From Grumpy Cat to Rickrolling to that one screenshot of Willy Wonka, memes have practically become engrained in American culture. What once started as a collection of inside jokes among nerds has since a topic that anyone can relate on. Social media has played a big role in this, too. Nonetheless, there are many myths about memes that are still taken as fact. Here are just a few of the myths in question that online marketing companies can debunk.
"Memes are fairly new." It's fair to say that memes are relatively new, given how recently they've become part of popular culture, but this isn't entirely true. There are many people that believe that they date back to the 70s with comic strips. Others believe they go back even further to the early 20s. Your mileage may vary, depending on what you believe, but companies such as fishbat will tell you that memes are older than most would believe.
"Memes only last for a short time." This isn't always the case. The truth is that while there are many memes that come and go, only serving as distant memories in the fast-paced world of the Internet, others have persevered. How many times have you seen people on Facebook share Willy Wonka pictures adorned with sarcastic text? This is an example of a meme, by some method or another, standing the test of time.
"Memes don't have an impact on business." It's easy to overlook memes as nothing more than jokes to share online, but this isn't all they're good for. In the hands of capable business owners, they can be used for more. After all, most people that are online know what memes are, so when they see companies they know use them, it's easy to become engaged. If they tie back to the products and services being offered, they can make a difference.
"I can just create my own meme." If someone tells you that a meme can just be created, not unlike a blog post, then they are lying. The only way that a meme comes to life is if people share it enough times. The more that an image, video, or message is passed through the Internet, the more popular it becomes among various groups. This is how the majority of memes originate, so to say that they can be manufactured would be a lie.
"Memes are fairly new." It's fair to say that memes are relatively new, given how recently they've become part of popular culture, but this isn't entirely true. There are many people that believe that they date back to the 70s with comic strips. Others believe they go back even further to the early 20s. Your mileage may vary, depending on what you believe, but companies such as fishbat will tell you that memes are older than most would believe.
"Memes only last for a short time." This isn't always the case. The truth is that while there are many memes that come and go, only serving as distant memories in the fast-paced world of the Internet, others have persevered. How many times have you seen people on Facebook share Willy Wonka pictures adorned with sarcastic text? This is an example of a meme, by some method or another, standing the test of time.
"Memes don't have an impact on business." It's easy to overlook memes as nothing more than jokes to share online, but this isn't all they're good for. In the hands of capable business owners, they can be used for more. After all, most people that are online know what memes are, so when they see companies they know use them, it's easy to become engaged. If they tie back to the products and services being offered, they can make a difference.
"I can just create my own meme." If someone tells you that a meme can just be created, not unlike a blog post, then they are lying. The only way that a meme comes to life is if people share it enough times. The more that an image, video, or message is passed through the Internet, the more popular it becomes among various groups. This is how the majority of memes originate, so to say that they can be manufactured would be a lie.