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 haven't been around for long." Seeing as how memes come and go in terms of popularity, it's easy to think that they, as a whole, are new. This isn't exactly the case, as there are certain examples that go back even before the Internet age. Names like www.fishbat.com can tell you that the term "meme" was created by Richard Dawkins in 1976, the term in question referring to how information spreads. Memes might even date back earlier, but this is information that most people don't know.
"All memes eventually become irrelevant." Even though many, if not most, memes fade away, others stand the test of time. In fact, they are still used in situations that call for them, specifically on social media. If someone were to make a disagreeable tweet, another person could make a mocking response with the sarcastic SpongeBob meme attached to it. Not all memes have to become irrelevant, provided the general audience can relate to them.
"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 haven't been around for long." Seeing as how memes come and go in terms of popularity, it's easy to think that they, as a whole, are new. This isn't exactly the case, as there are certain examples that go back even before the Internet age. Names like www.fishbat.com can tell you that the term "meme" was created by Richard Dawkins in 1976, the term in question referring to how information spreads. Memes might even date back earlier, but this is information that most people don't know.
"All memes eventually become irrelevant." Even though many, if not most, memes fade away, others stand the test of time. In fact, they are still used in situations that call for them, specifically on social media. If someone were to make a disagreeable tweet, another person could make a mocking response with the sarcastic SpongeBob meme attached to it. Not all memes have to become irrelevant, provided the general audience can relate to them.
"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.
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