• The parastatal employee has become one of the top social media influencers
Image: Courtesy
Memes have become a big source of entertainment on social media platforms.
One of the famous sources of funny posts is an Instagram account named ‘Memes’, which has 7.4 million followers.
In Kenya, Kariuki Kamau, alias Karis Memes has taken social media waves as a leading ‘Memelord’.
Karis told Word Is that he started creating memes in 2015 with the sole intention of having fun and making people laugh.
He jumped on to the meme craze and localised it by creating content that is relatable to a Kenyan audience.
This hobby turned into a lucrative business opportunity for Karis, who has become one of the top social media influencers in the country.
“I did not intend to gain anything, it was just for fun. I realised there was a lot of engagement on memes. Once you can capture people’s attention, you can capitalise on it,” he said.
The first business opportunity Karis got from his memes came three years after he started the fun activity.
He recalls that Deacon East Africa had a sale and needed people with a social media presence to create awareness. He was selected for the influencer marketing gig.
This opened the door to other opportunities to work with big corporate companies, such as Multichoice, Coca-Cola, EABL and Airtel.
Just like any other business, being a Memelord needs strategic planning to keep the audience glued to your social media page.
“I have to post at least thrice a day, no matter how busy I am. To be successful in social media, you have to be consistent.”
Karis added that there are days when he runs out of content or has doubts on whether a meme is funny.
“It doesn’t feel good at all, as someone who is supposed to make people happy. You may think it is funny, but after posting, there are no comments, likes. You decide to pull it down," Karis says.
"You are not supposed to let this bother you so much. I challenge myself to get out of that box.”
The father of one is an employee at a government parastatal, where he lights up the offices that are perceived to be dull.
“People think that people employed in parastatals are old and dull people, but we are there to lighten up government offices. In the office, they know Karis is the guy to go to when you need a light moment,” he said.
Karis says his number-one fans are family members, and the work has made his parents embrace social media.