Not everyone is born with a funny bone, but flexing your comedic muscles every once in a while on social media is a terrific way to build your brand, gain followers and keep customers engaged. Afraid that you don’t have what it takes? You don’t have to be the next coming of Johnny Carson to succeed.
Feeling like humor is too risky of a strategy? Staying on the sidelines might mean missing out on some memorable moments and great connections with followers. Here are 5 great reasons why it’s worth it to get rolling with the LOL’ing.
It Strengthens Your Identity
Humor adds a whole new dimension to your brand. People may be following you for things like discounts or deals, but they also want special access. Your humor reveals important things about your own worldview, which opens the door to finding the followers that really relate to your mission and outlook. Joking with someone also creates a sense of familiarity. There’s a reason why opening with a joke is referred to as “breaking the ice.” It immediately dissolves tension and shows that you don’t take yourself too seriously.
You Become More Memorable
Users are much more likely to dismiss interactions that are purely transactional. A great joke or comment can stay with a user for a long time. That hearty chuckle you elicit from someone while they’re stuck in traffic might be the thing that secures your place on someone’s Facebook or Twitter feed.
It Makes Your Content More Dynamic
Some messaging has to be serious to get the message across, but if you never alter your tone, your messaging becomes an endless drone. Break up the monotony by introducing humor.
You Become More Relevant
Topical humor is great! It shows that you’re connected to the zeitgeist and have something to say about what’s happening. Adding your voice to an ongoing conversation is always a good idea when it comes to making your presence known on social media platforms. Using humor makes you stand out even more in a sea of ever-changing commentary.
It Turns Followers Into Evangelizers
The person you make laugh today is the person who will be singing your praises tomorrow. Jokes are inherently viral. Once you hear something hilarious, you immediately want to share it. It only takes one look at a popular meme to show you how one funny idea can catch on like wildfire. If you’re looking for retweets and shares, make sure you’re bringing the funny.
Your own personal brand of humor takes time to develop. Get to know your audience and find out what they think is funny. Test the waters with a few zingers before you pull out all the stops. Most of all, don’t miss out on a great way to grow your business by being too cautious or overthinking things. If you do, you might find that the joke is ultimately on you!
