Why Does a Meme Go Viral and Can We Predict It?

Giz Asks: Why do some memes go viral and is it possible to predict that virality? Memes are undeniably a cultural and political force to be reckoned with.

The perfect meme recipe is still a mystery, but certain ingredients like composition, subject, and relatability are essential.

A successful successful meme has an element of surprise while being fully aligned with the current moment.

A key priority for meme creators is to ensure that their content is relevant to their target audience.

Memes go viral when they resonate with a lot of people all at once.

Timeliness also helps, connecting a meme to a moment people are already thinking about.

Even in an age with a phone in every pocket, prominent figures with big audiences do a lot. Thought leaders and influencers, for better or worse, can light a fuse.

If you take an unbiased look at memes as aesthetic objects, by which I mean artifacts put together to produce a response in those who consume them and share them with other consumers, then the virality of a meme is no more predictable than that of a song, poem, or novel.

The difference has to do, I think, with the fact that the response to memes is clearly affective and not just interpretive, and that the consumption and transmission of memes is fast.