Email Marketing

Crafting Hilarious Emails to Entertain Your Prospects: Email Funny Strategies

It's time for a dopamine rush!

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Anam Jalil

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"No one will put in effort to read something that wasn't written with effort" or something like that.

I read this somewhere recently - and it seems to ring a bell.

In simple terms, this just means that if you want your company emails to be read, you need to put your heart and soul into them.

Have you ever opened a welcome email and realized a few seconds in that the company has a great sense of humor? Or maybe you have read an email promoting a product/service and found a good pun.

Better yet, have you seen a best cold email subject Line and just wanted to open the email and see what the company had to say? I know I have.

You have probably categorized these messages as really good emails - and whether you buy the product or service or not, the company has definitely etched a permanent impression in your mind.

Who knew a few jokes would have this much power?

The truth is, we all did. Whether it is your significant other cracking lighthearted jokes at you or customer service emails, everyone loves subtle humor.

This is one of the prime reasons approximately 24% of companies add humor in professional emails - but this still isn't enough.

24% of companies tend to write a funny email

The power that a funny email has is widely understated and laughter is synonymous with happiness.

In fact, it was found that up to 48% of consumers thought that there was a lack of a relationship with a brand that didn't make them laugh or smile.

There are several other fun and interesting statistics below.

funny email statistics

There are thousands of funny email examples on the web - quirky humor and cute stuff give an email a unique style and inject fun into communication. As stated above, a funny email or a humorous tone, makes the prospect trust the company sending the email more. That's a big advantage.

Reiterating, adding humor helps strengthen customer relationships, whether you begin from the subject line or inject some mirth into the first sentence of your email.

Nevertheless, there is a way to incorporate humor so that the audience reacts positively to the email.

In the realm of sales and prospecting, leveraging funny prospecting emails can set the tone for a memorable first impression.

By carefully crafting messages that include a touch of humor, sales teams can break through the noise and connect with prospects on a human level. The effectiveness of these approaches lies in their ability to make a mundane process delightful, thereby increasing the likelihood of engaging potential clients.

Moreover, utilizing funny sales email templates can be a game-changer for sales teams looking to standardize their outreach while still keeping it fresh and engaging.

These templates provide a perfect starting point for infusing humor into communications, ensuring that every email sent not only captures the recipient's attention but also conveys the message in a light-hearted manner.

Writing funny emails can be like talking to your best friend, but in email marketing, you have to be a little more careful - the audience is not your best friend and they don't know you - and you don't know them either.

Here, we are going gain the right inspiration from a few companies that use humor and have crafted really good emails.

While giving you a laugh, we are also going to give you tips on when to be funny and when to avoid it, how to be funny and which jokes are okay, and then give you a great example of a funny email that we love.

When is it okay to be funny?

Sending funny emails is an art and it is important to know when to use humor or a funny tone. Before you set out to write funny emails, make sure that the time is right and that you understand your target audience.

It is always a good idea to inject feel-good humor into your copy - happiness may be scarce now and people are looking for it everywhere. However, do research what makes your audience tick, their preferences, and exactly how far you should go.

Here are a few emails you can send:

Funny promotional emails

When you are trying to sell something to high-quality leads, it is okay to use humorous copy if it resonates with your brand and you are sure that your audience will find your email funny.

You do have to place yourself in their head and make sure that the email is not just fun and games, but also addresses the pain points of your customers or future customers.

Funny cold emails

One popular type of funny email is the cold email. When you don't know someone at all and are sending them a message to connect, sell something, or begin a conversation, a little subtle humor in sales emails is a great way to break the ice.

However, you need to make sure that your jokes are actually funny and will make the audience laugh or smile. Once that relationship begins, you gain high-quality leads that may be on their way to conversion.

A joke made in bad taste in a cold email can also mean that your future emails will not be opened or replied to.

Emails sent to inactive users

If some of your customers are now inactive users on your SaaS or for other services your company is offering, you can always send promotional emails injected with a little humor.

Make sure your joke is relevant before you send this email on a large scale to whoever has not used your product/service in a while.

As explained above, when you use humor you enhance trust and brand recall which can bring inactive customers back into action.

Emails sent to read a blog post

If you want your prospects to read an article or blog post, you can invite them to do just that humorously. They are more likely to click on something that ignites emotion in them - happiness, joy, laughter, or any positive feeling.

Here is an example of a funny email we like!

When is it NOT okay to be funny?

I am sure you have met someone who made jokes unnecessarily and thought they were funny, but it was a lost cause.

In the same way, there are times when you cannot send funny emails and should completely steer clear of humor.

Apology email

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it isn't. There are several companies who may use humor when apologizing but this may be in bad taste, especially if the mistake was huge. Using self-deprecating humor here would not be a good idea either if you have no idea how upset the customer is.

It is a better idea to make the apology email sincere and write a proper heartfelt message rather than putting humor into it.

When giving or responding to sensitive news

It's never a good idea to use humor when giving sensitive news, even if it is to soften the blow. Such news should be given properly and with regard to the recipient's emotions. If you are responding to sensitive news, steer clear of jokes or even one lighthearted joke.

You are probably thinking, " Who makes a joke at such a time?" There are people who do.

For example, a customer jokingly or light-heartedly mentions their recent divorce in an email. You can choose to politely empathize with the situation and wish them the best for the future or provide some light-hearted encouragement. But, regardless of how funny the customer thinks the situation is, it would be in bad taste to make a joke here.

You have no idea how your words will fare in such a situation or in any similar situation - such as when someone just lost their job, has a sick family member, or is going through a tough mental health situation.

When sending greetings on somber holidays

If you are sending your customers or prospects greetings on a somber holiday - stay away from jokes completely. Yup, there is absolutely no need to crack a joke here. Just don't, period.

How to use humor in an email

Okay, so now you are ready to write a funny email and you have no idea how to go about it. There is an art and science to writing funny emails and it isn't just about inserting a regular one or two-liner in the text.

You need to use subtle humor instead of in-your-face laugh-out-loud jokes.

Point #1: Funny email subject lines are likely to grasp attention

Why only get funny in the actual email? It is a good idea to get the reader's attention right from the get-go with a subject line that is likely to look like you are a lot of fun. You can crack a joke, make a pun, or do something similar.

However, it is a good idea to ensure your recipients understand your joke and your joke is relevant to the content of your email. Click-bait isn't good news.

funny email subject lines

Point #2: You can put humor into your CTA

Let's get rid of normal CTAs and make our CTAs creative and funny. You can say things like "Give me that!" or " Why didn't I find this sooner?" etc.

Other funny CTAs include something like, "I've been waiting for this forever." A funny CTA can be fun to click on and can inspire action.

Funny CTAs can be more effective than regular CTAs such as "Buy Now" or "Sign up" and you can make them directly address prospects' pain points.

Point #3: Avoid political jokes and dad jokes

Whether they are promotional funny emails or welcome or thank you emails for your customers, it is a great idea to stay away from political jokes. Everyone has their own political preferences and affiliations and making such jokes can lead to offending someone.

In the same way, you want to avoid being lame. Dad jokes can often be categorized as that. However, some companies do use dad jokes in their email marketing, more so because these are harmless jokes that not many can be offended by. If you have a really good dad joke, then go for it.

Regardless, do remember that there is a such thing as being too lame or too dad-like! For example, this can get a few chuckles but let's not do too much of this.

putting dad jokes in funny emails

Point #4: Adding pictures of cute animals may not always be the best way to go

You probably have seen plenty of funny emails with a picture of a cute dog or a bunch of kittens. Sure, that's one way to add humor. However, there is a lot more that you can do besides just adding pictures of animals.

You need to be relevant to your business and ensure your email makes sense. Randomly showing pictures of animals is not the best strategy to get serious customers to click.

Point #5: Add references to pop culture, current events, or famous idioms

An excellent example of adding humor or a little light-heartedness in your promotional email is by making references to pop culture or current events. You can also rephrase famous idioms. This is likely to resonate well with your audience but try to make references to people or events that are widely known.

For example, "Michael Jackson would have loved this, but we aren't so sure about Beyonce" (I have no idea what product would fit this line though!)

Point #6: Adding a funny meme can push you up a notch

Memes are the epitome of subtle humor. Memes are a great way to connect with the audience and make a strong impression. Again, do make sure your memes are relevant and easily understandable, a bad meme can also wreak havoc.

Make a meme that your target audience can resonate with and try to ensure the joke has something to do with your business. Here is a smart example:

funny email for an email warmup tool

Point #7: Make sure you mention customer pain points too

You can't ignore your customers' needs and only focus on being funny. Make sure your subject line or email addresses your customer's pain points and explains the value of the product/service you are offering.

Just cracking a few jokes may make your customers laugh but it won't sell your product or service. Make sure you address the why, when, where, what, and how of your product/service and crack a joke in between or at the beginning.

Remember, you only have about 4 seconds to get the reader's attention before they bounce from your email.

Point #8: Relevancy is key

Don't overdo it and ensure the joke is relevant to your business. Making jokes that have absolutely nothing to do with your business may end up being annoying. You can be just a little irrelevant as long as you are relevant to current events and happenings.

Try out your jokes on a few coworkers before you hit send. Also, check links, check grammar, and make sure you have fulfilled the purpose of the email, given the right CTA, and told the audience the next steps to engage with you.

Point #9: Don't use cringe-worthy greetings

Going over the top is an art just like being funny. There may only be one or two emails that you may be able to pull off by overdoing it. However, that's not the mantra or the style of every marketer- nor do all recipients respond well to it.

Don't use greetings like Dearest or Sweetest One. You also may not want to call your recipients names such as Tiger King or Bunny Wunny. Most people like to be addressed by their name and even if you are being funny, you might want to stick to that.

Point #10: Don't overdo it

There is a limit to how funny you can be. If your whole email is written like a joke, there may be a high chance that your audience isn't going to take you seriously. You need to limit the humor to one to two lines and the rest of the email can be in a casual, conversational tone. Then you can be funny again in the CTA.

However, if every single one of your sentences is sarcastic, funny, or has a two-edged meaning, your recipients may not understand you and your message would just do a hard plummmph and completely go to waste.

We aren't saying this email is bad, but we do think that it is a little overdone.

funny email examples

A perfect funny email example

Last but not the least, here is a great funny email example that will cause a few chuckles. We think it's the right amount of funny with a sprinkle of celebrity mentions and a tad bit of sarcasm.

funny email example

Bottom line

As many funny email examples as you go through and even if you have crafted a top-notch email with exactly the right ingredients, you still need to ensure that your recipients see your email!

GoCustomer, a customer acquisition platform, makes sure your email marketing journey is smooth and successful. Our packages are highly affordable and our Tester package has all the right ingredients to get you started!

Have fun making your prospects feel a dopamine rush!

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Reach more customers with your cold emails

Table of Contents

    In a nutshell

    You can add humor in the subject line, the email copy, or the CTA. Being funny in any of these elements can prove to be effective?
    A brand that uses humor establishes trust and a stronger customer relationship. Prospects also say that they would walk away from a brand that does not make them laugh or smile and many say they would buy again from a brand that does. Using humor the right way is highly beneficial.
    You should not use humor when writing apology emails, sending greetings on sombre holidays, or when telling or responding to sensitive news.
    Ensure that the joke is relevant to your business and that your audience can easily understand it. A joke that your audience does not understand will be useless and may even confuse your audience or distract them from what you are actually offering them.
    No, you should steer clear of political jokes as everyone has different political preferences and the joke can be offensive for some.
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