Making people laugh is serious business; and the business is good. Promoting a business through humor and witty slogans and/ or campaigns can work miracles for your business. People love an involuntary chuckle at their problems. More often than not, it will infuse a good feeling about the product or service being promoted and will compel people to look further at the business.
For example, think of poking fun at credit repair and/ or debt management services with, “If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.( Earl Wilson)” or “A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.(Bob Hope)”.
It has been proven that laughter can relieve stress. Relieving stress can help most people gain new perspective on any situation or encourage them to seek new resolutions. When the slogan or campaign is witty, it is even more captivating as people like to be intellectually stimulated.
The Do's and Don’ts of Marketing Your Business With Humor
You will find that marketing your credit repair business with humor is a double-edged sword. It can cut both ways. When done correctly, using humor as a promotional tool, can make your business a hit and your product's or service's popularity will suddenly shoot through the roof. Other times, the exact opposite may happen. Using humor improperly, can leave potential clients feeling ashamed of their situation and reluctant to seek help. Check out what is safe and not-so-safe in this type campaigning.
The Dos
- Do poke fun at the problem at hand; if you are referring to credit repair, you can poke fun at and about loans, bank problems, high interest rates, etc. This will touch a chord with the prospective clients who will find themselves laughing at the situation because they can relate. “Credit buying is much like being drunk. The buzz happens immediately and gives you a lift... The hangover comes the day after.(Joyce Brothers)”
- Do poke fun at the difficulties that credit repair will encounter vis-à-vis the expectations of the client. This will help the client feel more at ease with the issue at hand and be more patient when things do not move as fast as would be expected or as fast as they want. “Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards.
(Robert Orben)”
- Do use the target audience's lingo and ways of expression in your fun-making marketing campaign. Most times, this will become an instant hit. “Life is a game. Money is how we keep score. (Ted Turner)”
The Don’ts
- Do not deviate from your service/ product. When it comes to advertising, it has been proven that consumers must be drawn into the campaign within seconds or they lose interest in the product or service being promoted. “Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.( Kin Hubbard)”
- Do not poke fun at any specific demographic of people/ religion/ political party. This can backfire for your business and professional life. “Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need.( Will Rogers)”
- Do not be fatalistic. Your advertising should give your prospective clients hope for their situation. Advertising that gives people negative feelings will compel people to not seek out your services. “Money won't make you happy... but everybody wants to find out for themselves. (Zig Ziglar)”
- Do not forget your target audience at any time during your campaign. Make them feel good; make them feel wanted; make them feel pampered. “You want 21 percent risk free? Pay off your credit cards.( Andrew Tobias)”
Humor is a superb tool in marketing; but it has to be used very creatively and carefully for optimal results. Executed correctly, amusing advertising can catapult your business into new found success. Done poorly and you can find your business losing clients. It is important to create/ run pilots of your intended advertising so that you can ensure that you will get the positive results you want. Listen to the feedback you receive and change things accordingly. Using humor in advertising can work for your business as long as you understand your audience, the problems they face and the humor to be found in why you offer the products or services you do.
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