How much do meme pages make on instagram
This teenager was making $4,000 a month reposting memes on Instagram — until he got purged
Advertisement
comments
‘I don’t have another job as Instagram paid in one week what I would get in one month of an actual job’
Instagram is going after meme accounts — which post pictures with slogans — often created by other social-media fanatics and, on many occasions, reposted without giving credit.
On July 26, 15-year-old Ben was surprised to find he couldn’t log into five of his eight Instagram US:FB accounts. The meme curator, who goes by the pseudonym “spicymp4” and chose not to give his last name to MarketWatch, owned multiple popular comedy accounts.
One such account, @spicy.mp4, had more than 500,000 followers. Others, like @bnjee and @memeextraordinaire, each had over 20,000. “I made sure to credit everything as I used to be a content creator myself and I know the frustration of not being credited,” Ben said.
“Instagram banned more than 30 highly popular pages. The accounts, some of which have millions of followers, repost funny memes and videos.”
Ben wasn’t the only victim of Instagram’s latest meme-page purge. Late last month, Instagram banned more than 30 highly popular pages. The accounts, some of which have millions of followers, repost funny memes and videos.
Some meme accounts are both original and wildly popular. Grumpy Cat, who died earlier this year, was named meme of the year at the 2013 Webby awards, beating out “Gangnam Style” and “Harlem Shake.” Some social-media trackers consider Grumpy Cat to be the first viral meme. (Grumpy Cat’s account has 2.7 million followers.)
But Instagram is targeting other sites that it regards as poaching other people’s content. Meme accounts are often accused of stealing content from creators without giving proper credit.
Elliot Trebele, the creator of a still-active meme page, was forced to apologize last year
Read MarketWatch’s Moneyist advice column on the etiquette and ethics of your financial affairs. This week: ‘I earn twice what my husband makes and pay all the bills, but have no idea how much money he’s saved?’
“These accounts were disabled following multiple violations of our policies, including attempted abuse of our internal processes,” an Instagram spokeswoman told MarketWatch. The alleged violations included attempts to buy and sell accounts and attempts to improperly obtain usernames.
The purge has cost some users thousands of dollars. Ben told MarketWatch his pages earned him $4,000 a month and were his only salary. He made the money through selling shoutouts: Users looking to grow their pages paid Ben to promote those pages on his account.
“I don’t have another job as Instagram paid in one week what I would get in one month of an actual job,” Ben said.
He did not think it would last forever, however. Ben saved most of the money he earned from his page, but is now looking for another source of income.
“If you’re as popular as reality TV star Kylie Jenner, who has 142 million followers on Instagram, you can bring in $1,000,000 with just one post.”
“It is becoming increasingly challenging to build a business where your sole revenue comes in from third-party social-media platforms,” social media expert and commentator Kris Ruby. Compared to some, Ben was small potatoes. Ruby said some of these frivolous meme accounts could earn up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Five years ago, the idea that Instagram could be your job was unheard of. Now, it’s becoming increasingly common. Influencers and page admins like Ben can bring in thousands of dollars from ads and promotions on their pages. And if you’re as popular as reality TV star Kylie Jenner, who has 142 million followers on Instagram, you can bring in more than $1,000,000 with just one post.
The July meme page purge isn’t the first time Instagram has deleted dozens of popular comedy accounts. On Christmas day 2018, Instagram deleted some of its most popular meme pages, including @God, @SocietyFeelings, @Deep, and @ComedySlam. The founder of @ComedySlam, 17-year-old Declan Mortimer, said he made $200,000 each year with his 11-million-follower page before it was disabled.
Instagram did comment on those bans, claiming that some of the usernames were “stolen or traded.” “We do not allow people to buy, sell, or trade aspects of their account, including user names. We are consistently taking steps to disincentivize and stop this behavior, including removing accounts that violate our policies,” an Instagram spokesperson said at the time.
Like Ben, multiple banned users disputed the charge, saying they never violated Instagram’s terms. The recently deleted meme accounts are incredibly popular with their followers and drive significant traffic to Instagram’s platform.
But some people on Twitter US:TWTR are bidding a not-so-fond farewell to these pages:
Ben says these critics are simply jealous. They “would 100% take the opportunity to make thousands a month, or even a week,” he said. He and others have started a petition to get their accounts back, but Instagram has called such purges “final.”
Ben hasn’t yet decided if he will start another meme on Instagram. First, he wants to hear what he did wrong from the company. “I’ve had no explanation from Instagram at all,” he said. “I’ve reached out multiple times and not heard back from an actual person, just a bot.”
In the meantime, he’s looking looking for a new job.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
More from MarketWatch
- Meet the lawyer who had $38,000 in student debt forgiven — he’s one of just 5% of applicants who did it
- Half of young Americans say college is no longer necessary
- Jeff Bezos has sold almost $3 billion in Amazon stock over the past week
Advertisement
Search
Advanced Search
Advertisement
How Do Meme Pages Make Money In 2023
David Woutersen
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
If you’ve ventured onto the internet, it’s likely that you’ve seen a meme. Meme pages are growing more and more today.
The question is, how do meme pages make money?
And, if you own a meme page, is it possible to monetize this hobby?
In this article, we’re going to be answering these questions and more, so let’s jump straight in.
Table of Contents
- What is a meme page?
- How do meme pages make money?
- How much money do meme pages make?
- Do meme pages on Facebook and Instagram make money?
- Where do meme pages find memes?
- Here are 7 of the best meme websites:
- Final thoughts on making money with a meme page
What is a meme page?
A meme page is a type of online forum or community. These pages are typically found on Instagram or Facebook.
The posts in this community are usually “memes,” or funny images/ videos. These photos usually tell an “inside joke” for that specific community or play on current trends.
To create your own meme page, you just need an account with one of these platforms. You pick a niche, or category, of memes to post.
This will be easiest to do if it’s a topic you’re relatively knowledgeable about; an example would be an engineer creating an engineer meme page.
How do meme pages make money?
Meme pages mostly make money by selling posts on their account as a way of advertising for other businesses.
These pages sell shout-outs to other accounts, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, meme merchandise (such as graphic tees, hoodies, keychains, etc.), or directing traffic to other income-generating sources.
To get started with selling merchandise for a meme page, many page owners will use a print-on-demand service.
A print-on-demand service is just that: a t-shirt, hoodie, or other forms of apparel/accessory is printed at the time of order.
How much money do meme pages make?
Realistically, it’s unlikely to make a full-time income just from running a meme page.
There are a few different routes of income, but they won’t add up to dependable and substantial income. These pages are a great way to have a little bit of side income, though!
Meme pages with large followings of about 1 million followers can make $2,000-$3,000 per sponsored post.
Usually, these pages can create other income sources if they direct traffic to other income-generating platforms. This may include their own website!
Do meme pages on Facebook and Instagram make money?
Meme pages on Facebook and Instagram can make money, but it is not just from posting memes.
This income is generated typically through sponsors, affiliate marketing, or selling their own products. It’s basically like becoming an influencer but as a meme page.
All of this requires having a popular account with a pretty substantial follower base. This takes time to grow, but once established, you get paid more for each of the forms of revenue.
To grow the fastest, meme pages typically stick to one type or topic of niche.
This attracts people who are all like-minded and have the same general interests.
You can also network with other similar account types to try and get your name out there and maybe gain some of their followers as well.
The last tip for growth on these pages is being consistent.
Meme pages typically post 2-3 times per day and utilize their analytics to see what is the best time to post.
Posting frequently is usually required because algorithms don’t show every post to every person’s news feed. They’re generally customized to what individuals interact the most with.
Where do meme pages find memes?
Most meme pages create memes. The people who run these accounts typically are very witty and have some basic graphic design skills.
The jokes, or memes, are based on real-life experiences or current trends going around the internet.
These memes are often made with free online software or websites. These are the most common website used for finding memes and meme creation:
- GIPHY: This is basically the way you can search for GIFs.
It’s literally nicknamed the “Google for GIFs!” It’s a free location where you can get GIFs to put on your blog or social media pages. - Imgur: This is your meme page for your super-specific niches. It has a tool that helps you narrow down exactly what you’re searching for.
- Tumblr: Tumblr is a rabbit hole of funny memes and stories.
- IMGflip: Make your own GIF with this tool! All you do is upload a photo, type in your text, and download it.
- Gfycat: This site allows you to use GIFs, memes, and short videos. Upload your own video to create your own GIF to use on your page.
- Free GIF Maker: On Free GIF Maker, you can turn any type of video into a GIF. Whether you want a scene from a YouTube video or a Movie to a video of your kid dancing, just put it into this website and you have a GIF. You can also use the “reverse GIF” feature, so you can take your GIF and play it backward.
Though some accounts don’t make their memes, they do have go-to websites to find the best ones.
Here are 7 of the best meme websites:
- College Humor: This is the best place for college-age memes. This website has a team of content creators that post, and people also can contribute to the page.
- 9Gag: This is one of the most popular meme websites in the world. You can also contribute to this website. The team is based in Hong Kong.
- KnowYourMeme: You can also share your own memes here too. It’s a whole storage place for all of the memes on the internet. Good luck deep-diving here.
- Cheezburger: This is one of the most popular US-based meme websites. This one also allows you to submit your own memes.
- HumorNama: This is one of the most popular meme websites in India. There are many different memes about trending topics in India on this website.
- Reddit: Reddit alone is a website full of a bunch of forums (or subreddits). Each subreddit has a different category of people who enjoy that content. You can find memes in just about any group here.
- Me.Me: This website also is a host of worldwide memes.
Final thoughts on making money with a meme page
Many people start meme pages as something for fun, but when they become popular, they can turn into very lucrative moneymakers.
While you’re not going to make much until you reach at least 10,000+ engaged followers, if you’re doing it for fun, and have witty humor, you should be able to gain followers quite quickly.
If you’re already posting to a meme page, now is the time to look into monetizing this fun part-time hobby. And it may even become a full-time side hustle eventually.
Don’t limit yourself to only Facebook or Instagram either. Beluga is one of the fastest-growing YouTube channels, and he’s a great example of a meme channel growing rapidly on YouTube.
David Woutersen is the founder of Outofthe925.com and has been in the social media industry since 2017. Since then, his mission has been to help others take control of their online presence.
For some, this has been earning an income online, while for others it's teaching how to use social networks more effectively. And each year, he continues to help millions with strategy, troubleshooting, and inspiration.
How to make $85 million from Instagram memes
In August 2020, Warner Music Group acquired Israeli digital media company IMGN Media for $85 million. IMGN creates videos and memes for advertisers and then distributes them on its social networks. Her main asset is @daquan, one of the largest Instagram meme accounts with 15.7 million followers. What is interesting about this account and what conclusions can novice influencers draw from this story? Let's take a closer look. nine0003
Daria Sidorova
The @daquan account was created in 2014. The identity of its author is not revealed, it is only known that then he was 16 years old, he was at school and he was bored.
He created Daquan memes about a fictional white woman dating a black man and quickly gained popularity. Soon he began to publish jokes on various topics. In 2017, @daquan joined IMGN, and over the past three years, the account has grown into a cultural phenomenon that led to a multi-million dollar deal with Warner Music Group. nine0003
It is now one of the largest meme accounts on Instagram, with 15.7 million followers and growing. Many celebrities follow @daquan, including Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Kevin Hart. Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato even sent in their requests for publication.
There are three useful lessons from this story about how to make the most of social media today.
Be original
Despite the fact that many of @daquan's posts now are simple reposts of popular Twitter posts and Tiktok videos, he attracted most of the subscribers with his original captions to popular memes. He collected the first 150 thousand followers by creating Daquan memes, which were popular in 2014.
nine0003
The conclusion here is extremely simple. To stand out on social media, you need to create original content. Whether it's an account dedicated to memes, dogs, or sports reviews, the main thing is to stand out among the thousands of identical profiles in the feed.
Follow your passions
Before creating your own meme account inspired by someone else's success, ask yourself if you are really interested in this topic. Otherwise, the idea will lead to failure.
The truth is that people who are passionate about their niche notice details that others ignore, thus gaining a competitive advantage. Founder @daquan's sincere interest in memes helped him create original jokes and stand out from the huge number of reposted accounts. nine0003
To attract and retain subscribers, you do not need to copy posts from other accounts with similar topics. Try to figure out what your audience is interested in. Regularly analyze what content is gaining the most interactions.
Perhaps subscribers are attracted by the light composition of photos or the music used in the video. This way you can keep your profile relevant and popular.
Explore memes and trends
Warner Music Group agreed to the $85 million deal for two reasons. nine0003
- @daquan is a powerful tool to spread their music.
- IMGN provides advanced data on the behavior of Millennials and Generation Z.
Memes occupy an important place in modern culture. Like viral videos from TikTok, they influence what is popular among young people. The song that sounds in the popular meme will be known to the entire Internet in a few days. And it’s not just about music—a well-placed product can provide unparalleled brand awareness. This is why memes are so important for companies that are looking to reach out to the next generation. nine0003
To interact effectively in social networks, it is worth studying this direction. Find out why and how content goes viral and start creating your own. To stay up to date with popular trends, follow us on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.
Conclusion
This acquisition is interesting not only because of its high cost. The fact is that at the moment there are no specific standards for the sale of social media accounts. The market is completely unpredictable. A profile with 15 million subscribers can be bought for both $85,000 and $85 million.
So the main conclusion here is that you need to act. The media industry is entering a new era where everyone can profit.
If you have an idea for an account in a niche that interests you, implement it. A 16 year old bored teenager created @daquan and succeeded. It is possible that the next multi-million dollar account will belong to you.
Source.
Cover photo: Mauro Rodrigues / Shutterstock
Monetization of memes — Marketing on vc.
ru An abstract of The Atlantic's article on why making money from pictures has become more difficult.
9252 views
The appearance of another popular meme quickly turns into a battle for its monetization. So, for example, only a few hours after the appearance of “Yanni or Laurel”, Instagram was full of ads for the sale of T-shirts, aprons and other products related to this meme.
Ten years ago, making money from memes was new. Memes were just starting to seep into social media, and almost anyone could make money off of them. Now the situation is different. Competition has become fierce, and according to those who sell products with memes, it is more difficult than ever to make money on them today. nine0003
The main threat to such businesses is the speed at which the current audience is consuming content. According to Brad Kim, editor of the website Know Your Meme, the “shelf life” of memes is constantly shrinking. So the meme with a dog giving advice was popular from 2008 to 2012, and memes with Doge and Harambe lasted only a year.
The popularity of current memes rarely exceeds a few days.
The Internet seems to be moving much faster. A few years ago, common phrases lingered on the net for several months. nine0003
Samantha Fishbein, founder and COO of Betches Media
Today, memes appear and disappear faster than the next series of T-shirts are printed. For this reason, popular blogger Tank Sinatra, unlike other users, does not sell meme-related products on his Instagram account.
"By the time the merch is ready, it will be pointless to sell it - the meme will already be out of fashion," Sinatra tells The Atlantic. Several times he launched a line of souvenirs, for example with a suffering Harold, but sales did not go uphill. nine0003
Also, sellers are not allowed to monetize memes with characters like SpongeBob or Kermit the Frog - they are protected by trademarks.
In addition, the very nature of memes is changing. If the old memes had a common shape, say, a black drawing on a white background, then the current ones are very different from each other, which makes them difficult to monetize.
Also, many modern memes are designed for a narrow audience, their understanding requires knowledge of special references.
User interactions with memes have been greatly influenced by social media and photo manipulation. Now we don't just laugh at memes, we incorporate them into everyday language, giving them their own meaning. Something similar happened with the “distracted boyfriend” meme. nine0003
Having come across it, we do not run to buy another mug, but try to fit it into the context of our life. Even the photographer who filmed the scene and Shutterstock, which owns the photo, couldn't make much money due to the fact that the meme quickly went viral.
At the same time, "niche" memes can be profitable. Lee Ayers, who runs the popular Instagram meme pages Middleclassfancy and Friendofbae, came up with a few phrases that became popular on his accounts and made good money by placing them on souvenirs. nine0003
As a result, the sellers were divided into two camps.
