Not everyone can do funny. If you can manage to even get a hint of a “ha” out of someone, or better yet knock them over with laughter, you should definitely play up that humor of yours. With all the rest of the social commentators out there, you’ve got heavy competition so finding ways to stand out will help keep you fresh in people’s minds. It’s human nature to love real, raw emotions so it’s no surprise that humorous social media strategies have proven to be the best attention grabbers. So take a break from the streamlined approach to self promotion and loosen your tie.

Remember though, there is also a social etiquette for things said online just like things said in public…only the lines are a bit more blurry in the virtual world. We’ve got your back. Here’s how to do social media funny, friendly, and effectively.

1. Find the funny in the seemingly mundane. When it comes to selling your product or service it’s never a “boring” problem that gets in the way, it’s a “you” problem. Not to say you have problems or anything but in this consumerist concentrated world it’s easy for us to get bored…we see a lot of the same products only with different labels. The key is to see past the label and past the intended use/benefit of the product or service, to switch things up and instead think of more unique ways in which to showcase the product/service and its significance. Captioned photos are a great way to advertise your brand as they provide humorous narrative to even the most ordinary situations. These are really blowing up on social media platforms as they take a seemingly everyday situation and make it more appealing to the audience by implying a funny event or outcome.

2. “Clean, Clear and Under Control”
With social media posts becoming less private and more permanent, it’s increasingly important that you keep your social media strategy tastefully clean. Rule of thumb: Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your grandma to hear. Pay heed to what you post, when you post and where you post as you don’t want to risk being offensive. Touchy topics such as politics or religion are probably not something you want to make too much light of as you can easily appear insensitive in doing so.

3. Quit wit is winning.
Don’t have a big budget for advertising? Witty social media statements can go further than the ad dollar. Original concise statements that have a hint of humor or sarcasm will pique the interests of others because they show that a brand can think for itself and dares to be different than its competitors.

4. Don’t take yourself too seriously. No one is perfect and people who act like they are are rather transparent. Not taking yourself too seriously shows a lot about your character, that you’re not afraid to make yourself a little vulnerable. Showing your audience you can laugh at yourself will get you lots of brownie points, or in this case a lot of Facebook “Likes”. By being willing to share your mistakes publicly, you appear more human and therefore your audience will be more trusting and comforted in the endeavors of your product or service.

5. Unedited humor is the best kind. Everyone loves a good blooper because it’s completely unplanned humor–a great way to show the character of your brand and your brand culture in its most natural form while bringing a smile to the face of your audience.

While it’s highly unlikely that everyone will appreciate your company’s brand of humor, you should at least be sure that your target audience finds it enticing. Because there’s a risk that comes with using humor in your social media, it’s important that your tone is in alignment with the overall personality of your target audience. If you’re struggling to figure out just exactly what that tone is or are not quite sure how to do social media funny, it’s probably a good idea to seek the guidance of a professional marketer. Contact Creativetopia (615) 656-7488 and we’ll help you come up with some clever angles so that you can have a bit more fun with your social messaging and hopefully gain more clients as a result!

There’s a lot to consider when building a brand identity.

Whether it’s the unpredictable economy or people’s own stubborn nature, the DIY trend has become increasingly popular. While DIY is great for fostering creativity, the fact of the matter is there are some things that you just shouldn’t do yourself. Building your own website commonly falls under this category. There may be an abundance of online tutorials and information-rich articles out there that run you through the steps, but the fact is you should really have a brand identity and website design expert to show you the ropes.

While doing it yourself might initially seem like a great cost-effective solution, unless you’ve some background with computers and design, you’re likely going to wind up with a web presence that doesn’t quite speak to or do your brand’s identity justice. All of your efforts will have been a waste of time and you’ll be back at square one, only now you’ll be kicking yourself in the butt for not investing in a web designer in the first place.

We’re not going to waste our time and yours with complex tutorials, because, like we said (and believe it or not we know what we’re talking about), if your goal in creating a website is to enhance your brand identity, you should really seek the advice of someone who knows the ins and outs of all the various platforms. However, for those of you determined to take the do-it-yourself approach to virtualizing your brand identity, we’ll humor you with some tips.

1. Choose a Platform to Compliment
First and foremost, you should research and decide on an appropriate site platform. If you’re writing a blog, WordPress is your best bet. You can even use this platform to build your company’s website, though keep in mind that it can get tricky with coding, widgets, and other features, so you might want to reach out to someone who has some expertise with the platform.

2. Brainstorm Brand Identity and Content
Before you launch your site, narrow down your vision. What are your goals? What do you want for your brand identity a year from now? This step can be hard for business owners because they have so many ideas and dreams. That’s why, here at Creativetopia, we work with you to really solidify your values and goals into a clear brand message.

3. Consider the Domain Name
Everyone wants to be cool and memorable but when you’re deciding on a URL, it’s important to think about wording, spelling, length, and pertinence. Having a URL that contains relevant keywords will really help with your search ranking so you may want to spend a little extra time researching and finessing until you find a URL that will be most likely to generate traffic.

4. Deciding What Your Brand Identity Should Look Like
If you’re making a homemade website then you should really stick to a simple, easy-to-use template. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for problems. If you’re wanting a site complete with all the bells and whistles, then hiring a web designer and developer is, without a doubt, your best bet. Not only can they help with the overall design, but they can oftentimes see the vision more clearly than the business owners themselves. These people are often so close to their business or product that it’s hard for them to take a step back to look at the big picture which inhibits their ability to break things down into a concise message for their audience.

Once you’ve spent all of this time getting your website up and running (we’re rooting for you really we are!) what’s the next step? There is much more to your site than just a pretty display of information. For your brand identity to really benefit from your website, you need to track down, develop your audience, and figure out what in the world you’re going to say to them. Now we’re talking Google Analytics and social networking, and that, my fellow creative thinkers, is a whole other, yet equally as important, ballgame that we will have to visit another time.