What’s in a Meme? Only the whole concept of Viral Marketing, Zarrella Says

Social media scientist Dan Zarrella could easily become one of those marketing experts who speak well above the heads of everybody in the room. But he takes great pleasure in explaining internet and social media concepts in a
language that might surprise many link building experts of his stature: plain English.

For example, his article “Introduction to Memetics: What is a
Meme?” at danzarrella.com explains exactly what a meme is and how it relates to the entire concept of link building strategies and viral marketing in the form of memetics. In a nutshell, Zarrella defines a meme as “Ideas
that spread from person to person… jokes, fashion trends, urban legends, folk sayings and gossip.” Applied memetics, then, is “the science of understanding what makes a meme successful, which is the core “problem” of viral marketing.” He then connects the idea of memes to the marketing world with the term “going viral.”

Viruses are a good metaphor for memes, since viruses “infect” a host and then are transmitted to others. He cites research into the “reproduction rate” (popularity) of various memes. The higher the rating the more likely the meme in question is going to spread to others and remain in common knowledge. Zarrella says online memes come in many forms, from viral videos to chain letters to video animations that promise one thing but turn out to be something totally different.