Q: Why did the marketer get fired as a tap dancer?
A: She wanted to get paid per click.
Does comedy belong in content marketing? Well, that joke probably doesn’t belong in any content marketing strategy, but humor can boost your content marketing efforts and raise brand recognition. Infusing your marketing with some lighthearted comedy can also boost your bottom line.
Humor in content marketing was a leading topic at the 2019 Content Marketing Conference in Boston. Some discussions expounded on humor in the workplace to include humor in content marketing. Lisa Yeaton, Content Marketing Specialist at Extreme Networks, tweeted the following:
Tremendous benefits to using #humor in the #workplace. Quick glimpse:
– improved productivity
– decreases stress
– prevents burnout
– provides motivation
And a bunch more! #CMC2019 @drewtarvin @RHNilsson @JanaKlein_ @KendraLuciano @deidradpeterson
She also posted a picture of a PowerPoint slide entitled listing 30 benefits of humor, along with scientific references that back up those facts.
Humor in content marketing is a lot like humor in the workplace, as it can improve the productivity of your marketing campaign, make your target demographic feel at ease, surprise your audience, and motivate interested parties to purchase.
Comedy Engages Your Audience
Q: Why did the woman dump her marketer boyfriend?
A: Lack of engagement.
Because it’s naturally colorful and sparkly, humor grabs your audience’s attention and helps set your organization apart from the rest. Forbes says that funny brands are more relatable, and that people view them as more trustworthy and human.
People love to share funny content. Research shows people are 30 times more likely to laugh when in the presence of others than when alone.
Using humor in your content marketing strategy can make your content go viral. A study from UCLA shows that our brains are wired to connect with one another, and that humans are always on the lookout for other people who might find certain information helpful, amusing or interesting. This means people are hoping you will produce entertaining and useful content they can share.
One study shows there is a link between humor and higher recall, which means that funny content is easier for your target demographic to remember. In that study, scientists divided participants into two groups: Dysphoric (grumpy) and neutral. After watching funny video clips that included displayed words, participants recalled as many of the displayed words as possible. The researchers found that grumpy and neutral people alike were able to recall more words associated with humorous videos.
There can be a downside to using comedy in your content marketing. Using the wrong humor at the wrong time (like the awful tap dancer joke at the beginning of this blog) can make your brand look like a joke. If your brand is known for its stoicism and stuffiness, you may confuse and alienate those customers who don’t appreciate jocularity. Raunchy humor can cheapen your brand, or make it seem less reputable. In some cases, humor can be outright offensive.
Done right, though, comedy can add value to your campaign. A humorous voice can distinguish your brand in otherwise boring industry. A dash of humor can make a serious message more appealing.
Humor has the power to affect people cognitively, emotionally, and even physiologically. Adding a light layer of humor can humanize your brand’s voice to evoke a “feel good” response in your audience. Like storytelling, humor inspires trust in your audience because the essence of comedy is often to tell an uncomfortable truth in a more comfortable way.
For more information on integrating comedy into your content marketing strategy, consult with a content marketing writer or strategist. Adding a touch of humor to your content marketing efforts is often easier than you think.
Just don’t tell the tap dancing marketer joke.
Lynn H has been a professional writer, providing exceptional content online and offline, for nearly 20 years. In that time, she has penned thousands of articles for doctors, universities, researchers, small businesses, nursing organizations, sole proprietors and more. She writes everything from blogs to white papers; her specialty is putting complex scientific concepts in simple terms. She specializes in medical writing, creating informative and engaging content for professionals in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, medical manufacturing, chiropractics, optometry, emergency care, plastic surgery and others.
