Humor in Email
The Gist of It
Humor helps humanize your organization and allows you to built trust with supporters
Use humor in your storytelling and in images. Most of all use it to engage people.
Choose an image or a story and then exaggerate it. Give the audience something unexpected.
Transcript
Ladies & Gentlemen, today we need to have a serious discussion about a topic that doesn’t get much attention. It is a controversial topic.
Honestly, if done wrong, it will offend a lot of people. Which is why most organizations steer clear of it. But, if used well, it can help your nonprofit stand out.
Have you figured it out, yet? No. Then let me give you a hint.
My wife accidentally hit her elbow on the wall. “Ow,” she said, “that was not my funny bone.” I disagreed, it was humerus.
Pardon the dad joke. Humor is not only a mood booster but it is a great way to connect with people. Even in email.
A little humor always brings on a smile as does going Behind the Campaign.
Introduction
Welcome to Behind the Campaign.
A showcase of the best nonprofit campaigns. Here you will get ideas, tips, and strategies to create successful campaigns for your organization.
Humor helps humanize an organization and allows supporters to connect on a whole new level.
Today we will check out 3 emails that use humor to propel people to action.
We will start by looking in the inbox, but before we do. Why don’t you stamp emails? Because your foot would go right through the computer screen.
Email Inbox
Here we have 3 great and very different subject lines.
The first subject line is from Compassion International. “New look. Same great flavor.” This subject provides some curiosity. What are they talking about? But it also hints at a fun email ahead.
The next subject line, “Which Valentine Will You pick?” from the Smithsonian is a call to action. Encouraging people to open.
Last, we have the subject line from Zero, “Grow and Give: beard up to help prostate cancer patients.” They use the preview text to suggest some humor. “Join the fun with Grow and Give.”
Time to open up these emails. Prepare yourself for some smiles, smirks, and maybe a giggle or too.
When do emails stop being black and white? When they are read.
Humor in Storytelling
In this email, Compassion uses humor to tell a funny story. The purpose of the email is to introduce their new email design.
Now, the safe route is to use a corporate tone of voice, explaining the need for a new design. They don’t have to tell a story. They could write a press release using cliche-type statements, such as “We plan to roll out a new email design.”
Instead, they share a funny story about a 5-year-old girl who almost lost her mind. She couldn’t find the cereal she so desired because they changed the cover on the box. If she was old enough, she would have read “new look, same great flavor.”
At the end of the email, she addresses herself as a “Cereal Specialist.”
Isn’t this a better way to share news or a change?
Let’s see how a museum, a place known for its seriousness, puts a little humor in its emails.
Humor to Engage
Here the Smithsonian uses humor as a way to engage supporters. The purpose of this email is to provide value and encourage engagement by sending a funny valentine to a loved one.
The safe route with this email is to provide typical greeting cards with sentimental sayings as most everyone else receives on Valentine's.
Or they could take museum-looking images and add punny, I mean funny quotes. Because I know you are interested, here are some of the other crazy cards to choose.
They end the email with the time-tested limerick with a twist. “Roses are red, violets are blue. Who’s the Smithsonian’s valentine, why it’s you.” Ahhh.
Sure, maybe a museum can get away with some humor, but not healthcare. Think again.
Humor in an Email
Zero is a nonprofit that helps save lives by bringing awareness to prostate cancer. But this is not a buttoned-up. Be on your best behavior email. They use humor throughout the email with a little tip of the hat to our “friend” Bob Ross. This email aims to get people involved in fundraising and awareness.
The safe route here is to find a stock photo of a beaded man and explain the program in list order while asking for help.
But why do that, when you can go meta? Who better to talk about growing uncontrollable hair, than Bob Ross? They use a picture of him and they reference his quotes throughout the email. Saying “Hey there, friend” or “Sport a happy little beard.”
As a closing, they say, “Shave ‘ya later.”
Conclusion
While these emails display humor the missions behind them are no laughing matter.
Humor won’t work for all organizations, but for those that can add some should. And you don’t need to add it in every email. Humor gives your organization depth. It shows personality. And believe it or not, it builds trust.
Use it in the subject line as a way to encourage opens or in the email copy. Or you can add humorous images.
Time to get out from Behind the Campaign and try using some humor in your emails. Success starts with you. Shave ya later.
