If your business is posting on social media, you are competing for attention every single time you publish something. You are competing with friends, influencers, memes, breaking news, funny videos, celebrity drama, sports clips and hundreds of other posts. So if your content constantly says:
“Buy our product.”
“Contact us today.”
“We offer great service.”
There is a very good chance people are just scrolling straight past it. That is where humour can make a huge difference. People may scroll past an advert, but they will often stop for something that makes them smile, laugh or think:
“That is so true!”
I have seen this first-hand in my own content. I create humorous skits on TikTok, and one of the biggest lessons I have learnt is that humour works best when people can recognise themselves in the situation. The joke gets their attention, but the relatability is what keeps them watching. Businesses can use exactly the same principle. Using humour in business content is not about turning your company into a comedy page. The humour still needs to do a job.
Why Humour Works
Humour is powerful because it interrupts what people expect to see. Imagine scrolling through ten promotional graphics and then suddenly seeing:
“Your car has been making that noise for three weeks and your solution is still turning the radio up?”
You are probably going to stop. Why? Because you recognise the situation and maybe you have even done it yourself. That moment of recognition creates a connection.
Humorous content can help your business:
- capture attention;
- feel more human;
- become easier to remember;
- encourage comments and shares;
- communicate a message in a less boring way;
- and develop a recognisable brand personality.
The key is making sure the joke connects back to the business. A simple formula I like is:
Attention → Humour → Brand Message → Action
The Joke Should Still Sell the Message
Let us say you run a mechanic workshop. Instead of posting:
“Remember to service your vehicle regularly.”
You could say:
“Your car has been making that noise for three weeks and your solution is still turning the radio up.”
That is funny because it is relatable. But underneath the joke, the message is still: Do not ignore mechanical problems. Bring your vehicle in for a service.
Or imagine you run a restaurant. You could post:
“Her: I’m not hungry.
Also her: eats half your chips.”
Funny? Yes. But it also gives you an opportunity to show off your food.
An accountant could post:
“January: This year I’m keeping every receipt organised.
Tax deadline week: WHO SPENT P327.45 IN APRIL?”
Again, the joke is based on something customers recognise, but it naturally leads into accounting and tax compliance services. That is the sweet spot.
Look at Brands Doing It Well
Duolingo is one of the clearest examples. They took their green owl mascot and gave it a ridiculous personality. The owl jokes about people skipping language lessons, joins trends and behaves almost like an actual social media character.But the joke always comes back to one thing:
Do your language lesson.
Ryanair is another great example. They regularly joke about air travel, passengers and even their own reputation as a low-cost airline. That self-awareness is part of what makes the content work.
Nando’s has also used humour brilliantly over the years by responding to everyday cultural conversations and situations people immediately recognise.
Now, your business does not need to behave exactly like any of these brands. That is actually the point. Their humour works because it fits their personalities. You need to find yours.
You Do Not Have to Be a “Funny Brand”
Even serious businesses can use humour. A law firm could post:
“I’ll just download a contract from the internet.”
Lawyers everywhere: 👁️👄👁️
Then follow with a serious message about why important agreements should be properly reviewed.
A construction company could post:
“Concrete truck booked. Crew ready. Site prepared.
Weather forecast: thunderstorms.”
An HR company could joke about the difference between what a manager means by a “quick meeting” and what the employee thinks it means. The humour does not have to be outrageous. Sometimes a playful caption is enough.
Find the Humour in Your Customer’s Everyday Life
This is probably the easiest place to start. Ask yourself:
What do our customers always say?
What do they always do?
What do they procrastinate about?
What frustrates them?
What situations happen again and again?
For example:
A butcher:
“When you said you were only buying enough meat for two people…”
An internet provider:
“When the Wi-Fi stops working for three seconds and everyone in the house suddenly becomes an IT expert.”
A printing company:
Client: Just one tiny change.
The tiny change: redesign the entire artwork.
A gym:
“Me after one workout checking if my abs have arrived yet.”
A solar company:
The electricity goes off.
Your neighbour with solar: 👀
These ideas work because the audience already knows the joke. You are simply putting it into words.
And this is something I use when creating my own TikTok skits as well. You do not always need an elaborate joke. Hence, the funniest content comes from taking a normal everyday situation and exaggerating the part everybody already knows is true.
But Humour Still Needs Boundaries
Not every joke belongs on a business page. Think about:
Your brand personality.
Your audience.
Your industry.
Your local culture.
And the timing.
Avoid jokes that embarrass customers, rely on stereotypes or make light of serious situations. A useful rule is:
Laugh with your audience, not at your audience.
You want customers thinking:
“That is literally me!”
Not:
“Why is this company making fun of people like me?”
Additionally, avoid chasing every meme. Just because a meme is trending does not mean your business needs to use it. Before jumping onto a trend, ask:
Do we actually understand it?
Will our audience understand it?
Can we naturally connect it to our product or service?
And is it still relevant?
If you have to explain the joke for fifteen minutes in the marketing meeting, leave it alone.
So How Do You Start?
Start with the business message. Ask:
What do we want customers to know?
Then:
What situation happens in their everyday life that relates to that message?
Then:
What is funny, awkward, frustrating or slightly ridiculous about that situation?
That is your content idea. Because ultimately, the goal is not simply to make people laugh. The goal is:
Make them stop.
Make them relate.
Make them remember.
Then make sure they know what your business actually does. That is when humour stops being “just a funny post” and starts becoming a marketing tool.
Want to Try It With Your Own Business?
I have also put together a free resource called: The Business Humour Content Builder. It is a practical, step-by-step guide designed to help you take an ordinary business message and turn it into humorous social media content. It includes:
- a simple five-minute humour formula;
- different humour formats you can try;
- 20 reusable content starters;
- a brand-safety checklist; and
- a worksheet you can use during your next content-planning session.
So if you want to start creating humorous content for your own business but you are not quite sure where to begin, download the free Business Humour Content Builder using the link below.
[The Business Humor Content Builder – Free Download]
And remember:
The best business humour does not distract people from your message. It earns their attention long enough for them to hear it.
— Val Butale
Here’s a funny skit I made for Digital Gems. Notice that it is relevant to our Digital Marketing services, it is an obvious exaggeration based on behaviours, and the caption communicates that we listen to all our clients.
@digitalgemsbw types of #clients @ValButale 😂 we love working with our awesome clients #digitalmarketing #socialmediamarketing #skit ♬ original sound – Digital Gems
