Funny Marketing Copy Is A Seriously Good Idea

February, 2023 * Volume III, Number 2

Dear Serious Reader,

It’s here NOW, having winged (wung?) its way through cyberspace, right to your inbox: the latest edition of your favorite news-free email newsletter, Word PLAY!

This month, we present a story so enthralling, so intriguing, so fabricated that it’s sure to make you thrill at every turn.

Joking aside, THANK YOU for reading, and for making Firewords Creative Copy your go-to source for the words that win and the funny that makes money. I am humbled by your support, and seriously grateful for your business.

Meanwhile, in this edition of Word PLAY...

Yes, Funny Marketing Copy Is A Seriously Good Idea

Word PLAY… Playful Monthly Commentary
On Persuasive Copy For YOUR Business

The story you’re about to read is true, as far as you know. The names, facts, and pretty-much all of the content have been changed and/or “reimagined” to fit the point I’m making, in case I end up making a point.

I have a beloved young nephew named Justin (not his real name, which is Andrew), and And – er, I mean Justin, recently got a nice promotion to Director of Marketing for a small professional services firm.

This is great, because Justin is only 24 (not his real age, which is 26), and fresh out of business school, so he’s very proud of his new job. He called up his Crazy Uncle Michael (me)(real name and everything) for advice on the monthly email newsletter he’s launching… and, quite possibly, to engage me to write it.

“What kind of copy gets the highest click-through rate on Schmoogle Analytics?” Justin asked.

“I have no idea,” C.U. Michael said. “But if you’re asking me what kind of copy gets the best results, I’d say you should publish lightly-humorous, entertaining copy that people like to read, and which makes one key selling point for your firm in each edition.”

“Did you say humorous?” Justin asked, and I could hear the hesitation in his voice. “As in, funny?”

“As in funny, yup.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Crazy Uncle Michael?” Justin asked. “I mean, I just got this job, and it’s a very serious firm I’m working for here.”

“Well,” I said, “Yes. Some studies show that funny stuff gets 50% more readership than ‘average,’ serious, boring copy.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Publishing funny marketing copy is a seriously good idea. It shows that you take your business seriously, but that you don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s something your competitor couldn’t pull off, even if the notion occurred to them. And it’s something you can pull off, because you have a crazy uncle who knows how to write funny marketing copy.”

“But…”.

“People buy from people they like and trust,” C.U. Michael ranted on. “That includes everything from dishwashers to professional services. And when you publish entertaining copy, people learn about your business, but they also develop a tendency to instantly like and trust YOU, since you’re not throwing a bunch of boring industry jargon at them.”

“I got an A in Industry Jargon!”

“People like to read things written by real people, with real talent, as opposed to something you can get from a robot which is doing its best to mimic exactly the kind of real people I’m talking about, only without any real talent.”

“I don’t know, some of these robots are pretty smart…”.

“So if you want to beat your competition, nothing makes money like funny,” I concluded.

Justin, or Andrew, or Whatever, heaved a sigh. “Boy, I just don’t know, Unc. I’m not sure what The Boss will say about this.”

Just then, Crazy Uncle Michael realized that, love him though I do, Justin is not actually ready to be the ideal client for funny marketing copy. He’s too young. He’s too serious. And he’s too worried about his reputation.

His boss, on the other hand, might be the kind of seasoned pro who would make a perfect client for my funny business. But I’ll never know... I never met her. My main concern was to help my nephew.

“Tell you what, Nephew,” I said. “You’re right. You should save your money, and get an AI robot to write your newsletter. At least, at first. Measure your Schmoogle Analytics. Mostly, keep track of the feedback from your prospects. And if it turns out that you’re not getting the response you want, after a few months, give me a call.”

“In the meantime, I’ll make sure I don’t write anything for your direct competitors.”

That’s the kind of love I have for my nephew.

Key Take-Aways From This Edition

These Take-Aways are Key, to be sure. Can we top this Key-ness next month? Only time (a month) will tell. Stay tuned!

***

Discussion Questions

Send your answers to michael@michaelhume.net... The most creative, inspirational response will be eligible to win a PRIZE! *

(* Prize is at the sole discretion of Michael Hume, his heirs and assigns, and a focus group comprised of young folks fresh out of business school. Your nephew may be among them. Odds of winning are one in several. Top prize this month is your choice of dishwashers. That, or something else. Deadline is not a good idea, so we’ve done away with it. Boring, lackluster, or unimaginative entries have no chance of winning, so really, why bother? Send the good stuff. Best of luck!)

Last Month’s Grand Prize Winner: Justin H. was last month’s winner! No favoritism! But YOU could be next month’s winner… just get your entry in before the non-existent deadline!

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I write HUME-orous marketing copy for happy clients who take their professions very seriously… but whose customers like and trust them because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Want more info? Get in touch…

Call me: (303) 478-8702
Email me: michael@michaelhume.net
Investigate me: FirewordsMedia.com
Tell my nephew I'm not home: 195 South Rancho Vista Drive, Pueblo West, CO 81007

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Copyright 2022 by Michael D. Hume, M.S. All rights reserved.
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FireWords Creative Copy, 195 South Rancho Vista Drive , Pueblo West, CO 81007, United States