This post was originally published on November 12, 2021, and updated on May 6, 2023.
Information in this blog post was obtained from the Sprout Social, Social Media Today, and WriterAccess.
The world of social media platforms and followers is huge, and only continues to grow. With this, obstacles and competition are bound to arise. Keeping a consistent following base can be hard, but there are ways to ensure loyal and engaging “fans”. Everyone loves a good joke, so using humor when posting is a great way for followers to feel included and for your brand to seem personable.
According to Social Media Today “Here's the reality: ‘Safe’ is the new risky. Whether it's using humor or another method, b2b marketing needs a lighthearted, human touch if it is to stand out."
This quote rings true for the current attitude of the general population. With countless media networks there to catch you with a mistake or offensive message on social media, it is imperative to ensure that your message is clear and cannot be taken out of context.
Most social media users prefer to view lighthearted or humorous content, so why not combine the two with marketing? Many brands have found out the secret: funny promotions that don’t feel like promotions are the best promotions (say that 10 times). An example of this is the legendary Twitter battles, most notably, from fast-food chains like Wendy’s. The sarcasm and witty sense of humor grab attention and shock followers enough to elicit attention.
Checkout these hilarious examples from Wendy's:
It is important to note that humor has its place in marketing, but each brand page is not created equal and must assess whether humor is the appropriate choice for them. For example, a brand needing to promote end-of-life care or pharmaceutical brands may need to opt out of this approach. In fact, Sprout Social performed a survey asking whether humor was beneficial to a company’s marketing strategy and the consensus (a whopping 72%) was that using humor is great, depending on the brand. As Writers Access says, though humor is a powerful tool, using positive and inspiring messages is also great to build engagement. This article also provides a fantastic in-depth pros and cons list of humorous marketing.
A humorous marketing approach may be perfect for you and is bound to help make your page stand out among the intense competition of the online world.
For more information about leveraging humor in your social media marketing strategy, check out Aly’s post here.
Resources
Anderson, G. (2021, October 6). Being funny on social media can drive serious business. Sprout Social. Retrieved May 5, 2023 from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/humour-on-social-media-en_gb/.
WritersAccess. Increase social media engagement with a touch of humor. (2020, July 16). WriterAccess. Retrieved May 5, 2023 from https://www.writeraccess.com/blog/2020-07-humor-in-social-media-marketing/.
Klotz-Guest, K. (2012, December 11). Humor me! lighten up your B2B marketing and get results. Social Media Today. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/humor-me-lighten-up-your-b2b-marketing-and-get-results/466247/.
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