Written by Bret Cameron and Charlotte Gifford. This article is part of the 'Snapchat Marketing' Mobile Games University course, in partnership with Fanbytes.
If you’re serious about including memes in your marketing plan, here are several best-practices that you ought to keep in mind:
Your app needs to complement the strategy of memes
Memes may not work for every app. However, if you consider yourselves to be young and fun, and your audience is too, then they could be very effective for you.
Make sure you’re aware of the meme’s usage
Using a meme incorrectly around young people is as much a faux pas as using an incorrect film reference around film buffs. If you can, check how your meme goes down with someone from your target audience before you press publish.
Ensure that the kinds of memes you’re using are tonally right for your app
Gucci’s memes are a good example here. By employing ‘classical art’-style memes, they manage to retain their luxury status whilst appealing to a young audience.
There are plenty of different types of meme, so choose ones that hit the right note for your app.
Don’t be afraid to be self-deprecating
Memes that lack any self-awareness are susceptible to more backlash online. If you’re willing to poke fun at your app from time to time, your fans will appreciate it.
Harness trends
Some memes have a remarkable longevity, but others like the Harlem Shake are temporary events in the digital landscape and soon go out of fashion. In general, strike while the iron is hot.
Encourage your audience to tag their friends
This is, after all, what meme culture is all about. Get people tagging so as to increase your brand exposure.
Measure your success
From our experience at Fanbytes, it’s crucial that your metrics are as precise as possible to inform you how successful this strategy was for you.
It’s tempting to focus on surface metrics such as ‘likes’ and ‘shares’, but don’t get distracted from your main goal of driving maximum installs and minimum cost.
Check out our 'Snapchat Marketing' Mobile Games University course, in partnership with Fanbytes, for more insight.
Main image credit: FreeImages.com/Marcelo Barboza