Be like Bill.

If you were on social media last month, odds are that you’ve seen the ‘Be like Bill’ meme. Here’s an example of one:

Bill is supposed to be just a normal, good guy. Most of the memes are about how Bill doesn’t do a certain annoying thing, and people should be like Bill by not doing that annoying thing.

The first time I saw “Be like Bill” was from my friend’s post in a Whatsapp group. Later that day I checked Facebook and saw that it was everywhere. “Be like Bill” immediately went viral, spawning all sorts of related memes including “Be like Bella” and “Don’t be like Bill”.

Big reasons the meme gained such popularity :

• It’s funny. Quick entertainment is hard to resist.
• It’s relatable. A lot of the annoying things called out are related to other people’s behavior on social media, which many people are familiar with.
• It’s simple. Easy to make, easy to grasp.
• It’s a unique platform for expressing grievances. Many people are similarly annoyed by certain behaviors, and “Be like Bill” allows them to voice this dissent in a socially acceptable way.

The reasons stated above for the virality of “Be like Bill” can be applied generally to campaigns or content in social media — simple, relatable and entertaining content are key components of helping content to spread. I think the key, however, to going incredibly viral is to pick at an issue that stirs emotions.