Master Class #98: PR & Humor - A Winning Combo
People don't usually associate PR with humor, but when used correctly, humor can be an excellent addition to your PR toolbox. There are a few things you must consider before trying to make your audience crack a smile.
First, forced humor is worse than no humor at all. If there's a natural opportunity to include a joke or play on words, go for it, but actively trying to shove humor where it doesn't belong comes off as disingenuous and will turn your audience off.
Next, have a very clear sense of where your audience's boundaries are. The jokes you make with your friends and family are not the same ones to make for your audience. Keep any attempts at humor clean and accessible and NEVER poke fun at any particular group or individual.
Most importantly, lean into shared experiences to make your humor resonate with your audience. Everyone likes to feel like they're "in" on a joke, so if you can work in a humorous story about an industry-specific experience into your public messaging, people in that space will be more likely to view you as "one of them."
Figuring out when to use humor and what humor will land is tricky, and it is nearly impossible to do alone. Luckily, at Jaffe Communications, we know how to make people laugh (depending on who you ask). Give us a call today to make sure you bring a smile to your audience's face.
