Leading Your Consumer to Laughter

Leading Your Consumer to Laughter

The way companies interact with consumers has drastically changed over the course of the last few years. While traditional advertising and marketing was confined to print, radio, and TV, today’s marketers have far more tools at their disposal. Online advertising is enormously important, perhaps even more important than all other forms of advertising and marketing combined. Companies can run campaigns at a fraction of the cost and access a worldwide consumer base seemingly effortlessly.

Equally, the internet has also significantly empowered consumers. Today, most people read reviews before deciding to avail of a service or purchase a product. Word-of-mouth “ratings or slatings” spread through the whole world within minutes. The upside is obvious. If you provide a top-quality service or product and manage to market it in an evocative fashion, your customers will soon become your advertisers and “word-of-mouth” it on social media. Likes and shares become an integral part of your marketing strategy, and you will spend virtually no cash.

Social Media = Word-of-Mouth Gone Global

If you think of it, word-of-mouth has always been one of the most powerful advertising tools. People believe and trust each other’s recommendation. While traditionally, word-of-mouth advertising was confined to individuals in a specific locality, social media has made it go viral. This is precisely how the consumers worldwide have now a seemingly all-powerful voice, and it would be extremely foolish for marketers and advertisers not to take note and try to use social media for their own benefit.

Essentially, social media can make or break your business and the way your business is viewed by consumers is bound to be shouted about on all the different platforms.

Creating A Shareable Social Media Advertising Campaign – Just How Do You Go Viral?

Marketers soon discovered that provoking some form of emotional reaction is the best way to engage people and create shareability. Now, you can post evocative pictures displaying human suffering or touch people’s heart with fluff or romance or you can go viral with a video displaying human resilience, ingenuity, cruelty, kindness, love, generosity – the list is endless, as long as you evoke emotion.

And Then There Is Humor……

Humor is perhaps the most underestimated marketing tool. We all like to have a good laugh, and more importantly, we want other people’s funny bone to be tickled just as much. I bet the last time you heard a really good joke, you couldn’t wait to tell it to someone else. There is just something about laughing together. Humor transcends cultures and languages, laughter is indeed like medicine, and – putting on the cool-calculating marketing hat again for an instant – humor will get you those all-important shares and likes!

Humor is multi-dimensional, stimulating our minds with strong punchlines, touching our hearts with comedy, and connecting us to others in joint laughs. When we laugh we feel less stressed and more relaxed, our brain is packed with endorphins, and even our immune system receives a boost.

Hence, we all like to have a laugh and share it with others.

Humor in Marketing

A recent marketing study has indicated that 80% of students remember funny ads. Humor can be a very powerful marketing tool, provided the jokes are short, simple, and genuinely hilarious. Humor also lends itself to ubiquitous social media sharing. Though difficult to create, a humorous marketing drive can change the perception of your brand significantly and potentially set you apart from competitors. One such example is The Dollar Shave Club. This small company, selling razors online, created a simple humorous campaign and managed to put giants like Gillette and Bic in the shade.

Simple and Smart Humor Example

I came across the following joke and thought it would make the perfect social media post for a company selling donuts.

Social Media Explained

Twitter:               I’m eating a #donut

Facebook:           I like donuts

Instagram:          Here’s a photo of my vintage donut

YouTube:            Here I am, eating a donut

LinkedIn:             My skills include eating a donut

Pinterest:            Here’s a donut recipe

Google+:             I’m a Google employee who likes donuts

A pinch of humor can be added to just about any subject by taking a somewhat slanted view. Without causing offense, a little irreverence can go a long way toward making something funny.

Insanely Successful Humorous Advertising Campaigns

Creating funny marketing requires some comic genius and a whole lot of irreverence as well as exceptional human observational skills. The best comedians have the ability to detect the ridiculous in our behavior and poke fun at it.

The following humorous Facebook will undoubtedly inspire your comic genius and illustrate how simple humor is often best.

One Funny Moutha

This page pokes fun at parents and highlights the pitfalls of parenting. Check out this post:

One Funny Moutha: “I guess I should wake up the kids now. It’s just that I really, really hate when they are awake!”

Sarcastic Aunty

Wise words from a sarcastic aunt you never had. Check this out:

“Sometimes I like Facebook versions of people better than real life versions. Anyone else?

Overheard in Waitrose

Waitrose is a high-end customer grocery store chain in the UK. Check out this post:

“Darling, there are only two half tail lobsters left!”

“Only two?! That’s ridiculous! It must be the heat, everybody’s barbecuing this weekend!”

Funny or Die

Just a hilarious Facebook page. Check this out.

Stop. Look Around.

Somebody nearby

Is probably

Uglier than you.

A Honda looks like a Ferrari when you park it next to a Geo.

Humor is perhaps the most powerful tool at your disposable and you might like to consider hiring a comic genius to help you create your next marketing campaign. Jokes do not even have to be elaborate, as clear, short, and simple jokes work best.

For inspiration, it’s also worth checking out “the funniest adverts” on YouTube, undoubtedly, they will further inspire your funny bone as will a google search for “funniest Facebook posts”.

The Power of Humor

The power of humor has the following characteristic:

• Shareability: People like sharing funny stuff.
• Memorability: Funny ads and social media post are much more likely to be remembered.
• Positive Association: If your company is associated with a hilarious advertising or marketing campaign, customers undoubtedly will have a very positive view of your brand or business.
• Feel Good Factor: Humor and laughing create a strong feel-good factor and if you can be the source thereof, you can only win.

It’s time to unveil your inner comic genius or hire a marketer with a powerful funny bone! Don’t forget, creating hilarious marketing and advertising campaigns is going to be a great laugh!