With the ever-increasing popularity of memes on social media, you may be forgiven for thinking that they control internet culture. With millions addicted to memes, it is a small wonder that businesses have started using them widely to engage audiences that are fast becoming blind to advertising and even failing to engage with high-quality content. With their distinctive humor, memes are followed, enjoyed, and shared by millions of people across all demographics. Some of the top reasons why memes have become an internet phenomenon:
Low Attention Span of Audiences
With more and more content flooding the internet, users are spending significantly less time scanning through them and latching on to what appeals to them. It is also exacerbated because a significant proportion of time spent online is with mobile devices and users are more likely to be multitasking while looking at the content. According to a report in The Telegraph, the attention span of internet users has dropped to eight seconds making it impossible for businesses to engage them with long-form content requiring undivided attention. For people with attention deficit, easily understandable content like memes represents a good way to consume content quickly and efficiently.
Allows Sense Community Belonging
If you look at them, you will understand that memes are nothing but jokes in a digital format. The reason why they are popular is that if you understand them, you are part of an exclusive community that knows and appreciates the humor. It is a special feeling of being on the inside of the joke, and this prompts you to share it with others who are likely to enjoy it. As the meme gets shared over and over again and becomes a trend among your social group, it acts as a reconfirmation of your membership in the community. Very akin to inside jokes in the physical world, memes are an effective way of connecting with other human beings online, which otherwise is often impersonal, isolated, and cold, according to a Meme Scout marketing consultant.
Demonstration of Your Cultural Insights
The nature of the humor in memes is such that it is not understood by everyone. Brands, of course, need to ensure that the memes they post are not only appreciated by their target audience but also relevant to the brand. It can happen only when the audience has a certain amount of knowledge of cultural history and nuances, including sometimes references to pop culture. When people enjoy a meme so much that they are compelled to share it with their friends and followers on social media, it means that they understand and appreciate the humor in its cultural context. When this happens, it boosts their self-confidence and makes them feel that they belong to a special group that has a certain cool factor.
Conclusion
The very nature of memes is that they pivot on the humor found in varied situations that can otherwise be quite serious. By using memes in your content strategy, you can connect with your target audience in a fresh and innovative way that is valuable for driving engagement and building a community.
