Your social media-savvy, email marketing customers have enough on their minds these days without having to view your campaign with the seriousness of global warming or the national deficit. Injecting some light-hearted fun into your content can spark up your approach and drive conversions.

1. Make Fun of Trending Topics

The first spy shots from the set of the new Superman movie set internet tongues wagging around the world. For the first time ever, the Kryptonian Man of Steel’s costume was missing his trademarked red underwear! What better time to promote a sale on your red underwear lines and encouraging your customers to wear them outside their trousers to show support for the traditional supersuit?

2. Run a Pun Competition

Online marketers are well aware that getting your social media followers to be active participants in your brand’s activities is the best way to engage them and win their loyalty. Why not launch a pun competition where the best submissions about your brand win valuable prizes? You can start out by providing a few zingers and letting the followers take it from there. Your beer brand, for example, could provide these puns as start fodder:

  • Rabbits like their beer hoppy
  • Never drink beyond the pint of no return
  • Beer can cure what ales you
  • My ode to beer is at the first draft

3. Lighten Up Your Boilerplate

The various elements of your email newsletter that are mandated by adherence to legislation and varying standards can shed the “Just The Facts, Ma’am” tone of an old Dragnet episode and be brought forward to The Big Bang Theory sitcom level of relevance. Like so:

Does this email look like a dog’s breakfast? Try this version instead! We’re a great company but we can’t read your mind. Check out our Preference Center! Want these emails to take a long walk off a short pier? Unsubscribe here!

4. Don’t Spare Your From Line

Even an email element as staid as the From line can be imbued with a touch of fun. Instead of “Jim Smith, Customer Service” you can try:

  • Jim Smith – Customer Service Guru & Resident Oracle
  • Jim I-can-fix-any-problem-you-have Smith
  • Jim Smith & his direct customer response line to the CEO
  • Jim & his trusty dog Krypto – the Customer Service Dynamic Duo

5. Start off with a Funny but Clean Joke

You never know who will be the recipient of one of your forward to a friend emails so it’s imperative to avoid offensive content. However, there are plenty of perfectly funny jokes that do not cross the line towards X-rated land, which you can use to start off your email newsletter and encourage your customers to pass along. Have a brainstorming session with your staff and Google some good joke sites and you’ll never be short of material.

6. Never Miss an April Fool’s

Beware of making announcements like “All our Rolexes are free today” or “a free computer with every keyboard purchase” as you can be held responsible for making good on the offer, but you can follow the lead of Brenthaven, which promoted that they would be giving away a free car with every luggage purchase. They made amply clear in the text that it was a Hot Wheels car!

Get those comedy wheels turning and you’ll revitalize your soporific online marketing campaigns!