Well I find that popular templates that feature between 8am and noon CST get the most views right off the bat, but that's not really consistent...In my experience, memes that feature after midnight CST don't do so well. While Imgflip has many international users, I think the majority is American so I think the middle of the night is the slowest...but I could be wrong cuz I'm asleep at that time. I just know that any memes of mine that featured at that time didn't do well...so I don't submit anything after 5 or 6 pm CST...
It goes without saying that original template memes take way longer to feature for whatever reason so using those is always a gamble. But with the really popular templates like Bad Luck Brian, you always run the risk of it being a repost...which some users like to whine about. I don't know that people like popular templates any more than original ones...I think most people tend to upvote whatever THEY think is funny, so the more people that share your sense of humor that see your memes, the more upvotes you will get...the key is getting people to see your memes regularly...and that can only be done by making yourself known in the community.
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