Laugh My Ads Off

It’s really important to laugh at yourself. Which in my case, is very easy to do since I’m hilarious. The great thing about humor is it comes in all different forms (and shades if you enjoy dark humor), but some of us can just appreciate a good pun. Depending on your industry, in my opinion it’s important to incorporate some kind of humor to your brand.

But, why? In an article written by Psychology Today, laughter is proven to correlate with like-ability, intelligence and long-term relationships. Even though they’re referencing human humor and its impact on others, why should it be any different from your brand humor and its impact on your consumers? The article also notes to be cautious – as your humor may not be the same as someone else’s. What better way to get my point across than with examples?

Types of Humor

The Silly Kind

If you haven’t checked out MoonPie’s Twitter account, you should now and thank me later. Silly humor is the safest kind, and probably the easiest to make new content for. Although it’s something everyone may understand, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will make everyone truly laugh. Silly humor is what your grandma and mom will share on Facebook and caption LOL on Sunday morning while they’re enjoying their coffee, but I bet the next time they’re at the store – they might try the pumpkin spice MoonPie after all.

The Punny Kind

If you thought I’d share any example other than myself, you don’t know me well enough – and that’s ok, you can follow me on Twitter and see what you’ve been missing. Puns are definitely not for everyone. They will cause you to get the eye rolls and loud sighs from people who are too good for them. Choosing what humor is best for your brand depends on a lot of factors. There are many companies that would never consider puns for their brand, and that’s ok. The least you can do is post a dad joke on social for Father’s Day, though.

The Sarcastic Kind

As much as I love puns, sarcastic humor might just be my favorite. Quick wit is pretty magical and the Wendy’s Twitter account is a perfect example of this. Like every humor, it has its pros and cons. You resonate with a type of person when you use sarcastic humor, but this also opens up the audience of sensitive people who can’t take a joke. Sarcastic humor is like a competition, so I feel like it sparks engagement of who can come up with the best response to something that’s already grabbed everyone’s attention. Personally, I look forward to Wendy’s roasts, but it’s not for everyone.

The Dark Kind

If you haven’t read any of the responses, you need to. When you’re making a content calendar and there’s a time where you sit and ask yourself, “Do I post this?” Odds are you’ve crossed the line – but maybe you can. Just expect the same audience of mom’s that shared MoonPie’s pumpkin spice post to report your content.