Guest Post by Chloe Matheson

Perhaps you manage social media accounts for work, or have just created a collection of social media profiles for a business and a vision you believe in. As somebody who works with social media all the time, you’ll know the importance of retaining your valued audience – people who will see and enjoy the witty, informative captions, engaging videos, and eye-catching images that you post.

Since staying relevant and exciting is key for social media profiles, it’s time to check – are your social media pages lacking a little personality? In a time when social media can make or break the success of your business, it’s more crucial than ever to post unique content that stands out. Humour is no doubt one of the most powerful ways to capture attention and add personality to your social media pages. Many of the world’s biggest and most popular brands use humour to sell their products and services.

In general, humorous content makes people feel good. A great joke, relatable meme, or a funny line elicits an emotional response that helps create a stronger connection between businesses and their followers. But even when injecting humour into your social media pages, it’s important to maintain an element of professionalism. It’s entirely possible to present your business with humour and still be taken seriously. So how do you find the right balance between humour and professionalism? Here are few do’s and don’ts:

Know Your Audience

Humour is only effective if it truly speaks to your audience. Even if you and your team find something absolutely hilarious, it may not necessarily relate to your followers. Pay close attention to what your audience is currently responding to on social media – knowing what type of content makes your audience smile or laugh will help you find success.

Don’t Trash Talk Your Competitors

Talking negatively or disdainfully about your competitors is never a good look, even if it is done in a joking matter. Trash-talking is viewed as unprofessional and disrespectful – and won’t help you sell your products or services. You should always be tasteful when posting humorous content.

Use Humour Wisely

Knowing when and how to use humour in marketing material is essential. You need to be able to detect appropriate times to be funny, and when to return to a more serious presentation. Some products or services may be expected to be seen in a more serious light, in which case humour is not appropriate.

You also need to consider what type of content is appropriate for each social media platform. For instance, Twitter usually contains more serious news and updates, while Instagram tends to have a more relaxed feel.

There are also certain situations in which humour would be considered offensive and appropriate. Stay clear of controversial and political topics to avoid causing offence and hurting your brand. Before posting a funny meme, tweet or hashtag, you should always think about who it could hurt or offend. There’s a fine line between being funny and being offensive.

Be Topical

Holidays and big events are great times to add a little more cheer to your business social media pages. Taking your brand and target audience into account, look for opportunities around current events to post funny content. Utilize the day’s popular hashtags to extend the reach of your humorous posts.

Respond to Comments Respectfully

Prepare a plan to respond to negative comments. The best way to deal with complaints or negativity is to reply with a sincere apology, and to suggest a private settlement or discussion. No matter how negative the comments are, you should always remain calm and respectful in your response. This will help you maintain your brand’s professional image.

Be Creative

Even if you are promoting a serious event that requires a more professional tone, your social media posts don’t have to be boring or bland. When trying to attract audiences, you should always try to be creative and descriptive when describing your products, services, and events. Even if you have planned the greatest event ever, nobody will come if they don’t know about it! Use pictures and videos to your advantage to entice audiences to visit your venue. Remember, you always want your content to stand out above the rest.

Cloe Matheson lives the freelance writer dream in the gorgeous South Island city of Dunedin, New Zealand. With writing experience on a plethora of topics spanning home, lifestyle, and business, Cloe has previously contributed to sites such as Strata. Visit Tumblr to discover more of Cloe’s published work.