Memes for Instagram
Have you ever heard of “Instagram memes”?
Although memes are always present on social networks, and we can all recognize them, we have problems defining what is a meme exactly.
What is a meme
A meme is an image, gif, or video, sometimes edited, that appears on social networks and becomes viral for its funny and witty content.
How about we see it with an example?
The meme where the singer Drake appears is one of the most popular and most used by brands, companies, and Internet users.
In the first image, he rejects something, and he finally accepts another offer in the following image. Content creators use this double image to create a meme.
At Metricool, we have taken advantage of the image to talk about the benefits of one of our products: I’d rather schedule from Metricool than having to enter each social network to publish every day.
The power of social media memes has made them an excellent option for sharing content.
Why use this type of content on Instagram and other social profiles? From regular users to companies or social media managers?
Why use memes on Instagram or other networks
Here are some situations in which sharing memes can be beneficial for your brand.
➡️ Share viral content.
There are times when an image is used for a meme. The image has become viral, and content creators take advantage of it and use their creativity to edit it and create fun posts.
Example:
McDonald’s has almost five million followers, but this community hasn’t been built only based on its brand or product.
It also shares entertaining content that gets thousands of interactions from its followers. In this case, they have used a viral resource that other companies are betting on: a WhatsApp conversation edited to add funny phrases with the background of their brand.
➡️ Promote your products
One way to take advantage of memes is to use them to promote products from your online store or business.
Example:
KFC, the fried chicken restaurant chain, has managed to turn Colonel Sanders, founder of its franchise into a meme.
They use it for almost everything and, in this particular case, to promote their bucket of chicken with a fun montage.
A way to unite the brand image and a product.
➡️ Entertain users.
If you want to increase your community on Instagram and strengthen your followers, generating content just to entertain is a great way.
The goal is to get likes, comments, and a good atmosphere by moving away from the commercial content of the product.
For this content, any meme is valid, although how you approach the post is decisive for it to succeed.
Example:
Starbucks, the coffee brand, uses this common meme on social networks: put a phrase and use a predictive text to finish it.
In this example, Starbucks uses an image where they start the following phrase: “This is my summer of” so users can end the sentence. This type of content generates a large number of interactions. It distances itself from the classic product post, and users like to share it in the comments.
➡️ Take advantage of trends.
On social media, taking advantage of some trends or specific dates can lead to success and get posts to go viral.
The same goes for a meme that is popular at the moment. Creating a post about your brand with it can get a lot of interactions.
Example:
The Beard Club has a personal brand account with almost half a million followers. Among the content, you can usually find several memes.
The Spiderman meme is fun. It serves to recreate situations in which you imitate another person.
➡️ Reply with memes.
This option could complement other social networks since Instagram does not allow you to respond to comments with images or videos in public.
But on Instagram, you can take advantage of it when you manage private messages with your followers.
On Twitter or Facebook, it is normal to respond to other users with memes, but always carefully, when the moment requires it, and always making sure it aligns with your image.
How to create memes
If you have decided to start creating memes for Instagram in your personal or professional account, here are three applications that you can use.
Mematic
A simple mobile application to create your memes in no time. You can choose between different templates of memes, stock photos, gifs to edit, or you can also select an image from your phone.
The rest is up to you; add text, effects, font type, etc. The only downside is that the watermark is included with the free version.
Available for Android and iOS.
Canva
This design tool is not directly prepared to create memes, but it can come in very handy.
It works like other meme apps: you upload the image or video you want to edit and then add the text you want.
You can work with this app on PCs and mobile devices (iOS & Android)
ImgPlay
If you usually use GIFs to create memes, here is the tool you were looking for.
With ImgPlay, you can start working with a gif that you have saved on your mobile or find the ideal one from an extensive library.
It is available for Android and iOS for free, but only you can remove the watermark with the premium version.
You already have tools ready to create your first memes. Do you need inspiration for your first creatives? Keep reading!
Appy Pie
Appy Pie Meme Generator is a fantastic tool for creating trending memes without any designing skills.
Super-easy to use, Appy Pie Meme Maker allows you to upload your image or video, and convert it into a meme the way you want. You can add text, change color and do much more using the meme builder.
The interesting thing about Appy Pie Meme Generator is that you can also create memes using pre-existing meme templates featured on the platform.
You can access Appy Pie Meme Maker on PCs.
Examples of Instagram accounts that use memes
Do you want to learn from other accounts that already share meme content?
Here are some to inspire you.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
The KFC restaurant has experienced remarkable growth on social networks thanks to the change of direction of its content.
Their content strategy consists of sharing product images and memes that reinforce the current tone of their brand: light-hearted and fun.
He has built a great relationship with its community, increased the number of followers and interactions.
Burger King
The Burger King account does not use as many memes on its Instagram account, but it does use them.
In this case, the account is product-oriented, but without neglecting that fun side to connect with the public.
Netflix
The Netflix account has a content strategy focused on promoting several of its productions and creates funny memes with them.
It is common to use everyday situations with a scene from series that are trendy.
You already have everything you need to get started with your Instagram meme strategy.
If you haven’t started on Instagram yet, this Instagram marketing guide will be the first step towards it.
