Best Practices for Using Humour Effectively in Marketing

Humour isn’t just about making people laugh; it’s a form of engagement that can significantly enhance our marketing efforts. When executed well, humour grabs our audience’s attention, creates positive associations with our brand, and makes our content more memorable.

Humour also allows our personality to shine through, helping people connect with the human behind the brand. By eliciting laughter and smiles, humorous content can encourage shares and generate the kind of engagement every marketer dreams of.

We know that humour can be a powerful engagement tool, but when and how should it be used? Let’s explore some tips and tricks on the best practices for using humour effectively in our marketing strategy.

When Humour Works—and When It Doesn’t

Humour can be tricky; what one person finds hilarious, another may find offensive. To avoid these pitfalls, ensure that your humorous content aligns with your brand’s ethos and values.

Here are some best practices to consider:

Know Your Audience: Understand who your target audience is and what type of humour they appreciate. Aligning your content with their preferences can make your campaigns more impactful.

Align with Your Brand: Your humour should align with your brand’s values. For example, if your motto is “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” avoid humour that tears others down.

Enhance Your Message: Ensure that the humour used in your marketing enhances, not detracts from, your overall message. Avoid using humour merely for entertainment; it should support your campaign’s objectives.

Tasteful and Relatable: Keep your humour lighthearted and inclusive. Avoid offensive, derogatory, or controversial humour, as it could alienate parts of your audience. Instead, aim for content that is relatable and brings people in on the joke.

Test Your Content: Before launching a full-scale humorous campaign, test your content with a small group of trusted clients or peers. Make necessary adjustments based on feedback to ensure your humour resonates with your larger audience.

Other Tips for Using Humour in Marketing

Be Original: Avoid rehashing old jokes. Be original and bring your unique brand of humour to your marketing.

Be Tasteful: Always err on the side of caution. If a joke might be crossing a line, it’s better to leave it out.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail: Not every humour attempt will land perfectly, and that’s okay. Use these failures as learning opportunities.

If in Doubt, Leave It Out: When unsure about a piece of humourous content, it’s better to exclude it rather than risk potential backlash.

Humour, when used strategically and aligned with your brand, can be a fantastic way to engage your audience. I challenge you to observe marketing campaigns around you and see where humour is applied effectively.

If you’re already incorporating humour into your marketing, share your experiences in the comments—what’s worked for you?

Highlights

• [00:00:41] Humour as Engagement
• [00:01:25] Humour and Algorithms
• [00:01:40] Subjectivity of Humour
• [00:02:11] Aligning with Brand Values
• [00:02:31] Know Your Audience
• [00:03:12] Reflecting Brand Personality
• [00:03:50] Enhancing the Message
• [00:04:20] Keeping It Tasteful
• [00:04:46] Testing Humour
• [00:05:08] Avoid Offensive Content
• [00:05:29] Brand Image Consistency
• [00:06:41] Power of Research
• [00:07:20] Examples of Effective Humour
• [00:10:05] Learning from Failures
• [00:10:18] Final Tip: Err on the Side of Caution

Resources

• The Marketing Circle