Instagram memes are sweeping the internet, and it’s no surprise. These relatable, relevant, and highly shareable content pieces are ideal for increasing brand engagement and growth on the platform.
Do you want to know how to incorporate memes into your content marketing strategy?
We’ll go over what makes a great meme – and how you can use them to help grow your business – in this guide.
What Are Instagram Memes?
An Instagram meme is a piece of content, such as a pop culture moment or a universally cute animal, that is used to convey a relatable sentiment to an audience.
They can be static or dynamic, with a combination of text and imagery to visually participate in the conversation.
And they have a wide range.
Instagram memes can emerge from a hilarious red carpet moment or a child falling asleep in their pasta:
Consider them an inside joke, a way to apply current events from film and television to politics and daily life.
Instagram memes can be used to increase audience affinity, illustrate brand values, or simply add personality to your page.
And the best part is… Memes, when done correctly, drive a lot of engagement and help build community on the app – more on that below.
Why Instagram Memes Are the Hottest Growth Hack Right Now
In case you missed it, memes are having a major moment on Instagram.
Instagram memes are a great way for brands and businesses to get a lot of likes, comments, and shares because they are relatable, relevant, and highly shareable.
Some of Instagram’s most popular and engaged accounts exist solely to create and share memes.
Consider the following accounts: @fuckjerry, @ladbible, and @daquan, all of which have over 10 million followers.
While memes have always been popular, the introduction of video memes and the shift away from picture-perfect imagery has resulted in an explosion of memes across the board.
In fact, according to an Ypulse survey, 55% of 13-35-year-olds send memes every week – and 30% send them every day.
So there is an appetite.
Everyone, from beauty brands to fashion houses and even the food industry, is using bite-sized content to increase engagement and appeal to a Gen Z and Millennial audience.
How to Make an Instagram Meme
Creating your first meme may require some trial and error. You must strike a balance between being on-brand, having timely visuals, and finding the right sentiment that resonates with your audience.
It’s an art as well as a science – here’s how to get started:
Step #1: Find Inspiration Online
Following pages like @sainthoax, @mignonettetakespictures, and @sarcasm only is one of the simplest ways to enter the meme arena.
They’re the go-to place for finding inspiration for pop culture moments and keeping an eye out for upcoming trends.
And because these accounts are dedicated to being the first to post a usable template when a situation arises, they are always the first to post one.
As a result, you can follow suit and tailor your content to your target audience.
Step #2: Create Your Meme
The good news is that most memes follow a similar, fairly basic format (often using Instagram’s built-in fonts), so you don’t need advanced design skills to create viral memes.
Here’s how to make static and video memes:
How to Make Static Memes:
Creating a static meme is actually much simpler than you might think.
Imgflip, Mematic, and Imgur, for example, allow you to quickly add your own unique spin to an existing meme.
Simply choose from a plethora of memes such as the confused math lady, the distracted boyfriend, and countless others:
After you’ve chosen a default meme from the library, you can customize it to your heart’s content!
Add text, images, stickers, drawings, and spacing to fit your brand’s aesthetic, and you’ve got yourself a meme.
View how Meta Creative used the distracted boyfriend template to highlight their office benefits:
How to Make Video Memes:
If you want to make a video meme, you can do so with a design app like Videoleap!
This allows you to add text overlays that are pinned to specific parts of a moving image.
Take a look at a video meme we made with Videoleap here at Later:
The app’s simple interface allows you to cut, combine, and layer video clips to turn your creativity into memorable memes.
Mel Mckechnie, Social Media Manager, explains everything in the post below:
3 Best Practices for Creating Viral Memes
Now that you know how to make a meme, here are three strategies for getting your Instagram meme to the top!
#1: Stay on Brand
While Instagram memes are entertaining, it is critical to remain true to yourself.
Determine what type of content appeals to your target audience and look for memes that add value to your community.
Take, for example, Cocokind:
The skincare company posts fun, pop culture memes that highlight its brand ethos and values – all while engaging their audience in a relatable way.
#2: Jump on Timely Trends
The key to meme success is to capitalize on timely trends while they are still fresh and, most importantly, relevant.
You’ll have a better chance of going viral this way.
Later joined the Euphoria bandwagon by incorporating a still from a scene:
We were able to join the Euphoria conversation and capitalize on real-time engagement by incorporating our signature bright color scheme and relevant text.
#3: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Memes are designed to be quick to read, skimmable, and capable of conveying a message in a matter of seconds.
So, for a memorable meme experience, keep your text on the short side.
Check out how Melanie Laurene keeps her meme carousel (and caption) simple and to the point:
