The White label Comedy Blog
From the desk of the only Social Media, Digital Marketing and Creative Agency powered by Comedy
4 Reasons Why It Pays to
Make Your Audience Laugh
On Social Media
By Adam Hunt - Creative Director at White Label Comedy
When it comes to marketing and advertising, there are 4 core characteristics that grab our attention and increase sales. These are cuteness, sexiness, sweetness and humour. The reason? Because we buy from people we like. And each of these 4 characteristics is fundamental to building positive relationships.
Because – like it or not – we humans have evolved to go gaa-gaa over things (or people) that are cute, sexy, sweet and funny.
Now, I’m not saying your business lacks sex appeal. And I’m not saying you’re missing the cute-factor. But for the purposes of this article, I’m going to focus on why humour increases sales and elevates brands because…
…as Creative Director of White Label Comedy – a digital marketing agency, powered by top TV comedy writers – humour is what I’m known for!
(When not helping brands entertain, engage and sell - White Label Comedy’s writers also craft jokes for these award-winning TV shows)
Once upon a time, Claude Hopkins said this about using humour in marketing:
“There are two things about which men should not joke. One is business. One is home. One may gain attention by wearing a fools cap. But he would ruin his selling prospects”.
Yes, Claude Hopkins might be the grandfather of modern advertising – but I’m going to disagree with everything he just said. And here’s why:
1 - Humour Breaks Through Resistance
Unfortunately for us marketers, 99% of customers have learned to resist our powers of persuasion. They either avoid our promos – by scrolling…blocking…or ignoring our messages.
Or they put up a 6-ft thick BS Wall, to defend themselves against being sold to. Either way, you face a never-ending battle to earn the trust (and purchases) of your new customers.
That’s where humour comes in! Studies show that people are far more likely to:
- Like you…
- Listen to you…
- Feel relaxed and receptive to your message…
- Remember what you told them…
- And accept what you told them – without pushing back…
…if you make them laugh.
2 - Humour Boosts Sales
In 2018, Ryan Reynolds bought a stake in an American Gin brand. After taking over as Creative Director, Ryan funnied-up their ad campaigns – and sent Aviation Gin’s sales through the roof.
So much so that Ryan sold Aviation Gin for a whopping $610 million just 2 years after transforming the brand with humour.
Humour sells. Fact!
3 - Humour Elevates Engagement and Ramps Up Reach
When you post comedy content, you’re not just tickling your prospects’ funny bones. You’re doing WAY more than that! You’re giving your audience crowd-pleasing words to express who they really are.
In other words you’re handing them an achingly cool way to say, “this is so me,” “this is so true” and “these are my beliefs.”
Plus, when you share a great joke, you win instant street cred. It’s why audiences can’t wait to share funny posts…memes…images and videos with their friends, family and peers.
In fact, a survey of social media behaviour showed 49% of social media users share content because it’s funny.
It’s why businesses that post comedy-driven content send their engagement levels soaring. And their organic reach takes off like a rocket.
4 - Humour Increases Affection for your Brand and Boosts Customer Loyalty
When done right, humour is a great way to build brand loyalty – and create lifelong megafans who buy from you again and again. Now when you think about it, our alignment to certain brands is pretty irrational and driven almost entirely by emotion.
Just look at the lines outside Apple stores when a new model drops!
So why is humour such a powerful tool for building brand loyalty? Well, each time you make your customers laugh, it leaves an imprint in their brain. The more they laugh, the stronger the imprint.
It means, when you share comedy-driven content you have the power to literally etch your brand inside your customer’s mind, creating…
- Positive feelings towards your brand – which elevates trust, likeability and sales
- Stronger brand recall – so you’re top of mind when prospects are ready to buy
And deeper customer loyalty – which increases customer lifetime value and boosts your profits
A Word of Warning About Using Humour in Your Marketing!
Get humour right, and you can look forward to an avalanche of likes…comments…shares and sales. Get it wrong, and you could end up with egg on your face!
Which is why you should follow a simple set of rules when creating comedy-driven content for your business.
- Know your audience
- Only share jokes your audience can relate to
- Avoid telling jokes for jokes’ sake
Use proven joke formulas to simplify your joke-writing
If you’re ready to get started sharing engagement-driving…reach-boosting content right away – why not grab a copy of Brands Against Mundanity. Each pack contains a bumper crop of our best social post templates, so you can generate comedy-driven content in minutes.