Let's Talk About eCommerce Meme: What Is It, Benefits, Tips, And Examples

What is a meme?

Richard Dawkins introduced the concept of the meme in his book "The Selfish Gene" in 1976. He used this to describe an idea or behavior that spreads from person to person within a culture.

So, a meme is a cultural phenomenon that spreads rapidly through society in the form of content, like images, videos, gestures, or phrases.

Memes can also be humorous, political, or educational. But to sum it up, memes are easily spread, recognized, and adapted.

And in today's digital age... Memes are a big part of the internet culture. They are created using images, videos, and other forms of media with captions to convey the message.

Memes are all over social media channels, making them spread quickly. Social media users share them, which has become a form of communication.

Overall, memes are used in the digital age to express thoughts and emotions on different topics.

Now that you know the definition of memes, you're probably wondering...

Why should you use memes?

If you're wondering if you should use memes, here are some reasons to consider using them in your marketing channels.

If you're wondering if you should use memes, here are some reasons to consider using them in your marketing channels.

1. Connect with your audience

Relatability is something you can share with your audience. This helps build a connection with them because they can relate to your content.

Here's an example from Debutify's Instagram account.

This meme speaks for creative people in the eCommerce industry. How? Because creative people usually get ideas when showering.

So, this meme is relatable to Debutify's target audience. Another reason is to...

2. Humanize your brand

A brand shouldn't look and feel like a lifeless robot. Why? Because customers spend time and money to purchase or interact with your eCommerce store.

They deserve to feel as if they're connecting with a real person behind the brand. Let's look at this example:

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This post is from Lay's India. If you think about it, Lay's is a giant chips brand. But posting a meme like this proves that real humans are behind the brand. And they're updated with the latest trends!

Who knows? Humanizing your brand might even increase repeat sales from customers!

Memes can also...

3. Ignite customer emotions

Want to decode customer sentiment? Use memes that will spark emotions. It can be in a relatable, humorous way that they will find entertaining.

Here's an example:

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This example is not exactly from a brand. But this is one of the most relatable ecommerce retail memes for your customers.

This is centered around them because customers track their orders right after purchasing from an ecommerce business.

If you see they can relate, maybe you need to step up your post-purchase strategy and turn customer anxiety into something light.

Using commerce retail memes as part of your marketing strategies can help you and your customers build genuine connections.

So, want to hop on posting memes? Here are some...

3 Tips for posting eCommerce memes

If you want to include using an eCommerce meme in your business operations or any marketing channel, here are some things to remember.

1. Know the context of the meme

Since memes are based on cultural phenomena, it's essential to know the context behind the meme you want to use.

You need to see what started the trend or meme before deciding if you can hop on the trend. You don't want to tarnish your brand reputation by joining in inappropriate trends, right?

Because customers expect you to align your brand values with them. Also, it's essential because you want the trend or meme to be relevant to your industry.

Another thing to do is to...

2. Make them relatable and entertaining

As I mentioned above, memes are easily spread. Two of the main reasons are that they're relatable and entertaining.

So, your memes should also focus on your brand while still being relevant to your customers and how they feel.

Here's an example:

Since Debutify is a software company that focuses on products for eCommerce business owners, we created a meme on Debutify's TikTok account that online shoppers can relate to.

If they can relate to your social media posts, you can increase your engagement on your marketing channels.

Lastly, you need to...

3. Be mindful of the materials you'll use

When memes go viral, chances are the materials are from specific sources or someone's intellectual property.

For example, a celebrity image or video goes viral. That particular image or video is probably owned by a professional photographer, the network, or whoever took it.

So, you need to find the source of the materials and give credit. Or, you can also recreate them.

Here's an example:

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In September 2022, Rihanna posted this image for the Super Bowl holding an NFL ball. This image garnered over 7 million likes on Instagram and became one of the most-talked topics on social media.

Because of that, brands were quick to jump on the trend. But some of them didn't use the image or Rihanna's hands. They recreated the image instead.

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This is an example from Dairy Queen. Instead of taking the original image and editing it, they recreated the trend using their own hand, image, and product.

They also edited "tattoos" to replicate Rihanna's hands but with Dairy Queen branding. This way, they avoided using others' property but still were able to jump on the trend by recreating the image.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to use eCommerce memes in your strategies?