Virality. A decade ago, that might have been the name of some sort of Mortal Kombat finishing move. But today, in 2012, virality means success, fame, stardom of a sort in the social media space. And nothing sparks virality more than a good meme.
The tools to create a meme are simple enough. First, find an interesting picture online; Facebook and Instagram are good places to start. Add a funny caption via automated tools likeMeme Generator. Then seed to Twitter, Facebook, 4chan, or wherever else that you think that your meme may get picked up. Wait. Pray. And if you're lucky, who knows?
Headlines don't necessarily create virality; you need a "face" to put on it. Take the Mayan end-of-the-world predictions. Does John Cusack's character from 2012 sum up the conversation? Not really. In fact, nothing did. But take Jeremy Lin: Asian-American, Harvard-educated, fits nicely into the stereotype of nerdy guy emerging from nothing and taking over the NBA. Does Lin deserve his success? Of course he does. But when a charismatic, athletic (should we say heroic?) guy is thrust into the spotlight, it creates its own sensation. And for a few short weeks, "Linsanity" (catchphrases always help!) dominated not only the sports pages, but popular culture around the world. Well, at least he blew out his knee and the world moved on to the next thing.
Source: PCmag
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