Breaking the Internet One Meme at a Time

Who can forget Kim Kardashian “breaking” the internet last November by posing nude in Paper Magazine?

The story and its images were literally breaking the internet with hash tags, tweets and engagement from all parts of the world. When the shock calmed down, the images of Kim fast became the viral events of the year. Creative adjustments to the photos, memes and gifs created continuous online engagement.

Visual content marketing

When producing shareable and reader-friendly content, a creative and clever approach is needed. This is where visual content marketing makes its way. Images are powerful tools that are often more likeable in a fast-paced and busy daily life. They achieve this by appealing to emotions and senses as well as being highly entertaining. According to socialbakers.com, statistics clearly show how shareable an image on Facebook is compared to links, statuses and albums.

These statistics have caused changes in social media priorities. Indeed, industry reports reveal that 70 per cent of marketers plan to increase their use of original visual assets in 2015.

The statistics are clear, so why wait any longer? Original visuals, such as memes, are created and shared via social media. It is fun and engaging, whilst also giving you the opportunity to express yourself faster than by plain text. Memes are great. They are already online, easy to create, shareable and with lots of opportunities for reader engagement.

But there are a number of rules to keep in mind when using memes to enhance your content:

1. Always know who your main audience is

Target all visual content for your readers. We all know that “The ten hottest football players” will not go down very well with a lifestyle magazine for men!

2. ‘Shareability’ is key

Make sure all your content is engaging and shareable. You want your memes to evoke emotions and connect with the reader. The stronger connection, the more likely sharing of content occurs. This initiates viral success. Since memes are already found online, make sure you jump on the trend and increase your chances of making your content and brand visible for a broader audience.

3. Take a risk: Think outside the box

Do not be afraid to stand out from the crowd. That is what visual content marketing is here for! Always make sure your meme will fit well with the content and the brand. However, topics and trends will not be engaging unless risks are taken!

4. Timing is everything

Current trends, breaking news and other unexpected events are perfect opportunities for your content to create engagement and enjoyment amongst the readers. Always pay attention to trends online, such as celeb news, and you are all ready to go!

Whatever you do, do not forget to pay attention to the following:

- Always have a strategy for the purpose of the content. The memes should build up and stress the topic and brand rather than be misleading.

- Aim at creating shareable content for one or a few social media channels at a time. Not all content is suitable for all platforms!

- Keep it simple. Too much information crammed together is never pleasant.

- Do not underestimate the power of social media. One meme gone wrong can impact negatively on your overall marketing purpose. So, make sure you do proper research and understand the underlying messages of the content.

- The world is your oyster! Creativity pays off, whilst a boring meme will not take you anywhere…