Marketing that’s a Laughing Matter

When it comes to marketing, a variety of tactics can be used to engage potential customers and encourage them to take action. However, one often overlooked tool in a marketer’s arsenal is humor. Incorporating humor into your outbound marketing efforts can be an effective way to break the ice, create a positive emotional response, and increase engagement. In this blog post, I’ll explore the benefits of using humor in marketing, provide tips for crafting humorous messaging, and discuss potential risks. I’ll also share case studies of companies that have successfully used humor in their outbound marketing efforts.

THE BENEFITS OF USING HUMOR IN MARKETING OUTBOUND EFFORTS

When a potential customer is approached by a salesperson or receives a marketing message, they might immediately put up their guard. Using humor can be an effective way to disarm them, creating a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. This makes it much easier to establish a connection and begin a conversation.

Humor can also create a positive emotional response, which can increase engagement with your brand. When entertained, people are more likely to remember and associate the experience with positive emotions. This can build brand loyalty and increase the chances of a potential customer becoming a paying customer.

There are many examples of companies that have successfully used humor in their outbound marketing efforts.Old Spice, for example, created a series of ads featuring a manly man who took the brand’s scents to absurd extremes. Nevertheless, the ads were funny, memorable, and effective at increasing sales. Dollar Shave Club, another example, created a viral video that featured the company’s CEO, who delivered a humorous pitch for the brand’s razors. The video went viral and helped the company gain a large following.

TIPS FOR USING HUMOR IN MARKETING OUTBOUND EFFORTS

When using humor in your marketing efforts, you must know your audience and use humor that resonates with them. What’s funny to one person might not be funny to another. Understanding your audience’s sense of humor can help ensure that your messaging lands with them and increases engagement.

Crafting humorous messaging that aligns with your brand voice and values is also important. Humor can be used in a variety of ways, such as puns, satire, or parody. Choosing a type of humor that aligns with your brand’s personality and values is important. For example, if your brand is known for being edgy, you might wish to use satire or parody to create a humorous message. On the other hand, if your brand is more conservative, puns or wordplay might be more effective.

POTENTIAL RISKS OF USING HUMOR IN MARKETING OUTBOUND EFFORTS

While using humor in your marketing efforts can be effective, it’s important to acknowledge that it can also be risky. Humor is subjective; what one person finds funny, another might find offensive. Therefore, when using humor in your marketing efforts, it’s important to consider the potential adverse outcomes, such as offending or alienating potential customers.

To mitigate risks, testing messaging with a small audience is vital before scaling up. This can help you identify potential issues and adjust before launching a full-scale marketing campaign. It’s also important to be willing to pivot if your messaging fails to engage your audience.

MORE EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL OUTBOUND HUMOR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS IN 2022

• KFC: The fast-food brand has a series of ads that feature its founder Colonel Sanders as a hip-hop artist, a romance novel hero, and a virtual influencer who promotes its products with catchy slogans and songs.

• Spotify: The music streaming service has a series of ads that use data from its users to create funny and relatable scenarios, such as “To the person who played ‘Sorry’ 42 times on Valentine’s Day: What did you do?” or “To the person who listened to ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’ 52 times on the 9th of January: Everyone celebrates the New Year differently”.

• Duolingo: Has a TikTok account that posts humorous videos of people using its app, such as “When you forget your Spanish lesson” or “When you finally learn how to say ‘I love you’ in French,” with captions like “Don’t let this happen to you” or “We’re so proud of you.”

• Crocs: This footwear brand has a TikTok account that posts funny videos of people wearing its shoes, such as “When your Crocs match your outfit” or “When you get new Crocs for Christmas,” with captions like “Crocs are always in style” or “Best gift ever.”