Are you having a laugh? – Using humour in social media
Engaging customers with humour is an easy way to win over your audience and gain a larger following, because people are a lot more likely to share content that makes them laugh. Nandos have built their brand around the witty remarks it makes about local news items that they link back to their product or service, resulting in their posts being shared by thousands of fans. This is because they are relevant, well-timed and clever, just the type of content people love to share.
The problem with humour being such a strong drawcard for an effective campaign is that it is not always easy to define what is funny. There are so many subjective views that the line between funny and offensive, for example, can be very, very thin. In order for a humorous campaign to work, you have to be sure that it will be received in the way that it is intended to.
Start slowly. If you are a company that has always used a serious tone in your advertising, then suddenly using brazen humour is not going to endear you to your current followers. Start slowly by injecting a bit of humour in your articles or sharing content that may have a humorous take on a relevant subject, but still falls in line with your level of professionalism. This is the easiest way to introduce a lighter side to your company which could make you seem more personable, a positive trait for a social media presence, and therefore garner you a fresh group of followers.
Stay away from controversy, and don’t be inappropriate. It may seem like easy pickings to use something silly a politician said or jump on the bandwagon of a trending topic, but don’t make a grab at easy attention, as it may not be the right kind. Racism, sexism, bigotry and blasphemy are instant brand killers. As Gareth Cliff can tell you, stating an opinion on any of these topics, more often than not will end badly, possibly even with a lawsuit. Stick to topics that are relevant to your business and don’t have the potential to offend anyone. If you are unsure then run it past a person you think it is most likely to offend.
Be natural. Manufactured humour is the least funny kind. People respond to things that are relatable, so choose topics that are everyday experiences that can be spun in a humorous context. These types of posts or articles are great for sharing because if someone can’t relate to it directly, there is a better chance that they will forward it to a friend, who they know will be able to.
Laugh at yourself. People respond to companies that don’t take themselves too seriously and show a human side to their corporate identity. Take, for example, Garagista – they’ve used the notoriously hipster craft beer following and poked fun at it to sell, well, craft beer!
You don’t have to be “laugh out loud” funny. Subtle humour works just as well. If you don’t know where to start injecting a bit of humour into your campaigns, then try and find a funny Ted Talk or comic strip and start posting these to your social media profiles to test the response. Even seemingly humourless professions (sorry, accountants!) won’t lose their professional edge by posting relevant yet subtely humerous content, that will make their followers smile.
Sadly the joke is on companies who don’t see the advantage of the relaxed, often humorous style of advertising that has been brought about with the introduction of social media. Life is serious enough without brands reminding the general public of it. People want to laugh, and a funny ad campaign won’t mean they take your company less seriously, it just means that you endear yourselves to the public by giving them permission not to take themselves too seriously.
