Content Marketing With WordPress – Using Memes And Cartoons
This tutorial is part of our series on using content marketing to create more exposure online for your business and drive more traffic to your site.
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In this series of tutorials on content marketing, we continue exploring different content types and formats that you can use to increase exposure online for your business and drive more traffic to your website.
In this tutorial, we look at incorporating the use of memes, cartoons, and comics, into your content marketing mix.
For additional information about adding images to WordPress, see this tutorial: How To Add And Format Images In WordPress
Memes
A meme (pronounced “meem”) is any idea, concept, behavior, style, symbols, or practices that spread around from person to person, and from one mind to another within a culture.
Nowadays, when most people think of memes, they think of funny images or videos with funny captions going viral on the internet, but it can also be anything viral, such as a link, hashtag, a new word taken up in popular culture (e.g. “bromance”), a phrase, and even an entire website.
Memes actually have a deep history (the word “meme” comes from the Ancient Greek “mimema” or “imitated thing”). Its modern usage was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his best-selling book “The Selfish Gene” (1976), where he gives examples of memes in the book such as melodies, catch-phrases, fashion, and the technology of building arches.
Now that you know how interesting memes are historically how can you use memes hysterically as content to promote your business?
You see … memes have to be fun, very funny, highly engaging, adorably cute or address a wildly popular theme that is happening “right now” in order to get shared around.
For example, the viral meme below uses an infographic style to capture and engage readers.
Memes that get shared around attract links, likes, and traffic. Could your business benefit from people liking and sharing your content around?
Memes can be great for getting your business noticed, especially if the subject of the meme relates to your brand.
For example, you can use a meme like this if you’re a digital marketing agency…
Or this…
Or how about this meme for an insurance or travel agency?
Memes are also quick and easy to create, especially if you take an existing meme idea and add your own fun twist to it (called “memejacking”).
So, how do you create a funny meme that can spread virally around the net and get your business a whole new level of exposure?
Well, you can start by researching some great memes to try and understand what made these go viral.
Here are a couple of good sites you can start with:
Once you get inspired and come up with an idea, the next step is to create your meme.
If you know Photoshop, you can easily create your own memes. If not, there are sites online that let you memejack popular memes and add your own funny text over the images.
For example:
QuickMeme
You can find featured memes on the site’s homepage, browse the popular random section, or upload your own picture to generate your meme.
For more information, go here: QuickMeme
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MemeGenerator
MemeGenerator lets you browse the most popular memes on the internet, create your own meme or caption your favorite character like Y U No, Philosoraptor, Grumpy Cat, Foul Bachelor Frog, and more.
For more information, go here: MemeGenerator.net
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DIYLOL
DIYLOL (“Do it Yourself” and “Laugh Out Loud”) lets you create memes by uploading your own image or using existing images. The site also has an iPhone app.
For more information, go here: DIYLOL
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IMGFuel
IMGFuel is an easy-to-use online photo editor and converter tool that lets you edit, compress, crop, and watermark photos. It also lets you upload pictures and share them in different formats and offers a free image hosting solution for sharing and uploading photos.
This site also offers a custom meme-generating tool that lets you upload images and add your own text, or select a pre-made meme template.
For more information, go here: IMGFuel.com
If you plan to create and use memes extensively in your content marketing campaigns, then consider using these tools or plugins:
Colorcinch
With Colorcinch’s free meme generator, you can create memes in 3 simple steps:
- Upload a photo (use your own or search Colorcinch’s extensive library of images)
- Personalize it with text, borders, and stickers, and
- Download the mem to your computer or share it with the world.
The meme generator provides a feature-rich editor that lets you add, format, style, and customize your meme’s text (e.g. change text color and size, adjust spacing and opacity, add shadows and outlines, etc.), add stickers and graphics to make your memes more interesting (Colorcinch has an extensive searchable library of 50,000+ graphics), plus freehand drawing tools, overlays, effects, frames, and more!
With Colorcinch’s suite of tools, you can do so much more than just create memes. You can also use it as a full-fledged image editor to design posters, banners, custom graphics, and perform all sorts of image editing functions.
Colorcinch also provides extensive documentation with guides, tutorials, and image editing tips and tricks.
More info: Colorcinch Meme Generator
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Meme Generator WordPress Plugin
The Meme Generator WordPress Plugin provides similar features to viral meme generator websites. It not only lets you create memes on your website, but visitors can also create memes using images that you approve, download the memes they have generated, and submit these to your website’s meme gallery.
For more information about this plugin, go here: Meme Generator WordPress Plugin
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GIMP
If you don’t want to invest in a graphic software program like Photoshop but would still like to be able to create your own images, check out GIMP.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is free graphic editing software that requires no Photoshop skills and can be used to create and edit images, Facebook covers, video graphics, flyers, infographics, business cards, YouTube channel art, banners, headers, and more.
For more information, go here: GIMP
Cartoons & Comics
Cartoons and comics can be used to explain topics that audiences could find difficult to understand, uncomfortable to watch, make a website that provides trades or professional services stand out, or liven up topics that are not particularly interesting to begin with.
For example, cartoons and comics can be used to help a non-technical audience understand technical products, services, or concepts, explain how health, sanitary or hygienic products work, appeal to sites related to children or parenting topics or used for any type of business marketing. Even just adding a cartoon “mascot” to your site can make your content more appealing and your site more memorable.
You can also hire professional illustrators to design or create mascots, cartoons, or comics for your business, or use online tools like the ones below that allow you to create your own mascots:
Animated Videos
In addition to the tools described above, there are a number of excellent and inexpensive software tools that let you create professional animated marketing videos, including the popular “whiteboard” hand-drawn sketch videos.
Some of these sites include:
We’ve created a separate tutorial to cover the use of animated videos.
To learn more about creating and using animated videos in your content mix, see this tutorial: Content Marketing With Videos
Content Marketing With Memes and Cartoons – FAQs
Here are frequently asked questions about content marketing with memes and cartoons:
What are the benefits of using memes and cartoons in content marketing?
Memes and cartoons can make your content more engaging and relatable, helping to capture the attention of your audience quickly. They often have high viral potential, which can increase brand visibility and drive traffic to your WordPress site.
How do I create memes and cartoons for my WordPress site?
You can create memes and cartoons using online tools like Canva or Adobe Spark that offer templates and easy-to-use interfaces. Once created, you can upload them directly to your WordPress content via the media library.
Are there any legal considerations when using memes and cartoons?
Yes, ensure that you either use original designs or obtain proper licenses for existing artworks. Be cautious of copyright infringement, which is common in meme marketing due to the sharing and modification of existing images.
What are the best practices for integrating memes and cartoons into content marketing?
Use memes and cartoons strategically to complement your message, not overshadow it. They should be relevant to your content and resonate with your target audience. Avoid using memes that could be controversial or offensive to maintain your brand’s reputation.
How can memes and cartoons improve my social media engagement?
Memes and cartoons are highly shareable and can significantly enhance engagement on social media platforms. They encourage interactions such as likes, shares, and comments, which can help extend your content’s reach and attract traffic to your site.
Can I use memes and cartoons for all types of content?
While memes and cartoons can be effective for many types of content, they are best suited for informal and entertainment-oriented content. Evaluate if their tone aligns with your brand and the specific content’s purpose before integration.
What metrics should I monitor to measure the effectiveness of memes and cartoons in content marketing?
Track engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and the overall traffic driven to your website. Analyze these metrics to determine if these visual elements are resonating with your audience and contributing to your marketing goals.
Summary
Cartoons, comics, and animated content can be very engaging to audiences. Consider using memes, cartoons, comics, and animated videos to liven up your content and help you get more exposure online.
Action Step
Explore the sites listed in this email for inspiration and ideas, and to get your creative juices flowing. Don’t forget to add social share buttons when publishing shareable content on your site and remember to post your fun memes, cartoons, and animated videos on sites like Pinterest and Facebook.
You never know … the content you post online today could be tomorrow’s next internet viral sensation!
In our next tutorial, we’ll explore how to use infographics as content for your WordPress site or blog.
For additional tutorials on ways to create content for your website, go here: Content Marketing With WordPress
Note: All images shown in this tutorial are the copyright of their respective authors.
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Updated: July 5th, 2024