Utilizing Humor in Organization's Social Media

Personally, I am a large fan of comedy. It's one of my favorite genres, who doesn't love to laugh?? Humor is one of the most powerful tools one can use, especially in marketing. I love it when companies use humor in their tweets and posts, the ability to make your product relatable through humor is something that is extremely valuable. It makes a brand "followable," for me. Just think about the things people "like" or share on their social media sites; it's either educational, valuable, appeals to your interests and needs, or it's just seriously funny. Humor can do four things for your brand, creates unity, triggers an emotional response, makes your brand memorable and provides audience insights.

When you know your audience, you'll know what makes them smile. You should use that to your advantage. Using your knowledge and paying attention to news, current events, and pop culture can give you material to comment on in your social media posts. Knowing where to draw the line with humor is a skill that may take some time, trial and error, but I believe that it is one that can endear your to your target audience and make you unforgettable. Even though it might seem like extra work to figure it out, I think humor is a marketing technique all its own.

For example, I think Charmin toilet paper has a hilarious twitter account. I follow it and regularly laugh out loud because of it. The other day I had to go buy toilet paper for my apartment, as I was in the aisle looking around, I saw Charmin and proceeded to buy it even though there was cheaper toilet paper nearby. I follow Charmin for its hilarious tweets, but I also see all of its other tweets about the excellent quality of toilet paper Charmin has. So even though it was more expensive, Charmin was still able to have my service simply based on the fact that whoever writes their tweets, is someone who I consider humorous.

There is a balance organizations must strike between personality and professionalism. Many companies are still navigating the world of digital marketing and social media, and many are making social media a cornerstone of their digital strategy. When social media becomes one of the main ways your business reaches its followers, leads, and customers, your social media image becomes all the more important. Your social media becomes your brand image. The most successful companies at finding the right mix of personality and professionalism in social media will be able to both gain trust and seem “human” to their followers. Making this a goal for your business will give you a competitive edge when web searchers look to social media for a solution like yours.

I attached some pictures below of some of my favorite tweets from businesses and organizations that use humor effectively.