If we told you that memes are the most powerful, most underrated, and most misunderstood item in a startup founder’s (or growth marketer’s) toolkit, you’d probably laugh at the idea.
Yet there’s an argument to be made.
Why are memes good?
They’re great at showcasing four things that a startup needs:
- Positioning
- Progress
- Community
- Credibility
Let’s dive deeper into this idea.
1) Positioning
A great way to position your startup is through contrast. Think about the early days of Apple.
Nowadays it’s taken for granted, but they’ve positioned themselves against a whole industry. Apple vs normal computers.
Tesla did the same thing when they first launched – us vs. internal combustion engine cars.
Contrast yourself against the wider market.
2) Progress
Showing your growth gives people a sneak peek into your story and invites them behind the scenes.
A meme can help you achieve this, and a great example is this “How it started vs How it’s going” meme trend.
3) Community
Often memes become a shared symbol of a community. A language that demonstrates belonging.
One way to do this is by tying your brand to an object, so that object becomes a meme.
4) Credibility
In the early days of a company, credibility is essential in getting customers, media coverage, and investors to care about what you’re building.
You can hack credibility with memes. Nikita’s app turned the very process of gaining traction into a meme itself.
