotel-goers can relate to. It subtly promotes the comfort and luxury of the hotel’s accommodations.
Restaurants
Example: An image of a person looking at an overflowing plate of food with wide eyes and the caption, “When you said you were only a little hungry, but then your order arrives.”
Why it Works: This meme taps into the experience of ordering more food than anticipated at a restaurant. It’s humorous and relatable, promoting the restaurant’s generous portions and delectable offerings.
Gun Ranges
Example: An image of a person looking confused while holding a target with all shots in the bullseye, captioned, “When you come to the gun range for the first time and accidentally become a sharpshooter.”
Why it Works: This meme shows the unexpected success that beginners might experience at a gun range. It’s humorous and encouraging, and it could motivate others to come and try their skills.
Conclusion
Including memes in your text and MMS messages can add a layer of relatability and humor to your brand communication, making your messages more engaging and shareable. Experiment with different types of memes, monitor your success and adjust your strategy as needed. Remember, being relatable, timely, and true to your brand is the key.
Ready to kickstart your meme messaging journey? Give OtterText a try! We offer a free 14-day trial that allows you to experience all our features. Discover how we can streamline your meme marketing and enhance your brand communication.
