Should You Use Humor in Your Video Marketing Strategy?
Who’s Been Funny Before?
If you’re in the realm of marketing, then you’re aware of the original Dollar Shave Club campaign where CEO and Founder Michael Dubin starred in this hilarious bit. There were many reasons as to why this video exploded online, and one of those reasons comes down to humor. But you’ve probably seen that before. There’s also Squatty Potty, Poo-Pourri, and Purple Mattress. You’ve probably seen or heard of these too. In fact, these were all created by the same creative agency. These videos do well because they are easily shareable, they give people a reason to share (because they’re funny), and they don’t feel like advertisements. These videos tell a great story and keep people engaged all the way through.Housekeeping Notes / Why Add humor
Before you decide to add humor into some elements of your video marketing efforts, we should discuss a few housekeeping notes. Not all videos need to be funny. I think that’s an important thing to get out there. Don’t force every video you create to have humor in it. There’s a time and place for everything, so use your best judgment.. If you’re going to add humor into your video content, make sure the humor being presented is appropriate to your industry, target audience, and the product/service being sold. Yes, humor is subjective. Yes, defining what is “appropriate” is something that any creative director looking to think outside the box would like to argue with you about. A good rule of thumb is to not do anything that would get a bad reaction from an HR department. Use this [potentially] humorous situation to create alignment with the people you’re looking to target. Jokes can be very effective when they are based around a shared experience. If you keep the punchline of a joke around a shared pain point, then there’s a good chance it’ll be effective. Now if you do plan to use humor as part of your video marketing strategy, just be aware that not everyone is going to like it. Make sure you jokes cannot be interpreted in a way that offends any particular group of people, and don’t do anything that compromises on your brand’s integrity. However, there’s some cool data to showcase why you may want to consider using humor within your marketing. Humor helps to make you more memorable. 72% of individuals who follow a brand on social media are likely to make a purchase. Also, people on YouTube are reported to watch humorous video 58% of time time.Ways to Add Humor to Your Videos
A simple way to add humor to your video marketing strategy is to parody something popular. Can you think of a spin-off of a famous movie scene, music video, or latest “viral” sensation? People enjoy seeing creative twists on relevant and fresh topics, so this can help you stand out from the crowd. Another way to add humor is to craft an engaging story around a particular pain point that your target audience faces. In the Dollar Shave Club example, they talk about the complexity of buying razors in the store and how expensive it can be. What problem does your product or service solve? If you can tough on a shared experience, your joke will be more effective. Farce, which is defined as “comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations” is something you may consider too. You may want to use this sparingly, as it may come off as a little “much” for some folks. You may even find humor in everyday occurrences that you experience. It could even come through general conversation with co-workers or friends. Doesn’t it always seem like the best ideas come to you when you’re least expecting them? If your company can spare the time, a good brainstorming session may also help do the trick as well.
Conclusion
Even though your company may mean serious business, that doesn’t mean that your marketing efforts need to follow suit all the time. Adding humor into your video marketing strategy is an excellent way for you to stand out from the competition, humanize your brand, and attract people to your content.
Just remember to use humor is that appropriate for the industry that you operate in and don’t do anything that will impact your brand’s perception. Bad jokes are bad, and you shouldn’t force a joke if it isn’t funny.
Do you want more video content ideas? Check out our blog post 25 Ideas for Video Marketing Content content for an extensive list of ideas and breakouts on many of the specific topics.
We hope you found this information useful. Adding humor to your marketing may sound a little far fetched, but done correctly, it can have a significant impact on your business.
Neil K Carroll
Owner
I was your average small-town video guy, but when the pandemic hit, everything changed.
I ran a traditional video production agency with exclusively local clientele, a downtown studio, and a busy schedule. My days were long, travel frequent, and life as I knew it revolved around producing video content for my clients.
Then everything changed. Schools and daycares closed, my professional life was disrupted, and I found myself navigating a new path. It was one of uncertainty, with no end in sight and no destination obvious, but it demanded flexibility and resilience.
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