Try Not to Laugh: 7 Hilarious Ways to Use Humor in Your Emails

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Since most indie authors build and use email lists of readers and prospective readers, PG is including a couple of email marketing posts today.

From Sleeknote:

People like to think that the decisions they make are based on data and analyses of possible alternatives. But, in reality, our emotions greatly influence and, in most cases, determine our decisions.

And that’s one of the reasons humor in email marketing is highly effective.

In fact, 50% of European and American consumers prefer humor in marketing over any other messaging theme.

Everyone loves to laugh. It’s not only good for you (strengthens your immune system), it also makes you more positive towards the sender of the message.

Humor can also give consumers an extra reason to open your emails.

Subscribers may not be interested in your offers, but if they expect a good laugh from your emails, more of your emails get opened and read (and hopefully convince readers to take action).

. . . .

This article is quite in-depth. To make life easier, I’ve broken each type of humor down in more detail.

. . . .

1. Witty Wordplay
2. Visual Humor
3. Farcical Humor
4. Stereotypical Humor
5. Swearing
6. Dark Humor
7. Aggressive Humor

. . . .

Email Etiquette: Do Consumers Like Humor in Emails?

Incorporating humor into your email marketing can really set you apart from the competition.

But, beware!

Humor isn’t for everyone, and it’s important you know exactly who you’re writing for if you want to experiment with humor in your email campaigns (or any campaigns for that matter).

Your buyer personas are (or should be) the foundation for all your marketing efforts.

Your audience might not appreciate your humor just because you think it’s funny. (I remember a few times I’ve cracked a joke, and no one laughed… [sad face])

Another important thing to consider is your existing language style.

Can you incorporate humor as a natural extension of your existing language? Or do you need to redefine your communication style to include humor?

If you agree with the latter, you might want to rethink whether humor is the way to go for your brand. It could be effective, but it could also have the opposite effect and distance you from your audience.

With that said, humor can be a great asset to help captivate your audience and make your brand stand out.

So, below, I’ll guide you through seven types of humor you can use in your email marketing, and give you examples of brands who have succeeded with humorous email campaigns.

. . . .

1. Witty Wordplay

Wit has many definitions, but in this article, we’ll define it as:

“A natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor.”

If you want to stand out in your recipient’s inbox, you need a well-crafted subject line.

But sometimes, it’s not the subject line with the best benefit or the greatest discount that gets opened…

…it’s the weird subject line that doesn’t make much sense.

Why?

Because it’s not what readers expect.

Witty wordplay evokes a feeling of joy in the reader, enticing them to open your email.

Plus, it captures their attention.

Here’s an example from Barkbox:

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There are three things that make this subject line great.

First, the subject line stands out because it’s in all caps. Now, typically I would refrain from using all caps as it gives the impression you’re yelling at the reader.

But in this case it works, because it’s a reference to a popular and well-known song that is indeed “yelled out” when sung.

Second, both the subject line and the song are relevant to the brand because Barkbox sells to dog owners.

Third, the subject line is relevant to the message in the email. They’ve used the word hula instead of who let which sounds the same when you read it aloud. The clever part lies in the fact that the content of the email is a new product line for dogs with a Hawaiian theme.

. . . .

When using witty wordplay, consider the following:

• Will everyone in your audience understand your wordplay?
• Does your wordplay reference your product or brand? Don’t invent words just to stand out. It needs to be relevant to your brand (and the message in the email if you use it in your subject lines)

. . . .

Humor isn’t for everyone.

Creating an effective humorous campaign takes time and consideration, but hopefully, this article has helped inspire you, and helped you figure out whether using humor in your emails is a good fit for your business.

If you decide to use any of the above types of humor, make sure you keep you don’t lose track of your goal.

Making people laugh should never be the goal of your campaign. It’s only there to support it.

Link to the rest at Sleeknote