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How to Create and Share Memes

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Every internet user has at some point seen a meme. Many have shared memes with others. Entire online groups, forums, and websites exist for the sole purpose of sharing and discussing the best memes. Other websites include tools to create memes and share them with others.

Memes are even used by sales and marketing teams to catch the interest of prospective customers and spread information. Sales teams can use memes to stand out in a crowded inbox. Marketing teams can use them to announce a sale event or new product. Memes can make your message stand out on social media and encourage more likes, shares, and comments.

jimmy johns instagram post that shows a long sandwich with text "me: can't wait to show off my summer bod. also me:"

Of course, before you can start using memes to go viral, you need to know how to make them! In this article, we will cover everything you need to know to start making your own memes. First, we will answer the question “what is a meme?” and analyze why memes are so popular. Then, we will go over a few different ways that you can make your own meme. By the end of the article, you will know how to identify a meme, make one of your own, and share it with your digital audience!

What is a Meme?

boy with "me" on him pointing to a butterfly with "something on the internet" below it and the words "is this a meme?' on the bottom

Most of us have seen many memes in our time online, but what exactly is a meme? And what counts as a meme?

The word “meme” actually existed before the advent of the internet and was used to refer to an element of a culture that is passed from one person to another, frequently through imitation. So, a meme could be a behavior or style that passed from person to person until it reached widespread use. While this definition can cover a wide variety of behaviors and traditions, it is definitely applicable to the internet “memes” we use today as well!

Nowadays, what we refer to as a “meme” is more specifically a humorous image, video, or piece of text that can be copied and spread online. When spread, variations on the meme often emerge, with different captions or images than the original meme. However, even with the new elements, the new image can still be recognized as a copy of the original meme.

a man labeled "internet users" checks out a woman labeled "a variation of that original meme" while a different woman beside him labeled "the original meme" glares at him

Memes are popular because they’re funny and unite internet users from different locations and life circumstances. Somehow on the other side of the globe who doesn’t even speak your language can still recognize the same meme as you. Even if you can’t understand their speech, you can still communicate via memes! In this way, internet memes are the same as the cultural “memes” that existed before the digital age – both are a way for an individual or culture to spread ideas and images to connect disparate peoples to one another and create a shared visual language. To put it simply, memes bring people together.

How to Make Your Own Meme

So, memes are not only popular and humorous; they’re also important for improving communication and creating shared experiences across distance! As such, knowing how to create a meme is a vital skill for any internet user, including businesses and other organizations. Whether you want to spice up a new marketing campaign or just go viral, you can make a meme that will do the trick!

Fortunately, it is quite easy to make your own variation of a popular meme. You can find blank meme templates on websites like Imgflip and Kapwing. On these sites, you can take a popular meme image and add your own meme captions. Then, click the button that says “generate” or “create”. Once your meme is generated, you can share it directly on social media, download it to your computer, or share its URL link with others. Best of all, you can make and share a meme for free with these websites!

upload meme

However, if you want to make a completely new meme, you can’t just add captions to an old template. If you have a great idea for a new meme and want to get it trending, then you’ll need software that lets you clip or create an image or video and then add captions to it.

One way you can do this is with the screenshot tool Droplr. With Droplr, you can screenshot any portion of your screen on both Mac and Windows. After you take your screenshot, you can add annotations to it, including text captions. Once you’re done editing your image, you can share it quickly by pasting the associated short link. Using Droplr, you can create and share a new meme in minutes! Watch the above video for a walkthrough on how to make a meme with Droplr.

Screenshot tools are especially useful for making memes because you can take a screenshot of any image or video that you come across online. For example, you can take a screenshot of a scene in your new favorite show, add a caption, and voila! You have a brand-new meme.

screenshot of shane madej pointing at the audience with text reading "I want you to start making awesome memes"

Create Memes Today

Now you have all the tools you need to start making awesome memes! To recap, you now know how to create a meme using a blank meme template to add new meme captions or by using a screenshot tool to make a brand-new meme. If neither of these solutions work for you, you can also use image editing software to create or upload images and add a caption to make a new meme! The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to making and disseminating your own memes. And who knows, maybe you’ll create the next viral meme!

If you’re interested in trying out Droplr’s meme-making software free of charge, then sign up for our 3-day free trial. Droplr is especially useful for businesses that need access to an all-in-one screenshot tool, screen recorder, and file sharing app. Learn more today to discover what Droplr can do for your business team.

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