The Secret to Effective Marketing: Leave Them Laughing

By Joseph Giunta

Today’s digital technology has turned marketers into publishers. It allows them to build audiences through blogs, white papers, ebooks, videos, and podcasts. Indeed, technology has multiplied the number of messages out there, also making it difficult to attract an audience. For many marketers, however, humor is the magic ingredient.

Humor works because everyone loves a good laugh and will respond positively to anyone who can put a smile on their face. Unfortunately, humor is the most difficult content to create. Here are a few suggestions to help you:

• Categorize. In Comedy Writing Secrets, comedy writer Melvin Helitzer says that humor falls into seven categories:

Double entendres:  Play on words.

Reverses:  Tricking readers by switching point of view.

Triples:  Building tension for an exaggerated finale.

Incongruity:  Pairing two logical but unconvential ideas.

Stupidity:  Encouraging readers to feel superior

Paired phrases:  Utilizing the rhythms of antonyms, homonyms, and synonyms.

Slapstick:  Pompous man slips on banana peel.

Try to fit your content into one of these categories.

• Don’t be too clever. Humor for business should not be provocative -- leave satire to the pros.

• Decide what you are writing. Distinguish between comedy and humor. One is just plain funny and the other is amusing. Know which one you are creating.

• Brainstorm. Try this alone or with an associate. Draw three columns. Put a heading on one titled PEOPLE, on another PLACES, and on a third THINGS. Make a list under each of them. Then randomly select one item from each list. For example, you can have a cowboy (PEOPLE) on the moon (PLACES) holding a broom (THINGS). Think of a funny caption for that scenario. Feel free to add an activity. For example, a cowboy on the moon could be on a cell phone enrolling in a seminar on how to network effectively.

• Hire a funny writer or cartoonist. You can find writers through local comedy clubs or freelance services such as Elance and Guru. Elance and Guru are good sources for cartoonists, too. Hire a pro to create funny content that will help you communicate your brand.

• Stay in brand. Never create content that conflicts with your brand identity. If you are a children’s photographer who shoots children doing cute things, don’t target your humor to adolescents or senior citizens. Create humor for parents who want the kind of portraits you create. Some businesses, though, may not be a good fit for humor, and some brands may conflict with a funny message. You need to determine if humor is suited for your business. If it is, and you use it effectively, the rewards can be great.