Why I Stopped Making Award Show Memes (And What I Do Instead)
I love music and entertainment, and for years, I enjoyed sharing memes about the biggest award shows. But eventually, I stopped. Not because I lost interest, but because I realized that creating and posting award show memes came with more downsides than benefits.
If you’re a content creator, social media manager, or entrepreneur trying to make the most of your time and creative energy, here’s why I made the switch, and what I do instead.
Everyone Is Posting the Same Meme for Days
One of the biggest reasons I stopped posting award show memes is simple: it’s repetitive.
After every major event, my feed would be flooded with the same images and nearly identical memes, captions, and copy. It’s fun in the moment, but it doesn’t stand out. And, truthfully, if you’re trying to build an engaged audience or a strong personal brand, blending in is the last thing you want.
So instead of posting memes in real-time during the awards, I take a different approach:
I create unrelated memes at a later time using different situations that feel more unique. (see example above)
I look for reactions and trends that stay relevant beyond the event itself.
This lets my content stay fresh and different, instead of just being part of the noise.
Want to grow your Instagram account?
If you're trying to grow your Instagram account with a content strategy, you're most likely not seeing many results. You need a content strategy and a growth strategy that are both possible for you to execute with your bandwidth.
In this class, we will define what each of them are and how to create both for your business. Includes a bonus Growth Strategy Planner!
Creating Memes Can be a Copyright Risk
Another reason I stopped? Copyright issues. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.
Many people will simply tell you that memes are educational or entertainment and fall under Fair Use, so no one will get in trouble. But not so fast, sometimes that isn't always the case. And while it's pretty normalized to do this on the internet, nothing says one day you can't mess up with the wrong celebrity or photographer and end up in legal or trouble with your reputation.
To create these timely memes from big events such as The Grammys, The Oscars, The Super Bowl, The Met Gala, etc. people usually take screenshots of photos or record video clips from the internet, news sites, photographers, or even screenshots from live broadcasts. But, of course, they don’t own the rights to that content.
While creating content using music, trending sounds, or even quotes, we are always taking a certain level of risk, I prefer to be strategic about when and where I take these risks. Instead of defaulting to reposting viral moments, I focus on content that I either own, create myself, or can legally use. Here's what to do instead:
Use original content that aligns with pop culture moments but doesn’t rely on copyrighted material.
Tap into text-based trends (like funny tweet screenshots or relatable quotes).
Create content in Canva inspired by the event rather than direct clips.
Example: here is how I jumped on a trend but I used stock content available for commercial use inside of Canva, rather than a screenshot, copyright image from the internet.
Timely Memes Requires Late-Night Work (With Little Payoff)
Award shows run late. That means if you want to be the first to post a meme, you’re either staying up past midnight or waking up early the next morning to get something out.
The problem? The time and effort rarely translate to real business results. I realized that:
The engagement is short-lived. A viral moment today is forgotten by tomorrow.
It takes time away from more impactful content. Instead of scrambling for likes on a quick meme, I could be creating evergreen content that drives long-term engagement and I can even reuse.
Now, instead of chasing real-time award shows or big celebrity event moments, I prioritize content that fits my overall strategy in the right time for me and my business. If I do post about an event, I do it in a way that works on my timeline, not social media’s.
The Takeaway: Be Intentional With Trends
If you’re a creator or business owner, hopping on trends can be a great way to stay relevant. It's also an easy way to connect with things your audience might care about. But just like audio reels trends, not every meme trend is worth your time.
Instead of feeling pressure to post in the moment, ask yourself:
Will this content help me stand out?
Does it align with my brand and business goals?
Is it worth taking risks (like copyright issues)?
If the answer is no, it’s okay to skip it. There are always other creative ways to join the conversation—without sacrificing your sleep, originality, or brand integrity.
want to try out some templates that can boost your engagement?
To help you get started, I've created 10 free, customizable templates for feed posts. These templates are perfect for those days when you need to post but don't have fresh content ready. Save them on your phone and use them whenever needed – and yes, you can absolutely reuse them!
Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and content shop to help social media managers and Instagram savvy women entrepreneurs to beat the algorithm and grow their organic engagement (yes, even in 2021).
This year she also launched Your Template Club, a Canva Template subscription to provide social media managers and Instagram savvy business owners with content templates designed for engagement in their inbox.
Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2017, Manu started Your Social Team with the mission of helping women entrepreneurs and social media managers grow engagement and sales through Instagram without the overwhelm.