How To Warm Up Cold Traffic Using Humor and Personality In Your Copy
I’ve got a short and sweet one for ya’ today.
A wise man once told me:
“People’s resistance is never lower than right after they laugh.”
So if you have a skeptical audience, or even cold traffic, one of the best ways to get them to know, like and trust you is to use humor in your copy.
This helps them let down their guard a little bit and see you as another human being — and not some scary internet salesman that’s asking them to sign away their soul.
But not everyone is an incredible stand up comedian. And even if you ARE funny (or at least… you think you are…) sometimes the chuckles just don’t want to flow!
The good news is… in times of great need, you can “fake” funny.
Here are 3 quick tips with you about making your content more personable and humorous – even when you feel flat as cardboard or like you don’t have a creative bone in your body.
#1: Embrace The Meme
Yes they’re cheesy. Yes they’re overdone. And yes…. They are still hilarious.
You may think memes are soooo 2005, but they still catch attention and everyone loves to share them. They’re a great way come across as funny, even though the words and jokes are someone else’s.
And even though memes seem silly, they’re actually great marketing tools!
They leverage shared knowledge, are great for humanizing your brand, and make it easy to break down complex concepts.
Using memes not only increases engagement, but also helps people remember your brand and your content when they see similar memes elsewhere.
#2: Be Accidentally Honest.
If you think you’re not naturally funny. What you really mean is that you’re not INTENTIONALLY funny.
You know those times when you say something that’s so embarrassing that you want to die because it was completely inappropriate and OMG I can’t believe I said that and WHY AM I LIKE THIS accidentally funny and everyone around you busts out laughing?
This is where I live (and die… of shame…) most of my days.
It’s okay.
So does Jennifer Lawrence. And she’s rich and everyone likes her.
Now… this might not get people to ROFL or LOL to the max…
… but it will at least get them to blow a little puff of air out of their nose as they scroll past in what I like to call the “Nose Chuckle”
Did you know there’s actually a term for that nose-puff-laugh thingy? Apparently nose puff laughing is referred to as a “schnort.” Thank you urban dictionary.
(Warning; Before you look it up…. Only urban dictionary with great care and consideration. Some things cannot be unlearned)
#3: Get Punchy With Your Punctuation.
People are flooded with content, and these days there’s no hard and fast rules about the rules…. … Especially when you’re writing online.
Ignore the grammar nazis and get a bit FUNKAY with your words and punctuation to inject emotion into your sentences.
For example, using quotation marks inappropriately might get people all “perturbed” but most readers will know you’re being cheeky.
… like when I try to explain that searching for memes all afternoon on the internet is my “job”
Sticking some periods where they don’t belong is a great way to make a point when people Just. Won’t. Listen.
And writing in all caps is SUPER FANTASTIC WAY to get super excitable on the page.
Just be gentle with these ones and don’t overdo it.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
There are a lot of other ways to inject humor and personality into your copy, but these three are great short-cuts when you’re just not feeling the giggles.
Just be sure to know your audience (no one wants to be the guy telling jokes that no one gets), and use these sparingly so you don’t seem too over the top.
When gettin’ snarky online, a little goes a very long way. So use your powers for good young padawan.