Jul 11
26
There are many different ways to separate yourself from the crowd when it comes to blog writing. One of the most effective ways is through humor. People love humor and generally react to it with interest.
Making use of humor in blog writing is in no way about selling directly. However, it is all about being engaged with your readers, enhancing your brand, and managing what you do in the most effective way possible. When you use humor in your blog writing, you don’t need to hit your readers over the head with it. You can be subtle as long as your content is interesting and attracts your readers. You can use any type of humor you like, provided that you confine it to your particular niche or industry.
The attraction of humor in writing
Humor is an excellent way to break up content that might otherwise be extremely dry. What tends to happen to writers who are tackling serious subjects is that they feel that they need to take themselves so seriously that they forget to make their writing interesting. That concept might be totally fine for the person doing the writing; however, it is not so fine for the person doing the reading. A good way to lighten up your writing approach is to smile as you are writing. Your writing will stand out if you use humor to captivate. An effective approach to your writing is not just to write about what you know well but strive to write about what you want to know better. That will make your writing a pleasure to read for others.
As you are writing, it is very important to try to put yourself in the shoes of the reader. You will want to give your readers the opportunity to get to know you on a human level. The more you allow them to know you, the more they will want to know you. One disadvantage that people who share online relationships have is that they generally can’t see or hear each other. Of course, it is very hard to understand emotions at times through written content.
Making your blog writing humorous
If you inject humor into your writing, you will most likely be attracting many more people than if you have not humor in your writing. There are many reasons to use humor, which will have very positive results.
- Making your readers happy: Life is difficult enough for most people. The last thing that anyone wants is to read content that does not allow them any break from their everyday issues. Humor in your writing will provide them with that break and make them feel entertained.
- Using humor to teach: One of the main goals of your blog writing is to provide material that is educational for others. There is a great likelihood that whichever points you want to get across and cause to stick, your readers will remember if you use humor.
- Avoiding dryness: If you use humor in writing, there is no chance that your content will be boring to others.
- Standing out in the crowd: Your readers will remember you and identify with you if you use humor in your writing.
- Connecting on a human level: Humor allows your readers to identify with you on a human level. There are some experiences and feelings that all humans have in common.
- Humor sells: There is nothing more attractive to readers than reading something that makes them smile and feel good. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Conclusion
Humor in blog writing is an excellent approach if you want to be remembered for what you think and say and if you want to foster relationships with your online connections that will last indefinitely. Human beings share all kinds of basic qualities and senses of humor are definitely at the top of the list. So, start writing in a creative, funny, and compelling way and you will draw people to your blog like bees to honey.
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About the Author. Carolyn Cohn is the Chief Editor of CompuKol Communications LLC. Mrs. Cohn has a wealth of experience in business writing as well as having a strong editorial background. She manages all of the company’s writers, journalists and editors as well as writing, editing and publishing several business articles a week on a consistent basis, which are syndicated globally.
Mrs. Cohn has run several editorial departments for other companies. She has over 25 years of editorial experience and her expertise covers a wide range of media, such as online editing, and editing books, journal articles, abstracts, and promotional and educational materials.
Throughout her career, Mrs. Cohn has established and maintained strong relationships with professionals from a wide variety of companies. The principle that governs her work is that all words need to be edited.
Mrs. Cohn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.
Mrs. Cohn is a member of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA).
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Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Brand & Communications Management
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
True!
Posted by sandeep sharma
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I like humor, too. But how do you know if what you write will appear funny to all of your readers?
Posted by Susan Weiner, CFA
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Linked-N Bergen County NJ
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I found this very interesting. Frankly, most of the blogs that are connected with LinkedIn are dry, repetitive, and of negligible value. I've stopped reading most of them as time-wasters.
Humor would definitely add to many. However, I think the major problem with most of the blogs is the authors see the issue from their own point of view, instead of that of the reader. It doesn't matter how smart or knowlegable you are, unless you're presenting information the reader needs and relates to, and that offers real information instead of superficial "grabbers", you're merely trying to impose on their limited availibility.
This is the quickest possible way to lose your audience.
Posted by Mary Miraglia
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Marketing Communication
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Humor is a great tool for blog writing! Blogs generally should be more conversational than other marketing materials, and most people relate to humorous tidbits. As long as you don't go overboard, it's a fun way to grab interest and get your reader to see you as more than just another company.
Posted by Christine Parizo
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Informed Ideas For Writers
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Agreed! I use tongue-in-cheek humor (humour = Canadian spelling) in the Deep Blonde Thoughts blog. Readers and friends enjoy the observations made in the short posts.
Posted by Theresa Jobateh
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Humor is great, of course, but it can be so difficult to pull it off. Then there are those of us who all too often end up being unintentionally funny…but it still counts, right? ;>)
Posted by Sue Pelletier
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Ha ha, Sue.
Posted by Susan Weiner, CFA
Carolyn,
Good message, but it would have been far more interesting and memorable if you had used some humor within it…show us what you've got.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Seriously, I wrote a post I thought was all earnest and sincere, and had people telling me how hilarious it was. Not quite sure how I was supposed to take that, but I pretended I meant it to be funny.
But to your point, Susan, it's hard to tell how people react to humor in a blog post. I just think lame humor is worse than no humor, so I don't try it unless I'm pretty sure it's actually funny. I might even try it out on a group of readers I am in a Yahoo closed group with to make sure before sharing it with the world. But no matter what, not everyone will get it.
One way to mitigate the potential pain is to link to funny things–that way you get credit for having a sense of humor without having to take the risk of bombing.
Posted by Sue Pelletier
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Sue,
That's a great idea to try it out on a smaller audience first.
Posted by Susan Weiner
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Publishing and editing professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Very true. However, if the humor falls short of funny it will have the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish. Just a heads-up.
Posted by Greg Pernula
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: CXO Community
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Agreed, it will make blog posts more interesting to read.
Posted by Ganesh Ranganathan
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Jewish Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I agree about the humor, but it is very difficult to find people that can write funny pieces. Some people are extremely funny, however they don't translate well to writing.
I'm looking for funny food writers. So far I've got one
Posted by Leah Schapira
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Writers
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
"G'day" Carolyn, I enjoy a chuckle as often and frequently as possible.
Paraprosdokian 2 : "She got her good looks from her father,
he's a plastic surgeon".
Posted by Jim. Spain.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Jewish Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
As Sholom Aleichem said, laughter is the best medicine!
Posted by Seth Bykofsky
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Linked-N Bergen County NJ
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I love humor, but looks aren't everything.
Posted by Tony Seker
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Jewish Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I enjoyed your piece. Everything true and done with good humor.
Posted by Leah Schapira
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Publishing and editing professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
I agree. And I think that in such a visually-rich culture the use of photos, cartoons, videos etc. is very effective. Many people do not like reading things online because the combination of an extremely bright screen and unbroken flow of writing can be tiresome on the eyes.
Posted by Patricia Flint
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Woman 2 Woman Business
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Besides the national business scene is so grim we all need a laugh as we go about our business day.
Posted by Sherry Witt Snow
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Bergen County Business Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
agreed, humor is great for blogs, but when writing for a primarily business audience (and certainly depending on the topic), one must be careful in the type of humor that is used and that it is conveyed clearly. Sometimes humor has a way of sounding really funny to the writer, but falling flat to a reader.
Posted by Jeff Lewis
I think that humor and levity are great (of course, when something is really funny). A lot of business blogging is rather dry and deliberate — that can be helped if the blogger can really make and effort to find his or her voice. Sometimes the "delivery" is enough to make a post enjoyable - maybe it's a more lighthearted approach or a different take on the same old view that can make a post not necessarily humorous but uniquely entertaining.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
Agreed, I try to incorporate a bit of subtle humour into all of my marketing mediums, it gives people a natural trigger to engage – and allows you to be (and be perceived) as more genuine. I'm a kiwi so I see it as bringing our light-hearted culture into my messaging. If I don't, I feel I'm faking it, and that's not good. Must admit though, obvious forced humour can be a bit of a turn off..maybe it's more a case of 'if you've got it flaunt it'?
Posted by Alex Fauth
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals
Discussion: The Power of Humor in Blog Writing
If humor doesn't pollute the message, it's fine.
Posted by Stephane Dangel