For any internet marketer to be truly successful in the web 2.0 world of social networks and constant interaction, understanding where all of these internet memes come from is crucial.

First thing you need to know is that meme is pronounced “meem” (/?mi?m/). Wikipedia’s definition of the term “meme” is pretty complicated so I’d define it with a bit less gobbledygook for the average Joe:

Internet meme is a piece of content that went extremely viral and is now commonly known by the vast majority of the internet population, often thanks to it’s comedic nature.

In order to understand what kind of content, how, and why creates viral success you should know bits of internet history that cover how these memes came to existence. Internet memes are the basics of viral marketing.

Thanks to Rocketboom, a widely known internet video podcast, we have detailed videos explaining some of the best known internet memes nowadays:

The Rickroll Internet Meme

All Your Base Internet Meme

Tay Zonday Internet Meme

For more internet meme explanations, visit Rocketboom’s YouTube channel.

UPDATE: You can also have a look at this awesome infographic explaining the history of “RickRolling”

Via: Online Schools