Context:
Memetic Warfare is the next phase after bot farms. Blasting the internet with automated messages is yesterday’s game; today, it’s about getting real humans to do the work, because only real engagement gets into the circles that matter.
How do you seed an idea so it becomes part of people’s identity, so they want to spread it for you? The answer: most people are staring at blank text boxes, desperate for something to say that will get them validation. Give them the seeds, make it easy, and they’ll do the work for you.
The reason this works is psychological: people fear rejection and often lack creative confidence, but crave validation. The trick is giving them templates and examples—don’t just tell them what to say, give them something to riff on that will get them love from their peers.
Market Signal:
Memes are now a lever on public opinion and even international affairs. The scale of possible influence is massive—and largely untapped in tech.
Takeaways:
Templates > instructions: Lowering the barrier to meme participation is the unlock for user-generated content, viral marketing, and even product onboarding.
The best products build in “meme-ability” from day one.
Not everything can be memed, but the things that can be packaged and repackaged—especially humor and (unfortunately) tragedy—spread like wildfire.