#51 How to create memes
It is easier than you think.
Readers, I promised in my last newsletter that I would return with some interesting content for Marketing Scientist. And if you were wondering why I have not published one yet, I have some news for you.
I have decided not to have a fixed schedule for this newsletter as I did last year. Why is that? During this break, I thought deeply about why I started this newsletter:
I didn't start this newsletter to:
To jump on the creator bandwagon
To become an influencer
To monetize it for a side hustle
I started this newsletter to:
Reignite my passion for writing
Indulge in curiosity for the science of marketing
Spread these ideas among marketers to make academic research accessible
I don't want to set weekly or monthly timelines for this newsletter because I don't want to write to hit these milestones. I want to write when I genuinely feel I have learned something valuable and am inspired to share it with you.
So, I have been seeking inspiration this entire month, and nothing struck me until yesterday. As soon as it did, the words started flowing. Something like this might happen twice a month or once every two months. We will see.
The topic of this newsletter is memes and why they are such a compelling creative device.
A lot of academic research exists on the topic of memes. The most interesting research that I read while creating this newsletter reports that memes are among the most successful modes of marketing communication because -
Existing popular memes allow the target audience to relate easily to the advertisement context.
It is one of the simplest, cheapest, and organic ways to engage with them
The study says that memes are most popular among people aged 13–36, who report regularly sharing them. They can generate as much as a 30% engagement rate on social media.
This is why most brands that intend to connect with their social media audiences create memes. Some very popular ones have been NetFlix, DollarShaveClub, and Dominos.
Have you seen these memes I created in the past? I was inspired to make them by Elena Verna, who consistently creates the funniest memes about products and marketing.
Earlier, my approach was random. But now I have figured out a process to churn out memes more often. It turns out it is relatively straightforward:
Identify a topical and highly relatable theme. To know which memes are trending, you can check out some of these communities:
> https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/
>https://www.reddit.com/r/dankmemes/
> 9gag.com/trendingSelect a meme template on https://imgflip.com/ or https://knowyourmeme.com/
Download the image and brainstorm captions with Chatgpt. Humor is the key ingredient in any meme. Ask ChatGPT to create some funny one-liners to match the image. Keep it simple - the simpler a meme, the more viral it will likely be.
Add your chosen text to the original template, and hit publish
For example, today's topic is that January usually feels like a long month. I followed this process and came up with this meme in 2 minutes.
I hope you found this interesting. Go ahead and create some memes of your own!