Rachael Mockalis
Humor is hard, especially in writing. Not only is it subjective, but you have to tread a fine line between funny and insulting or annoying. If you know how to implement it, however, it can become a powerful marketing tool.
Funny content spreads over the internet like wildfire, so making your audience laugh can extend your reach tremendously. Moreover, humorous content is more likely to keep your audience coming back for more. It also makes the information you write easier to digest—while no one wants to sit through 800 words of dense legalize, they’ll eat up 800 words of humorous explanations about why Skamania County, Washington designated Bigfoot as an endangered species.
So how and when should you write funny content for your business?
Things to Keep in Mind
Like we said: humor is hard. Before you can sit down and write up the joke of the century, you need to keep a few things in mind.
First, you’ll want to practice with humor long before you publish your material. Humorous writing is a skill, and you need to make sure you’re well-versed in it. If you’re not confident in your ability to pull off a joke, it’s better if you file it away for later and focus on writing good copy. If you fail to stick the landing, you’ll do more harm than good.
Next, keep your audience in mind. Humor is subjective on so many levels—generational, cultural, personal—certain jokes will almost never land with certain people. Make sure you research what sort of content your audience consumes, especially the humorous stuff.
Finally, don’t forget to write good copy. Humor is a very useful tool, but it isn’t the point. The point is getting your brand’s name out there and selling your product. Don’t get so caught up in writing funny content that you forget to sell your product.
With these notes in mind, let’s discuss the ways you can incorporate humor into your copy.
One: Give Your Chatbots Personality
Chatbots are convenient for business owners but often frustrating for customers. Fortunately, humor can help liven up your chatbot and give them some personality. While there’s no getting a user to forget they’re talking to a bot, making the experience entertaining will help take the edge off the frustration.
Let your chatbot throw out a few well-placed puns or make a cute joke. Once your bot is otherwise well-implemented, humor can be the one thing separating a mediocre experience from a fantastic one.
Two: Tell a Story
People latch onto stories, especially the funny ones. If you can, find a way to make your copy into a humorous yarn. This can take the form of your promotional emails, make it into your informational blog posts, et cetera.
You could describe a humorous situation in which your product would be helpful, or tell a story where two people discuss your service. Let your creativity shine, and you’ll find there are numerous situations where a funny anecdote could perfectly supplement your writing.
Three: Liven Up Your About Page
Your about page is another piece of copy where you could utilize humor to your advantage. If your brand image lends itself to wit and laughs, you can spice up your about page with a few well-placed jokes.
Not only can you write your business’s story in a humorous tone, but you can also allow your team members to incorporate humor into their bios. Allow them to choose fake job titles (within reason), or let them add a funny story to their about pages.
Four: Create a Strong Call to Action
Humor is also a great way to emphasize your call to action. For example, you can write a running joke into your blog post, then use it again at the very end. You might also consider using humor when trying to get people to sign up for your newsletter—consider what sort of joke your audience might appreciate, then use that to your advantage.
Five: Use Comparison
Another way to utilize humor is through the use of comparison. Use stark contrasts to parody your competitors while also emphasizing your brand’s quality. Over-exaggerated comparisons can help get across what your brand does while portraying it as effective and trustworthy.
Conclusion
While humor isn’t an easy tactic to utilize, employing it effectively can bolster your copy. Once you understand your target audience and their brand of humor, and once you’ve practiced writing that humor, you’ll be able to add this handy tool to your toolbox.
