The great 19th Century Irish playwright and humorist Oscar Wilde uttered these last words: “Either this wallpaper goes, or I do.” Why some enterprising wallpaper company hasn’t used this is beyond me, however it does go to underscore the reality that humor sells. Humor effectively disarms people, often by getting them to see your point in a way they hadn’t considered before, and initiates a connection where you may have had a tough time creating some with your latest PowerPoint filed with facts. Art Linkletter told us that laughter is the best medicine, and he was spot on. It might be the cure for what ails your company as well! Let’s consider 4 ways to use humor in your small business marketing.
4 great ways to use humor in your marketing!
Use pop culture to your advantage – Jon Stewart and the rest of the late night crowd have made careers around this, so don’t be scared to use current events to spice up you offerings. It’s not necessary to be completely relevant to your product or service, (but the ones that tie it in well are rock stars!) but merely to get your reader/watcher smiling and in a good frame of mind from the start. Showing events in a humorous way can get your content shared faster than Lindsay Lohan skipping rehab.
Make a funny video – Portraying your products or services in a humorous light can get people anticipating your videos wondering what you will do next. Making these doesn’t really need to be a major production either, as many shoot them on their smartphones, which is by far enough camera. Another good tactic here is to use animated videos with services like GoAnimate or Xtranormal easy to use apps to make your videos quickly.
Create funny memes – Who hasn’t encountered these on Facebook and other social sites? Incorporating this idea with the millions of users on sites like Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr is a recipe for ridiculous traffic numbers.
Use humor in your content – Don’t be timid with respect to getting a little edgy with your content. The payoff will be that people will see you as more like they are, and not simply some stodgy firm bent on selling them a product. The more you connect on a shared (and funny!) level, the better people will like you and share your site.