Does Business Writing Have to Be Serious?

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15 Nov Posted by Jennifer in Copywriting | Comments

Comedy is a very subjective topic. Some people think Daniel Tosh is hilarious, others think he’s gone too far. Some like that comedian who uses the ventriloquist dolls; others, like this writer in particular, find it unpleasant, freaky and far from amusing. Lately, I’ve been seeing some amusing, well-written content, both in print and online, like this cheeky but informative article on etiquette for videoconferencing. The author uses humor to create memorable examples and engage his reader.

So the question remains: When and where should you try to be “funny” in your writing? Always think of the context. Here’s some tips:

Résumé: This really depends on your chosen or desired profession. If you are an accountant, perhaps sticking to the facts will be a better choice. Whereas if you are a graphic artist or in social media, some humor here and there would probably go down well. There’s a lot of talk lately about infographic résumés and using much more creative forms to present résumés, and it seems that you would have more leeway for humor in these formats. But again, you should be careful as an accountant, lawyer, or some of the “straight-laced” careers before using a more creative expression of your work history. Listing something along the lines of “Named as best artist 20 years running by my mother” might work for an art-college graduate looking for an intern position, but not if you’re going for Director of Finance in a Fortune 500 company.
Business Letter: If it’s a cover letter and you are introducing yourself for the first time, use humor sparingly, and only in reference to yourself. Remember, what you think sounds funny in your head doesn’t always translate to the page, so if you reread it and you’re not sure, take it out. A regular business letter, especially if it’s a summons or note of default on a loan, should not contain any humor. That’s just cruel and unprofessional.
Blog: Again, think of context. Are you blogging for yourself, or other people? If you’re blogging for yourself, I encourage you to use your own voice, and if that’s a humorous voice, then give it a whirl. Luckily, unlike a letter sent in the post, you can amend it later if you find that what you thought was hilarious was misconstrued by your readers. If you are blogging for other people, you must abide by their personal or company voice. This is part of your job. I’m happy to say that we have at least one client that we can be quite cheeky in their blogs!
Website: Humor? I recommend you look at the company you’re writing the content for. Too many people write dry, boring content for websites, sure, but that doesn’t mean that every website should be tongue-in-cheek or funny. Creativity is a key ingredient to making content engaging, memorable and informative. Ideally, it should get the web visitor to pick up the phone, enter their contact details or click the “Buy now” button. But does that mean it has to be funny? No. Witty? Could be. This is why there’s rarely a person at a corporation who is skilled enough at creating web content to be in charge of writing the company site, as too many companies forget who they are talking to. They talk at the customer, rather than to the customer, and in the end, don’t provide the information the customer needs to make their decision. Which means fewer return visits to the site, and fewer sales.

I’ll keep posting more tips as they present themselves, but in the meantime, if you’re not sure about using humor, then the answer is probably “don’t”. For more tips on writing and information on our services, contact Either/Or Media via email or by phone: (949) 305-3223.