Jenna MacDonald
Many brands feel reluctant to leave their comfort zone when they share content that strays too far from the ordinary. However, a recent article on Clickz points out that “no brand wants to be perceived as uptight, old-fashioned, and out of touch”. Brands that remain strictly no-nonsense can still be successful, but occasionally using humour is a great way to attract customers, enhance brand recall and boost sales.
Businesses and companies that use humour on blogs, social media and in advertisements have a leg up on their competition. With traditional advertising, people can often withdraw or completely ignore what you’re trying to say. Yet, when you make your audience laugh, smile, and chuckle, they’ll usually be more relaxed and open to your message.
Humour is one of the best ways to grab your customer’s attention and increase the chance they’ll buy your product. According to a Journal of Marketing study, “’humor is more likely to enhance recall, evaluation, and purchase intention”, as long as the message is consistent with your product.
When audiences are entertained, they pay closer attention to your posts and advertisements.
Keep in mind that humour shouldn’t be the only method of advertising and way to connect with consumers. When promoting products, services and so forth, you must also be able to provide relevant purchasing information and details. There’s no point making people laugh if the joke has nothing to do with your brand or product.
Be careful, not all humour will be a hit with audiences. Just like any other content, humour must be well planned out. For example, many companies have been criticized for their careless comments, which have had serious repercussions and backlash. Thus, it is important to be aware that the humour you post on blogs, social media, and advertisements, is appropriate and suitable for all, the target audience.
For example, clothing retailer Kenneth Cole tried to post a humourous tweet back in 2011.
Unfortunately, their attempts to make light of the political unrest in Egypt were received with anger and outrage. This highlights some of the repercussions of posting a risky and provocative tweet on social media! Thus, it’s important to be aware that the humour you post in blogs, social media, and advertisements, is appropriate and suitable for the target audience.
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