How To Write Funny: A Brand Voice Guide

Is there a better feeling than a deep, genuine belly laugh? Though it may be a cliche, we wholeheartedly agree that laughter is the best medicine. Comedy is a universal language, and everyone loves to consume engaging, funny content marketing. Especially in the present moment, where short-form content reigns supreme, catching your audience’s attention with some witty copy is more important than ever. 

That’s why creating a funny brand voice can be a huge asset for content writers and copywriters. Not only does making your audience laugh work as a means of engagement, but it also creates a sense of joy, positivity, and camaraderie within your community–which is arguably more important right now than ever before. 

Catching Their Attention And Keeping It

It’s no secret that attention spans these days are becoming more and more limited. In fact, a 2015 study by Microsoft Corp. claimed that the average person loses concentration after only 8 seconds. Crazy, right? And now, with apps like TikTok popularizing content that averages about 15 seconds or less, our culture is only furthering down this path of attention economics.

Attention economics is the concept that because a limited resource has economic value, human attention can be treated as a scarce commodity. Having an arsenal of good content to throw into the pit of various “For You” pages and seeing what sticks can be helpful, but focusing on catching your viewer’s attention as quickly as possible is essential. 

According to a recent survey conducted by Clutch, a leading B2B and reviews firm, over half of consumers say they are more likely to remember an advertisement if it’s funny. 

The data speaks for itself–people want to laugh, and you want the people to remember your brand. A humorous brand voice is a great way to do that, but that leads us to the looming questions regarding how to write funny. 

The Different Types Of Humor

If laughter is the best medicine, what prescription is right for you? The first thing you’ll want to figure out when creating your comedic brand voice is what kind of humor is best for your specific brand. Here, we’ve created a simple brand voice guide to help you explore some different types of humor.

Word Play

Doesn’t everybody enjoy a good pun? Wordplay is a great, simple way to employ comedy in your copy. In addition to puns, wordplay can encompass fun literary devices like alliteration, homophones, similes, and spoonerisms. This type of humor is great when creating a witty, tongue-in-cheek tone. 

Dead-Pan

Also known as dry humor, dead-pan is a type of comedy that uses a deliberate lack of emotion and expression to highlight the absurdity of a joke. With the popularity of the TV show The Office, it’s no secret that people love deadpan humor that makes things so awkward it’s funny. Dollar Shave Club does a great job of employing deadpan into their brand voice. 

Sassy

Showing off a fiery, bold, and sarcastic personality as a brand is a great way to engage your viewers. With brands like Denny’s and Taco Bell successfully employing this tone, it’s no secret that being sassy is a great way to engage an audience.

What Type Of Humor Fits Your Brand

So, now that you’ve researched the different types of humor, it’s time to start figuring out which style is right for your brand. Some important things to keep in mind when making this decision are:

• Target Audience – Who are you speaking to? What kind of community do you want to create?
• Consistency – What do you want to say about your brand? What kind of humor aligns with your brand’s overall tone?
• Sensitivity – Is your joke controversial? Are you excluding or laughing at the expense of others?

Creating a funny voice that is effective and true to your brand can be challenging, but we are here to help. Zettist is a content marketing agency in San Diego specializing in personality-forward brand voice strategy. Don’t be shy and reach out!