The internet loves a meme. We love that #relatable content, a lighthearted look at life, a way to connect often across cultural and language divides. They can be a great way to show a little of your personality on your business’ social media but overuse them and you lose your own voice.
an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.
It can be tempting to flood your social feeds with memes, sit back and watch the likes roll in. As a business, though, your aim is to build your reputation, brand recognition and ultimately sell through your social media and, as I explained previously, likes don’t pay the bills.
Prioritise your content
Make sure the bulk of your social posts are your own content. Scrolling your feed should tell people what your business offers, who your are and why they need your products or services. You feed should not resemble a meme account unless you are, in fact, a meme account.
If you’re short of content ideas check out our Q&A video on what to post.
Choose your memes wisely
Not all memes are suitable for everyone; choose ones that fit with your brand or that are relevant to your business. Of course you can put a spin on most memes but don’t just leap on every viral sensation as it whooshes by.
Inject your personality
When you decide to share a meme; put your own twist on it. Let a little of your brand personality come through or, better yet, use the meme to share your own own advice on a topic.
For example, my take on the Dolly Parton meme makes the point that you should be consistent and authentic. Platform best practices and audiences may be different but that means how you show up on those platforms should change, not who you show up as.
The memes tl;dr*
Don’t abandon your brand identity for viral trends. Make sure you browse your own feed regularly to check that who you are and what you offer is clear.
Get a “should I meme” flowchart and even more tips on using social media as a small business by joining The Forest now.
For even more support and advice while you’re tweaking your own social strategy from me and other anti-capitalist, community focused business owners, Acorn, my Facebook group, is waiting for you.
*tl;dr = too long; didn’t read. The key information from the post.
