There are pros and cons of using humor in videos. The great thing about a humorous video is that it’s shareable. It could go viral. The bad thing is that it can go viral even if the joke wasn’t as harmless as you thought. Even comedians get caught up in this problem. That’s why they practice their jokes in several places before “going public” with it, because they want to try to eliminate the risk. However, that doesn’t always work. These tips for using humor in videos may help you be successful and avoid problems.
1. Make It Relatable – When you are creating a video, the main thing to focus on is how you can be relatable. When you know your audience well, you can come up with a story (from yourself or someone else who is in that audience) and make it relatable to them. If they can’t relate, they’re not going to think it’s funny.
2. Keep It Short – Try not to be long winded when you’re telling any type of joke or trying to be humorous. People have short attention spans and it’s hard for them to stay focused. You can weave several funny things throughout one serious talk, but in business, less is more. You’re not a stand-up comedian, so you should focus on getting your message out with elements of humor added.
3. Tell Your Story – Your story might seem mostly boring to yourself. But more than likely, if you thought about the stories of your life, now that they’re over they’re funny. That’s why movies often incorporate humor, even at serious events like funerals. It takes the sting away and connects the audience to the individuals more.
4. Use Pop-Ups and Text – Editing software allows you to add interesting components to your videos such as pop-ups, text, and interesting transitions or effects. This can add substantially to how funny your video is. Think about how funny even serious shows can be when you add pop-up commentary.
5. Incorporate Music in the Right Places – When you edit your video, you can spice it up with the music and sound effects that you add. You can even give voice-over commentary if it adds to the humor (and point) of your video.
6. Use a Spin on a Popular Trend – We all know that cell phones, selfie sticks, fidget spinners and other things go through trending cycles of popularity. Sometimes things are popular and sometimes they’re not. If you can tie your brand to one of these trending items, you can make a good joke that everyone totally gets.
7. Learn about the Science of Humor – Believe it or not, there is a science component to humor (https://youtu.be/bgiX7CjV910). For example, most jokes are written in threes: this, that, and more. When you study humor, you’ll be able to make a joke or make people laugh, no matter how serious your topic is or how business-like it is.
8. Have a Moral – Because your video is business related, you’re going to want to have a point to your humor. If you don’t have a moral of the story, then people may walk away not knowing what to do or how to feel about your video. Don’t leave them hanging.
Using humor in videos can make the video more fun to watch. This means that more people are likely to watch the entire thing because of the enjoyment that they feel. In addition, they’re not going to miss your call to action and may be more likely to convert.
