Should Your Direct Mail Be Funny During COVID?

Yes, funny direct mail right now is a great idea. With everything that is going on, we really need a good laugh!

Many marketers shy away from humor because they are worried about offending someone. While there is no need to use dramatic political cartoons when trying to reach a broad audience, there are many universally funny concepts you can choose from. Analyze who is on your list and then plan out humor that will suit them.

Why try using humor? It works. It’s a great way to engage people and get them to talk about your brand. People love to laugh and to share what they think is funny — just look at what people post on Facebook.

Here are five funny tactics to try:

1. Real-life examples: In many cases, there are stories of hilarious things that have occurred either in the office or with customers that can be highlighted and incorporated into a funny example of what not to do. These are very popular because they are relatable.
2. Jokes: Now, no dirty ones allowed! Clean, fun jokes will show how your brand can relate to people on their personal level.
3. Comic strips: Create your own with characters that represent your company or industry. You can highlight real problems people have in a humorous way — and resolve them. Get creative! This can be really fun for your team, as well as customers and prospects.
4. Funny images: Find an image that makes you and your team laugh. Integrate that funny image into a problem/solution you can fix. There are plenty of images that can invoke laughter without being offensive.
5. Cartoons: Add cartoons of humorous situations that people could get into in your industry. Make them really over-the-top to get the giggles. The message can even be a play on words that ties into the cartoon theme.

When you are including humor in your direct mail, make sure to test your ideas on several people from different backgrounds who are outside your organization. This will allow you to see (1) if people get the joke, (2) if they think it’s funny, and (3) if anyone is upset by it.

After your idea passes the people test, your next step will be to find ways for people to share your fun. Try creating a landing page where people can go to share the funny with others on social media, or via text message or email. Keep in mind that the landing page needs to be created with responsive design so it functions whether accessed on a mobile device or a desktop.

The last thing you need to remember is to make sure your call-to-action still stands out. Don’t get so caught up in the humor that you ignore what is important. Consider testing more than one CTA to see what offer pulls the best when paired with the humorous theme.

Now it’s time to go out there and create some really funny direct mail!