Creating interesting ecommerce content is essential for attracting your target audience and keeping them engaged. A unique method for having your marketing content stand out is using humor. Being funny may be intimidating for some businesses, as it presents the risk of seeming unprofessional. However, there are ways to be funny without coming off as an amateur performing on open mic night at a comedy club.
At Virtucom Group, our team of content strategists, professional writers, and experienced editors all share a common goal —helping businesses attract customers through interesting and meaningful content creation. Here, we discuss how to (and how not to) use humor in content marketing.
Using Humor Effectively in Content
Humor does more than make marketing content more compelling. If done correctly, it should also make the message memorable, encouraging prospective clients to share your brand with their family and friends. The following are some effective techniques when implementing comedy in your marketing materials:
Understand Your Audience
No matter what tone you wish to convey, knowing your audience is integral to crafting content that resonates with them. Since humor is highly subjective, recognizing your audience’s taste is crucial for making prospective customers chuckle.
Think about the types of people most interested in your offerings. If your products and services cater mostly to young parents, consider making funny comments about having kids that they will find relatable. If you are unsure of the quality of your content’s humor, test it out with coworkers or a group of existing customers you trust. Their feedback will show you what works and what to leave out.
Spread Humor across Multiple Types of Content
Since social media content tends to be more casual, it may seem like the ideal place for humor. While sites like Twitter and Instagram certainly offer unique opportunities to make target audiences laugh, you may also want to utilize them in blog content and landing or location pages. Humor can be more strategic in this content – it communicates your brand identity and tone on pages, in a more evergreen way than social posts.
Trust the Leaders
Virtually every industry has thought leaders, and many of these organizations generate marketing content daily. If the attempts at being funny are successful for thought leaders in your sector, someone at your company is likely to find out. If you are stuck trying to infuse content with humor, turn to these businesses for inspiration.
Where Humor Can Harm Your Business
Think about the last time you saw a comedian live. How did you feel when a joke fell flat? The same problem exists when using humor in content marketing. Being too corny or “punny” may make your audience cringe, but the consequences may be worse when you move into being downright offensive.
Naturally, you should stay away from cultural stereotypes and jokes pointed at other specific demographic groups, but you should also be aware of your customers’ tastes to avoid turning them off. Even if you crack a joke with innocent intentions, being offensive may show a lack of concern for your clients.
Trust Virtucom Group to Help You Design Humorous Content
Being funny may make your marketing content go viral, but it can also earn you a negative reputation. Since humor is such a subjective and sometimes sensitive topic, it pays to hire a professional content marketing service when attempting to make audiences laugh. By partnering with Virtucom Group, you receive top-quality content services that increase online leads and grow your customer base — no matter what tone you wish to invoke with your marketing. Contact us today to learn more about humor in content marketing.
