Why More Brands Are Using Humor For Online Marketing
Online marketing has gone through many shifts over the years, depending on the types of platforms available and the target audience. In many cases, modern advertising tactics are still going to be much different from one business to another due to these factors. Business owners need to carefully analyze the audience that they’re trying to reach and determine what strategy will be best to create engagement with that specific group.
That said, one overall trend that has been noted lately is that more brands are using humor. LinkedIn, for example, has posted jokes about employees coming back from personal time off (PTO) and struggling to get back into the swing of work. Auntie Anne’s Pretzels has begun posting memes as a marketing strategy, featuring the store. Slim Jim started an entire meme account on Instagram. It almost never publishes traditional marketing copy and only posts memes about Slim Jims. Many followers do not even realize it is an official account.
This trend doesn’t work with all audiences, but it often works well on social media and with younger audiences. Why is this?
A personal voice
Often, brands are just trying to create a more personal voice that consumers feel they can connect with. For decades, corporations often felt faceless and removed from consumers. But social media allows for contact between these two groups at an unprecedented level. Marketers are trying to appear more personal to connect with their audience.
Content that people share
Another reason for this shift is that people are more likely to share humorous content, in many cases, than other types of marketing materials. Even if someone loves a certain product, they are unlikely to share sterile content or a basic announcement about a new product that is coming out in the future. But they certainly may share something that they find funny, so advertisers can use humor to get their audience to do their work for them. The content spreads around social media quickly, and the humor becomes more important than the actual product or brand.
Does this mean that you should incorporate humor into your social media marketing or online content? Perhaps, but it really does depend on the brand identity you’re trying to create and the audience you want to connect with. Here at Content Customs, we can help you explore all of your options and find a solution that works best for your company. Call today to learn more!
