TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among Generation Z. It allows users to create and share short videos set to music. TikTok is known for viral video trends, dances, lip-syncs, comedy sketches and more. Memes have also become incredibly popular on TikTok.
Memes are images, videos or pieces of text that are copied and spread rapidly by internet users. They often convey a humorously satirical message. Some of the most well-known memes originate on sites like Reddit, 4chan and Twitter before spreading across the internet. On TikTok, memes are commonly included in videos through graphics, effects, green screen backgrounds and more.
Adding popular meme references to TikTok videos is a great way for creators to tap into viral trends and humor that resonates with their audience. Memes can help make videos more engaging, entertaining and shareable.
Why Put Memes on TikTok Videos?
Memes are extremely popular on TikTok and can help increase engagement on videos. According to SocialFly, “Gen Z has ingeniously turned memes into a new communication tool for bonding and humor” (https://socialflyny.com/how-tiktok-has-changed-the-concept-of-memes/). Memes resonate with TikTok’s young user base and are often used as a way to add humor or commentary to videos. Since engagement is a key factor that impacts how TikTok’s algorithm surfaces videos, adding a popular meme can help get more views, likes, comments, and shares.
Furthermore, memes tend to spread quickly on TikTok, which can amplify a video’s reach. As noted by NAB Amplify, “Memes go viral fast on TikTok because of how easily shareable they are” (https://amplify.nabshow.com/articles/connect-tiktok-marketing/). By tapping into trending meme formats, creators can capitalize on their popularity to get content in front of more people. Overall, memes are a proven tactic for increasing viewer interaction and improving content performance on TikTok.
Finding Memes to Use
The easiest way to find memes for your TikTok videos is to use meme generator sites and apps. These platforms allow you to browse through thousands of popular meme templates that you can customize with your own text. Some of the top meme generators to search for memes include:
Imgflip (https://imgflip.com/) – With over 100 meme templates, Imgflip makes it easy to search by meme name or browse by popularity and creation date. You can also upload your own images to make custom memes.
Meme Generator by ZomboDroid (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zombodroid.MemeGenerator) – This free Android app provides access to over 4000 templates. You can browse memes by category or search for specific memes.
When searching these generators, look for trending memes that are likely to resonate with your target TikTok audience. Consider timely memes related to pop culture, news events, or funny life observations.
Downloading Memes
One of the first steps to using memes in your TikTok videos is downloading them to your device. There are a few easy ways to download memes:
Use meme generator apps or websites that allow you to create and download memes directly. Apps like Memedroid let you browse memes and download them with a tap.1
Save memes you find online or on social media by long pressing on mobile or right clicking on desktop and selecting “save image”. Make sure to only download memes you have permission to use.
Take screenshots of memes on your phone or use print screen on your computer. This creates an image file you can save and crop.
Use online meme generators like Imgflip that let you add custom text and download the resulting meme.
Always be mindful of copyrights, give proper credit, and only share memes ethically. Downloading memes you find gives you flexibility to add them to your TikTok videos.
Editing Memes
One of the best ways to customize memes for TikTok is by using meme editing apps. These apps give you tons of control to add your own text, images, effects, and more to pre-existing memes or meme templates. Some of the most popular meme editing apps include:
Mematic – Mematic provides an easy drag and drop interface to add custom text and images to memes. You can browse through thousands of templates or upload your own images to make a meme.
IMGFLIP – IMGFLIP’s meme generator has a huge library of popular meme templates that you can customize with your own text. You can resize, rotate, and position text exactly where you want.
Meme Generator – This free Android app makes it simple to add custom text and images to any photo. You can choose font styles and colors to perfectly match the meme template.
The key is choosing an editing app with lots of flexibility so you can make the meme your own. Most apps allow you to adjust text size, color, positioning, add stickers and emojis, import your own images, and more. This gives you the power to tailor memes specifically for your TikTok videos.
Adding Memes to TikTok Videos
Adding memes to your TikTok videos can be a great way to make your content more engaging and humorous. Here are some tips for uploading and placing memes in your TikTok videos:
First, open the TikTok app and go to the video editor. Tap the “stickers” icon on the right side of the screen. This will open up sticker and GIF options you can add to your video.
To upload your own meme, tap the “upload” icon in the stickers menu. Select the meme image you want to use from your phone’s gallery. You can resize the meme and move it around on the video as needed.
For best results, place the meme in an empty area of the frame so it doesn’t obstruct the main action. You can make the meme semi-transparent so you can still see what’s behind it.
Keep in mind shorter memes tend to work better, as viewers only see them for a couple seconds. You can also add meme images as overlays that display for the entire video.
Use relevant meme images that relate to your video content or message. Funny meme references will make your video more entertaining and shareable!
Check that the meme is clear and legible when added to the video. You may need to adjust the size or transparency for readability.
Preview how the meme looks in your video before posting. Make any edits to ensure the meme placement looks natural.
With the right meme at the right moment, you can add some viral flair to your TikTok videos!
Best Practices
When adding memes to your TikTok videos, it’s important to follow some best practices to ensure your video is entertaining, relevant, and optimized for the platform. Here are some tips for picking the right memes:
- Choose memes that relate to the topic or content of your video. Don’t just throw in random memes – make sure they make sense and add humor or commentary to what you’re discussing in the video.
- Pick timely, trending memes that are popular at the moment for greater relevance. Outdated memes may not land as well.
- Lean towards PG or G-rated memes to avoid issues with TikTok’s content policies. More family-friendly memes tend to perform better.
- Opt for memes with simple, easy-to-read text rather than long blocks of text that are hard to digest quickly.
- Consider using meme templates that encourage viewer participation and engagement through polls, prompts, or by inviting duets.
- Search meme aggregation sites like Know Your Meme to inspire ideas and see what’s trending in meme culture.
With the right meme choices that align with your video topic and TikTok’s platform norms, you can make your videos stand out and engage your audience.
Optimizing Memes for TikTok
When creating or editing memes to use on TikTok, it’s important to optimize them specifically for the platform. TikTok has some unique requirements compared to other social platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Here are some tips for customizing memes to work best on TikTok:
Use the right dimensions. TikTok video dimensions are vertical, not square or horizontal like other platforms. The ideal aspect ratio for TikTok is 9:16. Crop your memes to fit this vertical frame or add backgrounds to fill empty space.
Add large, easy-to-read text. Since TikTok videos are viewed on mobile devices, any text in your memes needs to be short, large, and legible. Use a bold font at a size of at least 30px.
Employ eye-catching effects. TikTok’s library of AR effects, filters, and text effects can make your memes stand out. Using the right effects helps content get noticed in the busy For You feed. Try combining trending effects with your meme.
Match durations to sound. If adding a meme to a TikTok with background music or sound, make sure the meme displays long enough for viewers to read it before transitioning.
Test different memes. See which meme formats and jokes resonate best with your target audience. Memes that perform well in other places may not translate to success on TikTok.
By customizing memes specifically for TikTok’s unique vertical, mobile format you can maximize their performance and improve your chances of going viral.
Avoiding Copyright Issues
When creating and sharing memes, it’s important to be mindful of copyright and intellectual property laws. Many popular meme formats use images or videos that may be subject to copyright protections.
The safest approach is to create your own original memes using images, videos, and other content that you have created yourself or that is freely available in the public domain. However, if you want to use a meme format that includes copyrighted imagery, here are some tips:
If the meme is being used for parody or commentary purposes, this may qualify as fair use under copyright law. However, it’s a gray area, so proceed with caution. Clearly transforming the original work creatively helps strengthen a fair use argument.
Whenever possible, credit the original creator or copyright holder, especially if you are repurposing a significant portion of their work. Many creators appreciate the exposure that viral meme status brings to their work.
Avoid directly monetizing memes that repurpose someone else’s creative work without permission. Making money from an infringing use weakens a fair use defense.
If you want to commercially produce products featuring popular meme images, secure the proper licenses and permissions first. Large social platforms like Facebook also have rules against IP infringement that may result in takedown notices.
Consult an intellectual property lawyer if you have questions about permissible uses of copyrighted content in memes. With creative commons licenses and public domain works, you can reuse content without needing to ask permission in many cases. The legal status of memes is still an evolving area as courts continue to interpret copyright law.
Measuring Performance
Once you’ve added memes to your TikTok videos, it’s important to track their performance to see if they are achieving your goals. TikTok provides robust analytics to measure engagement and views. You can access this data in the TikTok app by tapping on “Analytics” under the video you want to analyze. This will show you total plays, likes, comments, shares, profile visits, follows, and more.
It’s helpful to compare videos with memes to those without to see if the memes had a positive, negative, or neutral impact. Look at relative changes in views, likes, comments, shares, etc. You may find certain meme types or subjects tend to perform better than others.
You can also use URL shorteners like bit.ly if you linked to a website or profile from your video. Track clicks to measure traffic driven by the meme videos. URL shorteners provide click metrics so you can see your total clicks and unique clicks.
Analytics give you the data to optimize your meme strategy over time. Focus on duplicating meme types and subjects that perform well. Be willing to experiment with new memes too. Continually refine your strategy based on performance data.
