HUMOR and HUMAN are Similar for a Reason

Can you harness the power of humor for your small business brand? Of course you can.

The "Big Game" at the end of January is probably the most famous platform for the biggest businesses to invest millions in making people laugh - and generate even more millions in brand recognition and, hopefully, revenue. Emotional marketing in general is having an enormous impact in the current market, and not just by way of humor; excitement, sympathy/empathy and even fear are catching consumer attention. But by far the most talked-about and re-shared ads are the humorous ones.

So...as a small business owner, how can you take advantage of the same humor-driven marketing options, but on a smaller, more human scale? It's easier than you think. Consider where you advertise and build brand awareness now. How can you inject a little humor? How can you amp up your Twitter presence to the delight of your followers? Are your Facebook page and website as engaging and enjoyable as they could be? 

First, make sure the humorous approach is right for your brand, your products and your business. Funeral directors would have a hard time using this strategy. But, if it works for you, examine your options. Decide on a strategy and test it out. Send a few humorous tweets about your products or services, and monitor the number of favorites and retweets. Create a few original, product-related memes that speak to your offerings and your brand, and post them on Facebook. See how many shares you get. (If you're not a graphics-whiz, you can use tools like memegenerator or imgflip.com to create them using your own imagery and language.) 

As a small business owner, you'll want to remain approachable, to keep the "human touch" so remember that as you create your strategy. If you're a brick-and-mortar, it's likely you'll want to appeal to a local audience, so try incorporating things that your local audience would recognize or relate to. Reference neighborhoods or area trends or local events (but don't tread on any trademarks!!). 

One caveat, and this applies to all of your actions as a small business owner: use good sense. Know your audience and know how to push the envelope without offending. If you run a children's princess party service, adult-oriented jokes and crass language, even if funny to you, will flop and hurt your brand. Similarly, if you are an upscale cocktail party and event planner, don't share "Hang in there" kitten memes - your target audience will abandon you for something edgier. 

It comes down to this - we are all human and we are all different. We all experience humor differently. One person may find something funny and another may think it boring or offensive. But through some targeted testing and by knowing your customer base you can create an engaging and humorous presences that will build brand recognition and - assuming you have a quality product - also help your bottom line.