(Pssst, I’m hoping to turn this into a series of posts about the psychology and functions of humor! Let me know in the comments what other topics you want me to cover.)
LET’S GET REAL NERDY FOR A SECOND.
Why should businesses use humor in their marketing?
Well… let’s look at what the research says.
cue everyone leaving
Psychologist Michael Apter suggests that there are two social contexts, or states, that humans switch between:
The telic, or goal-oriented state — AKA when we’re focused on gettin sh** done
And the paratelic, or play-oriented state — AKA when we’re goofing off and making jokes
We switch between these modes all the time throughout the day. (Just think of the last meeting you went to, when someone cracked a joke. Everybody laughed… and then y’all all went back to work.)
Now, these moments might just seem like quick breaks, but this kind of playtime actually serves some super-important social, emotional, and cognitive functions.
For example, research has shown that humor is linked to overall improvements in outlook and attitude. It’s a coping mechanism when times are tough. And it helps people bond together as a group.
All of this seems pretty self-evident from, um, being a human in the world, right?
But for some reason, the idea of being funny just FLIES OUT of most people’s brains when they’re putting their marketing campaigns together.
Which is crazy, because marketing is all about forming a real connection with your customers. So why would you just leave one of your best tools in your arsenal?
Humor helps you…
Build genuine relationships with your readers or users — you know, like the relationships you have in real life (if you don’t, well, that’s a different issue)
Address potential objections in a lighthearted way, and paint a realistic picture of what people COULD be doing instead
This benefits copy I wrote for DealForma helps readers better picture their life with clean data
Save face in awkward situations — like when you need to ‘fess up to a mistake, or roll out sensitive new pricing or plan updates
Alleviate anxiety in key moments — for instance, when your user might be worried about whether they need to provide a credit card for a free trial
Fun little click-trigger copy I wrote for Bluetick.io (check it out. It rules)
AND a whole lot more.
Now, there’s obviously way more to all of this — in fact, there are multiple books about the psychology and function of humor in the brain.
I’m barely scratching the surface here… but scratching sure does feel good.
Live video from the Punchline office.
Wanna learn more about how humor works in the brain, and how you can leverage it to improve your marketing?
I’m building a course! Sign up below to hear when I launch it:
