Using memes is one of the most influential and impactful marketing techniques utilized by loads of businesses today. Because business memes are humorous, relatable and memorable, people love them so much, so for brands, incorporating them to their business strategies is a great advantage!
True enough, tons of brands present on social media that use memes to promote themselves are scoring the benefits indeed! Attracting audiences through their witty and close-to-the-heart memes, these brands prove how memes can take businesses to the next level!
But wait. You can’t be too excited about using your ideas for your memes just yet. There is something very important to know before using business memes for marketing though: YOU HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS. Yes, you need to be extremely careful and mindful when it comes to meme marketing. Although many have shown how these are impressively gainful marketing tools, many brands have also ended up suffering due to reckless meme use.
To be more enlightened about this, read this list of 5 reasons why you must be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS when using memes for business marketing! Got you a few tips about them too, so read on!
Table of Contents
1 – THEY MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT.
Because memes are quite simple to see and obtain online, they are a real steal! Well, for some, they could be literally stolen.
Memes are commonly reposted, so they become individually popular. Truthfully, you can see one meme going viral in different posts by different authors. Frequently, they are owned by nobody although an actual somebody gave birth to it. Because social media is a space where content is freely shared and acquired, oftentimes, memes are just taken without permission.
While this is a typical situation which all are familiar with, it is NOT right, especially if the owner of the content clearly noted that reposting his/her work is not allowed. Significantly, businesses are not supposed to do this. First, it is just generally disrespectful. And second, it is illegal.
Before using an image, a video clip, a song, a caption, or a whole business memes for marketing purposes, see to it that it is not subject to copyright. When you or your social media staff post something for your business without going through the proper authorization process for that content, you will be in nerve-racking trouble!
Copyrighted content is protected with legal restrictions, so other people besides the owner are not allowed to freely take or use it. Yes, it’s the same for memes. Even though they are considered as “for fun” by many, they can be under copyright too.
If you get accused of violating these laws but honestly know that the similarities are unintentional or that there were explicable mistakes in the usage of the content, you will be glad to have business insurance for this worrisome situation.
Copyright infringement is severely weighty, so a lot of business insurance providers prioritize this coverage for their clients. Professional indemnity insurance and commercial general liability insurance are two business insurance types that protect businesses who are charged with copyright claims. These can be your saviors in case faced with the said issues after using memes in advertising your brand.
2 – THEY MIGHT BE UNINTENTIONALLY USED IN THE WRONG CONTEXT.
Without a doubt, memes can be funny 24/7 and timeless. That one which made you and your friends laugh 2 years ago can still be very relatable and still stomach-achingly hilarious this year.
What makes most memes so chucklesome, at the same time sympathizable, is the context mutually understood by numerous people all over the globe. Yup, not just within your city but also in every city in the universe! With just a few words and a single visual item, people relate to each other and know why a certain meme is viral.
Business Memes for your business must suit your message, your personality, your goal. Learn first what the meme is and how it matches the contexts it has been used for in many versions.
If you unintentionally use memes in the wrong context, you might bring your brand to harm. Audiences might misinterpret and dislike you and judge your professionalism. Know the meme reference before trying to be funny.
3 – THEY MIGHT ORIGINALLY HAVE INAPPROPRIATE MEANINGS.
There are wholesome and rib-tickling memes totally worth liking and sharing! But don’t forget that the social media world has dark pits too. Unfitting memes are also around – subtly or not subtly at all.
No matter how viral it may be, know its meaning because you might get in deep dark issues when you advertise your brand using memes with inappropriate meanings. Instead of trying to be loved, you might get hated! Also, there are memes which don’t suit young audiences; if your business caters to all ages, and you use such memes, you are basically ruining your image and might be unintentionally pushing away your clients.
Only reckless and ready-to-say-bye business owners use memes without background checking them. If you are not one of them, you will never attempt to use business memes before looking up what it is about and where it comes from.
Let every meaning of everything you use for business marketing, especially memes, be decent and modest.
MEME CAREFULLY FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Business Memes are inexpensive! They will not make you poor for using them to promote your business! But bear in mind that the aftereffects of using them without thinking well might damage your business and squeeze dry your wallets!
Before having fun with meme marketing and before relishing the joys of seeing how countless people are engaging with your brand because of memes, make sure you’re not on the way to any hard troubles involving the above-mentioned points.
It’s definitely enjoyable to laugh and to profit, yet see to it that you can do that to the end. Responsibly use memes for your business, and your brand will be extraordinarily awesome!