NCET Biz Tips: It’s OK to have fun on social media

Using humor in a social media strategy can be an effective way to spread awareness and connect with your audience. When done properly, humor can be a powerful tool that can help you stand out in a constant stream of information, diffuse trolls, and humanize your content. When done improperly, it can make things awkward, offensive, and feel like a bad stand-up routine.

Many brands are hesitant to use humor as they fear it may be inappropriate or unprofessional, and they’re not entirely wrong! There’s a reason people talk about timing in comedy and the use of a well-placed joke. You have to know when and where to use it. Let’s say you run a social media page for a consumer packaged goods company, and there is a salmonella outbreak in one of their packages, and they want you to tell customers someone got sick. You probably don’t want to Tweet “Listen up because y'all are about to have a crappy day!” You have to know how to read a room.

A well-crafted joke or funny meme can help a brand cut through the noise and grab people's attention. If it’s really good, people will share it, and that will tell the almighty algorithm that you have content people want to see, furthering the potential reach of other messages you post. I will warn you, don’t force humor into your content. People will see right through that and label you as cringey. They’d be right to do this.

If you want to incorporate humor into your content, I suggest starting slow and finding your “voice.” Don’t go out there tweeting a full standup routine or trying to be Wendy’s. We all want to be Wendy’s. You’ll never be Wendy’s. There’s already a Wendy’s and thousands of people are trying to be them. There’s only one of you! Find what makes you “you.”

Odds are you have a brand voice already; try incorporating some non-AP Style-approved words — dare I say *gasp* use contractions and words that real people use online?! Once you’re comfortable with your “voice” and are ready to start making posts, start with a simple meme or pun and see how people react. No need to jump headfirst into the deep end just yet! Just remember, don't be cringe, insensitive, or offensive. If you’re not sure, ask someone to review your post. It is a fine line between tongue-in-cheek and rude. Don’t cross that line. There’s already enough negativity out there, why add to it? Bonus tip (and a good rule for life): If you do accidentally offend someone, don’t double down or deny it. Listen and learn!

I can’t explain to you how to be funny, my anxiety and self-deprecating views taught me that, but I can point you in the right direction.

There are all types of humor you can incorporate into your brand voice: tongue-in-cheek, deadpan, wordplay, surrealist, etc., which type aligns with your page, and how you use it is up to you.

Learn about Distributing Your Message While Using Humor and Being Human at NCET’s Biz Cafe on July 19 from 2-4 p.m. at the UNR Innevation Center. NCET is a member-supported nonprofit organization that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology. More info at www.NCETcafe.org

AJ Miller is a public communications specialist at the City of Reno with over 17 years of experience in traditional and social media in Reno.