SMS marketers know that funny SMS messages sell, Every SMS message does not need to be funny, of course, but a little humor goes a long way towards disarming the reader and building trust. Just be sure that your humor is accessible to the target audience. Knowing the nuances of your target audience language can also keep your serious marketing campaign from becoming a joke. For example, Nova of Chevy didnt sell well in Latin America but gave plenty of material to local comedians. The reason? No va is Spanish for can not move.It is not just about different countries and languages – make sure your humor is a cultural fit for the target audience. If your product is sales coaching for CEOs, jokes about smoking weed will not seem edgy but rather bizarre. If you are targeting teenagers, a 401K joke will lead to 401 confused stares and as many seconds of silence.

A good practice is to A/B test your SMS messages with different jokes (or send one serious email and one humorous one). If you catch the right wave of humor with your target audience, you can really build up rapport and win a loyal following who will actually want to read your SMS messages and buy your products. So take the extra time and effort to find your target audience’s sense of humor. Don’t worry about the hecklers – put in the work to build up a solid set of funny material. Once you do, the audience is yours.

David is an accomplished freelance email marketer and a seasoned comedy writer. The two intersect so much that David has been known to check comedy club audiences for their Spam Score and write SMS messages with a two drink minimum. Since David is also a rock musician, his marketing SMS messages are all about having a cool riff and the motto Don’t B flat; C sharp.