Stand-up comedians need to connect with their audience. It starts with attracting attention, then creating interest, building a relationship, and finally provoking a response.
To get it right, you need empathy, knowledge of your audience, creativity … oh, and a spark that makes you unique.
B2B marketer: does any of the above sound familiar to you? I’ve been a professional marketer and amateur comedian for over a decade, and it’s surprising how much the two educate each other.
Here are just a few lessons B2B marketers can learn from the standup.
Keep it real
In the early 19th century, stand-up comedy thrived on puns and absurdity. For example: “Take my wife … please!” Or “The other night I shot an elephant in my pajamas … I will never know how it got into my pajamas.”
However, with the development of the art form of standup, personal observation with a unique point of view (more on that later) has become more popular. Here’s a classic from Ellen Degeneres dissecting the details of her life:
For marketers, it means being honest and sincere with your audience. It could even mean not being afraid of showing or admitting mistakes. Look for ways to get the audience behind the scenes to meet the people behind the brand.
I like the way Stacey Marx from AT&T Business brings her personal life into her content, like in this post “Gold Medal Advice: SMB Lessons from a World-Class Coach”. The personal touch highlights the content and makes it unique.
Adapt to your audience
Telling a marketer to know their audience is like telling a comedian to … well … It’s not a radically new technique; it’s part of the toolbox. At the same time, it is easy to see one’s own culture, background and thought processes as universal. That’s one of the reasons comedy is so difficult to translate.
A famous example is when Jimmy Carter told a joke breaking the ice at a college in Japan. He was pleased when the crowd burst out laughing after a brief translation by his interpreter! Only later did the interpreter admit that he said, “The president told a funny story. Please laugh. “
For marketers and comedians, the only way to really get into your audience’s mind is to do some research. Getting the same message across to audiences from different cultural backgrounds is a dangerous journey.
This Jerry Seinfeld piece – a brilliantly clever American Express commercial – illustrates the point:
Alternative storytelling with quick jabs
John Mulaney and Mitch Hedberg are two of my favorite comedians, and for completely different reasons. John is the master at telling longer stories, taking a few minutes to set the scene, and not rushing to a punchline. Here’s an example (with some strong language, be warned):
On the other side of the spectrum, Mitch Hedberg is the undisputed master of the one-liner. “I have no girlfriend. But I know a woman who would be mad at me if I said that. ”Or a little longer:“ Once this guy passed me a picture and said, ‘Here is a picture of me when I was younger.’ Everyone Picture is of you when you were younger! ‘Here’s a picture of me when I’m older.’ Woah, let me see the camera. “
Just as there is room for the Mulaneys and Hedbergs in comedy, there is room in marketing for both long stories and short, powerful slogans. Invest the same amount of energy in everyone and you will resonate with a wider audience.
Develop a unique voice
In the 80s there was a brief stand-up fashion with strange, extreme voices. For example…
Thankfully, it was a short-lived trend, but it shows how memorable a unique voice can be. Anyone who’s heard of Bobcat Goldthwait, Gilbert Gottfried, Judy Tenuta, or Sam Kinison will never confuse them with anyone else. On the other hand, the comedy junkyard is littered with the careers of boring comedians who were indistinguishable from one another.
In marketing, it is easy to slide into a kind of homogeneous, secure, “professional-sounding” corporate language. Don’t make waves, use – I mean use – the right jargon and you can avoid offending anyone. The problem is, you are also unlikely to be influencing anyone. Make your brand voice personable, lively, and unique, and you will have something that no competitor can copy.
Serious business can be fun
All of these can help you, as a marketer, engage, connect with, and influence your target audience. But there is one other thing comedians should do more often: be funny. There’s a lot of room for real comedy in B2B marketing, and those who do well are usually rewarded. And hey if Intel can do it, you can do that too.
Would you like more B2B marketing tips? Read our report on the Status of B2B influencer marketing.
