Science of the Memes
Today I’d like to discuss the science of memes and how the spreading of ideas is engrained in our human society.
Definition
An element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation.
- a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by internet users
Memes
In our modern era, memes have become a cornerstone of our social media-filled lives. However, we never take the time to investigate why they spread so fast and how that affects consumerism.
You can use this same information to create a lasting positive impression about your company, products, and services. People are more likely to try a new product or service when they feel protected and reassured by the masses.
It’s been determined that spreading ideas is essential to the survival of a society. There are five main situations where this occurs. They are:
- Crisis
- Mission
- Problem
- Danger
- Opportunity
Think of Evangelism. This movement is a prime example of people not only spreading the word but also convincing people to jump on board and start spreading the word themselves. How did this movement do this?
They effectively incorporated a few key things that always catch people’s eye:
- The use of media: especially news. They associate their movement with polarizing events and caustic leaders.
- The power of selflessness, a massive piece of this movement, is that through association, you live a life of helping others and altruism.
- The power of exclusivity; it takes becoming a member to learn all the secrets. It comes in the form of in speak, opportunity, and ultimately community connections.
These are just a few lessons we can learn from this powerful movement if you think about your business marketing strategy. What elements do you have?
It takes these elements and more to go viral, which we will discuss in the next section.
Let’s Go Viral
While traditional marketing can be used to your advantage, the reality is viral and online marketing is the king of the castle. You can spread the word online like the plague if you know what to do. Here are some simple steps to do this:
- Find an interesting idea
- Make it easy for people to experience or try
- Spread the idea while people who are in close contact with others
- Take advantage of existing communication methods
- Develop the way of testing your product in such a way that it automatically draws more participants
Viral marketing is the new gorilla marketing; it creates channels to allow you to provide value to a lot of people. Thus giving them the best chance to advocate for your product or service. A few great places to try to create a viral marketing campaign are:
- Tik Tok
- YouTube
- E-Mail marketing
There are six things everyone should be doing to benefit from word of mouth on the Internet:
- Put WOM components on your website.
- Assign people to monitor your viral marketing.
- Place testimonials in different places on your website to walk a customer through the purchasing cycle.
- Set up an email marketing campaign.
- Stay up to date on what products and services the experts in your industry are recommending.
- Use your website & media to demonstrate the great ways people are using or finding success with your products and services.
This wraps up our lesson on how to apply the power of memes to your marketing. If you need help creating your own plan and discovering your business plan, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help.