I have a sister who approaches life like a stand-up comedian and the world is her stage. It must be exhausting to be funny all of the time. I’m not talking about the polite or genuine “ha-ha” funny.
Her sense of humor brings tears to your eyes and breathing becomes a difficult proposition if you spend too much time in her clever presence. She is so funny, she makes herself laugh.
Why do I mention this? Every day, my sister demonstrates why laughter is a great marketing tool. Humor is an effective way to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more. Everyone likes to be around her because she makes them feel good.
We all have important information to share with our respective audiences and let’s be frank, some of it can be a big fat snore if not packaged correctly. Even here at Element Three, we find talking about the strategy of great marketing can illicit yawns if we don’t make it useful, engaging and…well, even a little funny.
Here are three great reasons to incorporate humor into your marketing efforts.
1. Laughing makes everyone feel better
There are actual scientific studies that demonstrate the health benefits related to laughter. Among other things, laughter can reduce stress, lower blood pressure AND improve alertness, creativity and memory. What’s not to love about that? People naturally gravitate toward those things that make them feel better so this one is a definite win
2. Humor creates an emotional connection to your audience
Laughter can take some of the intimidation out of a tough subject and adds more fun to most any topic. Of course, be sure you use humor appropriately. You really need to know your audience and understand what is funny and what is offensive. Humor can be used in an intellectual way as well – you don’t have to sound stupid to be funny. Make your audience think and laugh at the same time by telling a story to demonstrate your point. It is easier for your audience to stay engaged when you can provide a little bit of entertainment with your message.
3. Make it funny and they will remember
I refer to my note above about the benefits of laughter improving memory, among other things. Create a connection with your audience and provide a quality experience that makes them laugh and they will remember you. Even if they don’t remember everything you said, they will remember that you did not waste their time with another boring diatribe about the latest “whatever”. They will come back for more and will be more likely to share what they heard with others. Wittiness is contagious so pass it on.
I encourage you to try this approach, but stay away from starting your next blog post with “A man walks into a bar…”. Using humor does not mean you have to tell jokes; it’s a way to connect with a smile and create a memory, and has the added benefit of making your job more fun as well.
