That's Funny: Humor in Copywriting & Content

"Did you hear about the advertiser that was promoting a glass company and left out gl? He was shattered, but the audience was in stitches." - anonymous

Humor in copywriting and content can be more important than you might think. With so much content available, having a witty edge can be a difference maker when vying for a potential customer's attention. End users are typically overwhelmed with web content, emails, newsletters, case studies, ebooks, etc. and on and on it goes. It gets to a point that it all looks the same, just the offers are a bit different, the blogs written in a different order, the content cut up and "repurposed." So, presenting it in a different angle, humorous, sometimes sarcastic (preferably with an "Out of one's daily life example"), it can make the user say, "yes, can relate to that! That's what I need," with a smile.

How to/ 10 different ways to avoid (or improve)/ step-by-step guide/7 ways to improve...and so forth.

Instead, how about: 5 witty and highly effective ways to increase customer engagement? How to make your customer leave with a smile? or: Not just another boring white paper?

Humor is a serious business. In movies, shows, literature or advertising. The only thing more effective than humor, perhaps, is the "shock" approach, but that certainly leaves an unpleasant taste in one's mind, if it's not done precise.

Attention-grabbing headline that nails it.

Whether in print, audio or video, humor's been advertising's weapon of choice to grab consumer's attention and make the ad memorable (today we call that "making it go viral." and there's no reason why you can't use it in your content. Of course, there's a time and place for everything, and I wouldn't start a PR release with a 'knock-knock' joke, but what humor can do is open a whole new world of possibilities to change pace and offer your users/readers/buyers something new that they haven't seen, heard or read before. And that can be stimulating to the brain, not to mention entertaining.

Take a look at a handful of white papers, Ebooks, case studies, even presentations. It's all the same old, same old mold. Dull, repetitive, yawn-inducing content that can make even the most attentive person's eyes drift towards another place, such as his mobile phone. Even in the world of B2B, where things are "supposed" to be straight-to-the-point, it all looks the same. People's brains become numb, because they've seen so much of the same thing.

Wake up and smell the alarm clock.

One of the selling point, so to speak, of the Super Bowl commercials, is that throughout the years these commercials are invested with a lot of money - and creativity, and, for the most part, infused with lots of humor, in lots of cases with celebrities adding to the proceedings. The event may have lost its luster a bit in the past couple of years, but there will always be some great commercials.

Let's be honest: The proliferation of content makes it more and more difficult to stand out. Companies are determined to keep cranking out content at an almost ridiculous pace, not only do the users or readers have a tough time keeping up with all the emails, newsletters, blogs, case studies, Ebooks, white papers, special offers, webinars, articles, updates, etc., etc., but at some point they're going to bypass not just a piece of content or two, but a lot of the content, and so a lot of hard work will go down the virtual drain. Sure, you can "repurpose" content by cutting it up and recycling it in different shapes, forms and sizes, but there is just a finite amount of time a person has! At some point, unless you bring some new, fresh angle, people will start tuning out.

The power of words.

So, it's not just enough to create something informative. You need to think something that grabs the reader's attention...and then holds on to it. Even if the content will ultimately disappoint, a portion of it will still stick in the user's mind.

One of the problems of today's ads is people's short attention span: There is just precious little time to develop a semblance of a story, which you could do in the days of the "classic" ads, circa 1960s - early 2000s.

People tune in to the Super Bowl commercials because they know that companies put in extra work to come up with something unique, humorous, like this clever Tide ad, Gordon Ramsay berating a poor guy for not knowing how to make a grill cheese sandwich.

Get creative with humorous infographics

Of course, when you create your humorous content, you need to know your audience. After all, there are several types of humor, and it won't do to make a slapstick video as part of a presentation for your C-suite client. Unless you know they do.

When, where and how use humor?

There's a time and place for everything, of course. You won't use humorous content or comedic premises after tragic events. You also won't use it excessively for a crowd of C-suits that's strictly, or mostly, business. But done right, they will appreciate humor, especially if it's a jab at the competition.

Like with any type of content you create: Know your crowd!

Social media sounds like the ideal place to promote your brand in humorous ways. But you might be surprised at how many companies failed spectacularly on this channel. However, when you're "on the money," like Oreo did with its Twitter campaign way back, it could create waves. And it doesn't have to cost a lot of money, either. Social media is also a great, fertile platform to launch humorous campaigns and promote ironic blogs.

"The purpose of this white paper is not to put you to sleep, but if it does, you'll know what to do when you have insomnia."

If you've seen the movie "Touch of Evil," you'll remember the incredibly long opening shot that ends with an explosion. To put a humorous twist on it, you can open your blog, case study, or Ebook with an ironic situation. It describe a situationPeople have less patience or time to read long pieces of content. It's one thing to grab someone's attention for a few moments or even minutes, for to get him to concentrate for a ten, fifteen minute read, or even a protracted read over several days, that's asking for a lot. Grab their attention with humor: A funny, sarcastic, ironic headline, and an opening paragraph: When was the last time you took out the garbage and looked at the stars?

Humor triggers emotional response. It makes your brand more memorable, and your content more viral. As long as you remember to keep it in good taste, never use it against your own audience, and never be mean-spirited, it could do wonders for your brand.

Looking to liven up your content with humor? Whether a humorous banner, print ad, blog, social media, or other form of content, drop me a line!

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