Imagine scrolling through your feed, and there it is – a post that makes you chuckle. That moment of laughter? You are going to remember that for some time. But how to create funny content for social media that sticks and why should we even care about creating it? Well, it’s all about making connections and leaving your brand’s lasting impression.
Laughter, they say, is the best medicine, and in the world of social media, it’s also the secret sauce for your brand going viral. So if you want to use that laughter on social to improve your brand’s appeal and reach, you are in for a treat as in this in-depth guide, we’ll explore the top 20 strategies and techniques that experienced content creators, like us, use to create absolutely hilarious social media content.
Let’s get your audience smiling now, shall we?
Why Create Funny Content on Social Media: Here Are 6 Main Reasons
Humor is like that person at the party who knows just what to say to break the ice. It’s approachable, relatable, and, most importantly, memorable. When you include it in your social media content, you’re not just posting; you’re engaging. So as a digital content manager or creator, here’s why you should know why to create funny content:
• Laughter Is Your Free Marketer
It’s simple. People love to laugh. Humor can turn your brand from just another name in the crowd into someone’s go-to for a good time. And when people find something funny, they want to share the joy. Research shows that humor can increase content sharing by up to 43%. That’s absolutely free marketing, folks!
• Funny Posts Are an Engagement Goldmine
Let’s be real, who doesn’t want more likes, shares, and comments? You must have noticed that most of the content your friends or family share in the groups is humor, right? So humorous content is like a magnet for engagement. It’s the kind of content that makes people hit ‘share’ and say, “You’ve got to see this!”
• Humor Helps You Stand Out
You would hate your audience to scroll past your posts without any interactions. In the vast ocean of social media, being funny is like having a bright, colorful sail and floodlights all around your ship (your social media page). It makes you stand out. When your content is funny, it sticks in people’s minds, makes them stop and induces an emotional response as well. That’s the kind of brand recall we’re all chasing after.
• Funny Posts Humanize Your Brand
Imagine your brand as a person at a party. Would you rather it be the one standing awkwardly in the corner or the one everyone’s gathered around, laughing with? Humor adds that approachable, relatable human vibe to your brand, making it feel more like a friend with true emotions. Nobody wants a robotic brand that follows a specific marketing guideline without any emotional input.
• Humor Grabs More Attention
In a world where our attention span of 8 seconds is competing with goldfish, being funny is like having a secret weapon. It’s the thing that makes people pause mid-scroll and think, “Okay, this is interesting.” Your funny social media content can have the capacity to capture that attention in this narrow window to make your message stick.
• More Engagement = Increased Brand Awareness
When your content is funny, it’s not just seen; it’s shared. When people share your funny content, they’re not just sharing that specific content but also sharing your brand. Every chuckle and share has a ripple effect and spreads your brand further into the vast ocean of social media. This makes humor a key player in improving brand awareness.
So, let’s keep this light and fun as we explore how to sprinkle some fun into your content and watch your brand’s popularity soar. Ready to tickle some funny bones? Well, the very first step is to know your audience.
Understanding Your Audience Is the Key to Go Viral
Let’s talk about getting to know your audience. The legendary comedian George Carlin once said, “The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.” In social media, your audience is the butterfly. You’re the caterpillar who is working hard to create content they’ll love.
Understanding your audience is absolutely crucial because, according to McKinsey’s research, 71% of consumers prefer personalized content so you’ll have to match their preferences to hit the right spots.
1. Know Their Preferences
Find out what your audience laughs at and research about their interests. Are they into dad jokes, puns, or maybe satirical humor? Note it down in your content style guide.
Pay attention to the comments and shares. What type of humor are they reacting to on your and other similar pages (like your competitors or any closely related services)?
2. Age Matters in Humor on Different Platforms
Different age groups always have different humor preferences, keep that in mind. This study by Pew Research Center shows how people of different ages use all these social media platforms. This could give you a clue about the type of humor that resonates with each type of audience on each platform.
3. Cultural Sensitivities
Humor can be a slippery slope so always mind your boundaries. Keep yourself aware of cultural sensitivities and avoid humor that might offend any group in your audience.
Understanding your audience’s humor preferences helps you not just get more likes but also create a deep, understanding connection. When you hit that sweet spot of humor that your audience starts liking, your brand will become a part of their daily dose of joy and they’ll keep returning to you for more.
Next, we’ll explore the art of how to create funny content for social media and then easily and seamlessly integrate it with your brand message.
Here’s How to Create Funny Content for Social Media: 20 Practical Tips
Alright, let’s dive into the world of creating funny social media content with some examples and facts, the human way. Here are our tried and tested 22 tips to help you create funny content for your social media. You can also integrate it in your YouTube content strategies as well.
1. Ask Yourself WWJD? (What Would Jerry Do?)
Think like Jerry Seinfeld. He’s the king of finding humor in daily life. For instance, ever noticed how people talk louder on their cell phones? It’s like they’re trying to project their voice into space! That’s pure observational gold. Your social media could do the same – pick up on these everyday twists and then create something funny out of them in a very intelligent manner.
2. Keep It Clean
Clean humor has wide appeal. So you have to make sure that your content is inclusive and doesn’t alienate any part of your audience. This approach will ultimately make your brand more approachable to a wider audience.
Take Oreo, for example. They keep it light and family-friendly, and it works! They gained massive attention with their quick-witted “Dunk in the dark” tweet during the Super Bowl blackout in 2013. It was simple, clean, and brilliantly timely.
3. Poke Fun at Yourself
Self-deprecation is a charm. KFC’s “FCK” apology campaign in 2018 after running out of chicken is a classic. They acknowledged the blunder in a way that made everyone chuckle and sympathize. And that happened during the time when #KFCCrisis and #KFCClosed were among the leading trends on Twitter.
4. The Best Humor Comes Naturally
Don’t force the funny. You have to let the humor flow organically from your brand’s personality and messaging. Avoid forcing jokes. They might come off as insincere otherwise. All big brands that connect with their audience use humor that feels effortless and genuine, not scripted.
5. Write With Your Audience in Mind
Plan and then execute your humor to your audience on social media. You first have to understand your audience’s humor preferences. What do they find funny? Tailor your content to match their sense of humor.
6. Avoid Offensive Humor
Keep it respectful. Remember, what’s funny to one person could be offensive to another. Stay sensitive to cultural, racial, and gender sensitivities. Inappropriate humor can damage your brand’s reputation. Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” campaign is a great example of using humor thoughtfully. It shows us a classic example of how you can convey a positive message without crossing any lines.
7. Use Observational Humor
Ever noticed how everyone becomes a parking expert when there’s a tight spot? Observational humor is all about noticing and commenting on everyday life’s issues and happenings like that. For your brand, this could be about any industry-specific twists or general life truths that everyone can directly relate to.
8. Keep Your Jokes Short
In the social media world, conciseness is our best bet and a sure short way to success. So short, snappy jokes tend to perform better. Think of Twitter’s character limit as a challenge: how can you make someone laugh in 280 characters or less? Think of it like a tweet-sized stand-up routine. Look at the success of different brands that often use quick, witty comments to engage their audience.
9. Embrace the Impossible
Don’t be afraid to be absurd, normal, or even unreal. Sometimes the funniest content is the most unexpected. Old Spice is a great example. Remember their ad (from 13 years ago that has accumulated a whopping 60 million+ views.. woahahh) where a man’s background transforms from a bathroom to a boat to a horse? Absurd, yes, but it caught everyone’s attention. And I can see people commenting on the video even now.
10. When in Doubt, Use Memes
Memes are a universal language on social media. They’re relatable, timely, and easily shareable. Look at how brands like Netflix use memes (like this one. Made you chuckle, right?) related to their shows to engage with audiences in a light-hearted way.
11. Include Surprise Humorous Elements
Unexpected humor can be highly effective. This could be a twist in a story, an unexpected punchline, or a quirky take on a common situation. The element of surprise can make your content more engaging and shareable. Think of a plot twist in a movie but in a tweet or a post.
12. Turn Cliches into Something New
Recreating and giving the cliches a twist can make for great humor on your social media. This usually involves taking a well-known phrase or concept and giving it a unique twist that aligns with your brand voice. For example, you can take “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” and turn it into “An apple a day keeps anyone away if you throw it hard enough.”
13. Edit Videos for a Funny Impact
The way you edit can significantly improve (or degrade, for that matter) the humor of your content. Fast cuts, unexpected transitions, or humorous captions can make a big difference but only if you have done them right. Look at how trending TikTok videos often use quick edits and visual effects for comedic effect.
14. Define Your Type of Comedy
Imagine if your brand were a comedian. Would it be more of a dry, witty Stephen Colbert or a slapstick, a physical comedian like Chris Farley? This will help you set a specific tone for your humor and not wander around looking for bits and pieces for ideas.
15. Write an Amusing Video Script
Think of a short script where your product solves an unexpected problem in a hilariously exaggerated way. For instance, an automobile brand could show how a driver, who’s feeling sleepy while driving, could use the car’s comfortable reclining driver seat to stop and take a nap and then start racing like Formula 1 drivers (now don’t implement this one). Think of any similar scenarios to have an out-of-the-box post.
16. Don’t Oversell the Comedy
Subtlety can be your best friend, so don’t oversell anything. If your humor feels forced, it’s less likely to resonate. So don’t keep focusing regularly on just a few points and diversify your ideas to give a new angle to your funny content.
17. Stay on Top of Social Media Trends and News
Everyone loves to jump on the bandwagon nowadays (or to stay updated if we say it in a civilized manner). Imagine taking a chunk off a popular meme or challenge but with a twist that relates to your brand. For example, doing the #BottleCapChallenge but with your mascot struggling hilariously to unscrew the cap.
18. Add Voice Over to Streamline Video Production
Think of a video showing regular office life but with a Morgan Freeman-style voiceover narrating it as an epic adventure. That’ll give your audience not just a regular idea of your work life but also convey it in a way that will make them remember it for a long time.
19. Try Different Ways to Make Funny Content
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different formats, whether it is memes, videos, or witty text posts. Play around with formats. Videos not working? Try creating GIFs. Not working either? Go with witty polls.
20. Edit Videos for a Funny Impact
Fast-forwarding ordinary, dull tasks, or adding humorous sound effects like boings and pops to regular actions can create a comedic effect. Imagine a video of a tech hardware company who are showing someone typing furiously with typewriter sounds escalating to absurd speeds to show the sturdiness of their new keyboard, or a new restaurant showing its customers having meals with loud, appetizing crunching sounds to reinforce their classic, popular taste.
Each of these strategies will help you understand your audience and what makes them tick. You can then use that knowledge to create social media content that’s not just funny, but also engaging and shareable.
Now let’s see how timings and trends can affect your funny content creations on your social media.
Uploading Funny Content on Social Media: Timings & Analytics Are Everything
The world of social media is fast-paced and ever-changing. To create funny content that your audience will actually like, it’s crucial for you to understand the dynamics of timing and following trends.
• Monitor Any New Trends and Cultural Updates
How would it feel if you were the cool kid who always knows the latest dance craze? That’s what you’ll become for your audience if you are following and using the latest trends to your advantage while creating funny social media content. However, the trick is to do it in a way that feels natural and not like you’re trying too hard to simply jump on the bandwagon.
• Take Care of Timing in Uploading Funny Content
This is about knowing not just what to say, but when to say it. For humor, timing is crucial – a well-timed joke can be the difference between a viral hit and a dud. Recall how you’d tell your jokes at a party. You’ve got to read the room and deliver it at just the right moment instead of whispering it when nobody’s listening or the topic has changed.
• Analyze the Metrics & Engagement to Go Viral
This is where you become a bit of a detective. Look at how people are responding to your jokes. Are they sharing it? Are they tagging their friends? This feedback is your gold. It tells you what’s working and what’s falling flat. Start focusing more on what’s more engaging and extracts more likes and shares.
• Keep Refining Your Humorous Content Strategy
Based on your findings, tweak your approach to perfection. Maybe your audience loves dad jokes, or perhaps they’re more into sarcastic humor. It’s like adjusting your recipe based on taste tests – a little more of this, a little less of that, until you get it just right.
Noted it all down? Let’s now get to know what you should NOT do while creating funny content for social media so your brand avoids any stumbling blocks along the way.
The 6 DON’Ts of Creating Funny Content for Social Media
Navigating the world of humor on social media can be a bit like walking a tightrope. It’s thrilling, but you’ve got to be careful not to lose your balance. So, let’s chat about the ‘don’ts’ of funny content creation:
1. Avoid Offensive Humor
Offensive humor is like inviting people to a party and then insulting them – not cool. You want to make people laugh, not make them uncomfortable or upset. Offensive humor can backfire spectacularly. It can turn your brand from ‘hilarious’ to ‘insensitive’ in no time and damage your reputation beyond repairs.
Remember, it’s not about what you think is funny but only what your audience will appreciate without feeling disrespected.
2. Steer Clear of Dark Humor Unless…
It fits your brand and audience. Dark humor is a ghost pepper – not everyone can handle it. Telling stories with dark humor at a campfire can be fun for a friendly crowd. But you can’t expect all of your online audience to behave and react in the same way.
Dark humor needs to fit your audience and your brand, or else it could just come off as grim or off-putting.
3. Stay Away from Blue Humor in Most Cases
Blue humor, which includes dirty jokes, is risky for most brands. Unless your brand is in a space where adult humor is the norm, blue humor in your posts will be like serving a steak at a vegetarian party. You have to know your audience and what they’re comfortable with before going forward with it.
4. Be Careful with Irreverent Humor
Never juggle with fire on social media. Yes, it’s eye-catching, but you risk burning yourself. Approach subjects like politics, religion, and serious global issues with extreme caution, or better yet, avoid them altogether. One wrong step and down you go.
5. Be Mindful with Call-Back Jokes
These are great for your regulars but you have to think about the new audience as well. You simply can’t refer to an inside joke in a room full of strangers. Use them, but make sure that your audience is familiar with the context, or provide a quick refresher to bring everyone on board.
6. Avoid Stale Jokes and Overly Narrow Targeting
Reusing old jokes again and again would feel like serving leftovers for a week straight. Would you like to consume it yourself? No? Your audience won’t either. So keep it fresh, and make sure your humor appeals to a broad enough audience. You don’t want to be the comedian that only one person in the room finds funny.
The goal of your social media humor is to make people smile and connect with your brand, not to push them away with humor that misses the mark.
How ContentERP Elevates Your Social Media Humor
Well, what if we tell you that you can have a perfect partner to guide you on your journey to go viral (for the right reasons, of course)? ContentERP can significantly improve your content creation process with its amazing features, like:
- Workflow Organization: Streamline your content creation process for consistent, timely humor on social media.
- Trend Analysis: Utilize ContentERP’s keyword tools to tap into trending humor, ensuring your content stays relevant and engaging.
- Insightful Analytics: Measure the impact of your funny content and refine strategies based on audience engagement data.
Conclusion
The secret sauce to winning hearts (and likes) on social media isn’t just related to cracking jokes blindly all the time. Instead, you have to create content that resonates, that makes your audience laugh and say, “Hey, these guys get me.”
And if you’re thinking, “This sounds great, but where do I start?” – don’t worry, ContentERP has got your back. With it, you’ll have a backstage crew while you’re out there in the spotlight. From organizing your content calendar to keeping track of what’s trending, ContentERP is the sidekick you need in your comedic journey on social media.
So go ahead, give ContentERP a try, and let’s add some more laughter to the world, one post at a time.