5 Ways to Incorporate Humor in Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Nothing brings people together like a good laugh – especially online! Nowadays, users prefer seeing a more light-hearted company image than a cookie-cutter company image. Here are five ways to use humor in your online marketing strategy to stay relevant:

Use Trending Sounds in Videos 

Some social media algorithms favor and promote videos that use popular sounds. Because of this, videos of funny dance crazes and trending topics can go viral in just a few hours. Adding these heavily-used sounds can help you loosen up a bit while also increasing traffic to your account. 

But, make sure you jump on top sounds when you can. Like most trends, an audio track can be in one day and out the next. Keep an eye out for which ones can further your product or service and start filming!

Create & Share Memes

Memes have dominated the internet for some time now, and companies are starting to join in the fun. Businesses are releasing meme-like posts related to their industry and services. This laid-back content promotes online sharing and breaks up more information-heavy content on feeds.  

One example of this was the 2021 Bernie Sanders meme. What could've just stayed a picture of the senator bundled up at the White House instead became the meme of the year. Users began photoshopping Sanders in the most random places – iconic movie scenes, landmarks, and even personal photos! Businesses acted quickly and started placing him in their stores, restaurants, and with their products.

Courtesy of @kaarendu on Twitter

Keep Up With Popular Phrases

Sometimes just using certain emojis or phrases can do the trick. On more word-heavy platforms, like Twitter, jokes can be reused to your advantage and help you stand out. These funny phrases can then make their way to captions and graphics on your other social media platforms. Here is an example of Target using the “compromise handshake” tweet trend to entice people to visit their stores.

Refer to Pop Culture News

When major celebrity news breaks, it takes over the social media world. Each week there is something or someone new to discuss. Why not use the relevance of these pop culture events to spearhead your brand image? Try joining conversations surrounding growing shows, movies, actors, or singers from time to time. 

In November 2021, many companies did this during the re-release of Taylor Swift’s album Red. Swift plans to re-record all her older albums to secure ownership of them. On these albums, she ends each re-recorded song title with “(Taylor’s Version)”. 

Many companies added this to their profiles as a funny nod to the smash-hit album Red – in turn, attaining new followers within this loyal fan base! Starbucks even collaborated with the star on a specialty drink for its release.

Cleverly Respond to Users

Responding to users that interact with your content is HUGE. Whether it’s a snarky comeback or pun, make it authentic to your brand! Users gravitate toward brands that put effort into communicating with their fans. Having these humorous replies helps build those genuine connections with your followers while encouraging engagement.

We are sure everyone has seen the #1 supporter of this tactic by now – Wendy’s Twitter account. For years now, the chain has responded to fans without holding back. From their profile setup alone, you can probably tell you’re in for a ride reading through their tweets!

Want to see if adding humor to your online marketing strategy is the right move? Contact us today to finalize your brand goals!