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Crack a smile and win a customer

Looking for a way into your story? Try humour.

Why do we instantly take to some brands and instantly take against others? Price has something to do with it, of course. If, to use the jargon, you’re ‘on a budget’, then you know that your choices are limited to what’s in your bank account (or somebody else’s, if you’re flashing the plastic). But it’s more than that. It’s also to do with brand identification. You’re an Abercrombie & Fitch, an Apple, a Starbucks, a Lidl (gulp) type of person. You respond to the signals they send out, the graphics they deploy, the language they use. But there’s one thing that cuts across all brands, all prices, and all niches. Humour. It’s what cuts the ice, opens the conversation and greases the wheels of interaction. It gives you a way into your story, and gives people  a reason to like you straight away. But for that, you have to take a deep breath and lower your defences, because the best type of humour is directed at yourself. Virgin Mobile’s The Fantastic Tale of Young Branson does just that. It’s playful, funny and immediately sets the tone for your interaction (if you’re in the US) with the company.
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Dollar Shave Club takes the same approach, but pushes the humour even further. It’s an odd, off-the-wall idea: for a dollar a month, they send razor blades through the post, so you never have to think about buying them again. “Are our blades any good?” asks the telegenic Mike, founder of DSC. “No. They’re f**king great.” In a busy world, with everybody clamouring for your attention, humour gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that makes you want to buy. The funniest humour, of course, is the type you can readily identify with. One that directly taps into an experience you’ve had. If you’ve ever been on a plane next to screaming kids, you’ll immediately respond to WestJet’s Kargo Kids idea: child-free cabins on selected flights. Any takers? Yeah, thought so. But you’ll have to get in line behind me. If it seems too good to be true, it is, I’m afraid. The idea was floated on the first day of last month. April 1, to be precise. Bummer. So how do you harness the power of humour in your sales and marketing material? It’s really not that difficult. Loosen that corporate tie (virtual or otherwise) when you write. Stop using big words to impress people (they don’t). Shorten those sentences and come at things from an oblique angle (tease, intrigue and tantalise people). Pretend you’re talking to somebody when you’re putting the words down (hear them in your head, visualise the response, see the smile). Connect first, sell later – because it works better that way. Lower your defences and make people laugh – even with the most serious topics – and they’re on board straight away. Keep them smiling and you’ll keep them reading. Now do your stuff. Find out more:
  • Let it all hang out. Brené Brown’s TED talk The Power of Vulnerability is serious, funny, touching, thrilling and just a little bit scary. And it may just help you loosen up and show your lighter side.

Related posts:

  1. It’s the customer, stupid
  2. Humour in copywriting: does it work?
  3. Make your message crystal-clear every time
  4. Do you take yourself too seriously?
Kevin Copywriting, Marketing.
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