How to Bet on Meme Virality: Which Trend Will Take Over the Internet?

Memes have become a massive part of internet culture and go viral quickly, spreading humor and commentary globally. Some of the best memes spark hilarity and can easily cause someone who was previously unknown to become famous, like the hawk tuah girl, Haily Welch, who went viral after blurting out her catchphrase “hawk tuah” in a TikTok interview. She later found infamy as the creator of a cryptocurrency, which lost $500 million virtually overnight.

Other viral memes include:

• Success Kid – An image of a smiling baby giving a determined fist pump, used to celebrate victories and accomplishments.
• Bad Luck Brian – A goofy yearbook photo of a boy with braces, depicting him as plagued by misfortune.
• Distracted Boyfriend – An image of a man turning to look at another woman, to the dismay of his girlfriend. Used to depict temptation and unfaithfulness.
• Grumpy Cat – A frowning cat named Tardar Sauceepitomizing displeasure or indifference.
• Doge – A Shiba Inu dog named Kabosu portrayed with broken English captions conveying enthusiasm.
• Overly Attached Girlfriend – A creepy-looking girl representing clinginess in relationships.
• Ridiculously Photogenic Guy – A smiling runner looking comically graceful while running.

With so many memes competing for attention across the internet, betting on which meme will dominate next has become an art. Here’s how to up your chances of successfully predicting the next big meme trend.

Understand Meme Culture

To bet on memes well, start by understanding meme culture. Memes are inside jokes shared rapidly online through images, videos, GIFs, and more. They frequently rely on recognizable references and present commentary on something relatable. Memes spread through imitation and remixing as people put their own spin on them. Understand what makes certain memes irresistibly shareable.

Know the Platforms

Certain platforms like Reddit, X, and TikTok are meme hotspots. Understand each platform’s culture and audience. For instance, TikTok frequently drives meme trends through its viral videos. Betting on memes suited to the platform can boost their potential.

Follow Trendsetters

Key influencers known for creating or spreading viral memes can provide valuable insight into emerging trends. Follow notable meme accounts and influencers closely attuned to internet culture. Seeing what memes they engage with can signal which have momentum.

Spot Potential in Fresh Content

Look for new viral content with meme potential. For example, footage from events like sports games or award shows often gets remixed into memes. A gif of an excited toddler may take off. Capitalize quickly when you recognize shareable new material.

Time it Right

Even if a meme concept seems promising, timing it right maximizes impact. Memes coinciding with relevant real-world happenings often gain traction. Humor around political events or pop culture movie releases may take off if launched strategically.

Localize Globally Viral Content

When a meme goes internationally viral, look for ways to tailor it to new audiences. For instance, footage of a funny blunder may inspire local versions featuring sports team mascots or regional celebrities. Add your own spin.

Have Your Finger on the Pulse

Closely follow trends and current events frequently turned into memes. Being highly immersed in entertainment news, politics, sports and internet culture will help you predict and create viral meme content.

Remain Flexible and Nimble

Meme virality can be fickle and fast-changing. Remain flexible, willing to shift gears quickly. For instance, a meme predicted to take off may fizzle while another unexpectedly goes viral. Pivot when needed.

Analyze Past Trends

Studying meme trends from recent years can reveal patterns in virality and serve as models. For example, many memes parody movie trailers or villainize mild inconveniences. Familiarize yourself with proven formulas.

Stick with Evergreen Concepts

While timeliness matters, memes based on evergreen topics with wide appeal can gain legs at any time. Universal experiences like dating mishaps, work stresses, or neighborly quirks often strike a chord. Consider broad relatability.

Have a Sense of Humor

Most importantly, develop an instinct for funny, insightful internet humor. Successful memes derive from creators intuitively grasping what concepts will tickle the internet’s funny bone. Lean into your comedic senses when betting on memes.

Some of the Best Memes

When considering meme virality, it helps to examine some of the all-time great and most widely shared memes. Classics like “Bad Luck Brian” with his unfortunate school photo and “Success Kid” celebrating accomplishments have incredible relatable appeal. Political memes like “Biden Bro” memes have timely real-world resonance. Memes with versatility like “Drakeposting” get reinvented endlessly. Analyzing these and other iconic memes reveals formulas to model.

Betting on the next big viral meme trend takes instincts honed by immersing yourself in internet culture. Follow trendsetters, act nimbly, localize globally viral content and analyze past patterns. But ultimately, back concepts bringing insightful humor to resonate widely. By mastering meme culture, you can learn to predict the next big thing.