You’re not being unrealistic when you say you want to make money with memes. Posting memes isn’t dead. But yes, it has become more challenging if you want to start earning from it. Together, let’s learn how to navigate changing algorithms and legal landmines in creating viral memes.
You can’t please everyone. We all know this famous line. But what you didn’t know was that you can apply it when you create a meme brand.
Our first advice is to stop trying to make all people laugh. First, it’s impossible. Second, there are niches that pay you more for your hard work.
If you want to make money in college or even while having a full-time work, these steps can help you create a successful meme page.
Create memes that attract higher-paying ads. These niches could include the following:
Finance memes can attract branded content from fintech brands with deep pockets. Tech memes could help you land partnerships with SaaS (Software as a Service) tools.
Now that you might have chosen an in-demand niche, which social media account will you post your meme content on?
You might know this by now, but let us remind you again that social media platforms have varying entry barriers for content creators. This is something you must know when understanding how to make money with memes on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
Here’s a comparison table to help you identify entry barriers on different social media platforms:
| Social media platform | Monetization requirements |
| X (formerly Twitter) | X Premium subscription, at least 5 million organic impressions in the last three months, 500 followers. |
| TikTok | 10,000 followers, 100,000 video views in the last 30 days, original videos of at least 1 minute duration. |
| Instagram Reels | Creator or Business account and 10,000 followers for invite-only bonuses. |
| Facebook Reels | 5,000 followers and 600,000 total minutes viewed. |
| YouTube Shorts | 1,000 subscribers or 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months. |
Most of these platforms require a creator or business account. If you’re still using a personal account to post funny memes, we recommend switching to a creator account. After all, your next post could be viral, right?
Smashing the 10K barrier, or reaching 10,000 followers, will take time. That’s for sure. Why don’t you consider a passive income source while you work on your funny content?
For example, you can run a bandwidth-sharing platform like the Honeygain earning app for passive income. This app lets you earn for sharing unused internet bandwidth, and it runs quietly in the background of your devices. You can make money from your phone, laptop, or personal computer.
This ensures that you’re generating revenue while waiting for your meme brand to get monetized. It’s a win-win situation, right? So go for it.
Posting daily on your meme page isn’t enough anymore. To get into the good graces of algorithms, you must add real substance to your content.
Content value plus consistency is now the equation to beat “algorithm ghosting.”
Strategic volume is the key to engaging more users in the meme world. Here are some tips:
To become a TikTok influencer or make money on Instagram, remember that content is still king. If you can produce a steady stream of substantial, funny memes, you’re on the right track.
Yes, reposting worked before. But no, it doesn’t work today anymore.
Social media platforms are cracking down on reposts and re-uploads, as they now have advanced scanning tools to detect such low-effort content.
But we’re not saying that you can’t make use of a viral clip or meme. The key is “transformative use” instead of mere reporting. Here are some techniques to get you started:
Video editing also comes into play here. High resolution (at least 1080p) and clear audio (no background noise or muffled voice) could increase views and session duration.
For meme creators, having just one payout source is a bit risky. Evolving algorithms and high competition might affect your payouts.
So, earning directly from the platforms shouldn’t be your only income avenue. What other options are there?
Moreover, having a passive income support is for everyone, even for those who want to make money as a teen. Bandwidth-sharing apps like Honeygain help you generate a modest passive income while you work on your meme ideas.
Can you make money from memes? Of course. Better still, if you have a variety of income sources to capitalize on.
Most importantly, your meme page must follow platform rules and copyright laws to avoid legal risks and account suspensions. You don’t want to waste time making tons of memes, only to find out that you crossed several copyright laws.
Can you share or recreate memes for free? Yes, you can. So, where do you draw the line between free and copyrighted use?
That’s where “Fair Use” and “Commercial Use” enter the picture. Here’s a quick explanation of their differences:
Be careful when making memes that include faces of real people, especially a celebrity figure. You cannot use a person’s “Right of Publicity”, or their names, faces, or voices, to sell products without a contract.
Take, for example, the cases of the Success Kid and the Grumpy Cat.
We recommend not using celebrity pictures or real people in sponsored content. There are websites like Pexels and Unsplash that offer free stock photos, which you can use to create memes.
Maximize the monetization of your viral content or banger memes by partnering with licensing agencies like Jukin Media or ViralHog. These agencies add your content to a protected library where people must pay a fee to use it.
This way, other media outlets cannot use your content for free. Plus, you’re earning a certain amount whenever people pay a fee for using your memes. In a way, this could also become a passive income source for you.
And to make sure that you protect your brand and content, here’s a safety checklist when making memes: