X (formerly Twitter) might seem like it's falling apart one moment, creating the perfect place for hours of doomscrolling. Then suddenly, the mood changes and it becomes the internet's greatest stage for chaos, wit and accidental comedy. A digital jungle of weird thoughts, relatable moments, and jokes that hit home in the most unhinged way possible.
There's something pure genius about someone being able to condense their unfiltered thoughts, struggles and existential crises into a single, perfectly-timed, hilarious one-liner. And anyone that gets it right deserves all their flowers. Or possibly even their own dedicated comedy show. We're looking at you, Mike Primavera...
The team at Hypefury are experts when it comes to what works and what doesn't on X. They say it's no longer considered unprofessional to be funny online. In fact, they describe humor as a “secret weapon” on X, and it makes sense...
Funny tweets stand out, get shared, and make people feel like they’ve just found their new internet bestie. In other words, laughter = engagement.
"Multi-millionaires and people struggling to grow their businesses to their First Million, don’t need to wear suits and ties and have professional LinkedIn-style headshots. They can sh*tpost their way to their first million sometimes just as easily as they can follow the traditional path of ‘formal, business communication,’" notes the Hypefury site.
The experts at Hypefury add that when you make your followers laugh, you’re not only entertaining them but also building an emotional bond that can lead to increased engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, growth.
But being funny on X (they still call it Twitter) isn’t just about making jokes; it’s about understanding your audience and the culture of the platform, they say.
"Twitter users are known for their wit and love of clever wordplay, so it’s important to stay current on trending topics and memes," explains Hypefury. "By tapping into the latest conversations and using humor to add your unique perspective, you can create tweets that feel fresh, relevant, and engaging."
The brand strategists over at Robust Branding agree. According to them, around 90% of people are more likely to remember something that made them laugh — even if it’s just a random tweet they scrolled past at 2 a.m.
They add that understanding why humor works in social media marketing requires delving into the psychology of laughter and its effects on human behavior. "When people laugh, they experience a release of endorphins, which creates positive associations with the source of that laughter," explains the Robust Branding site.
Robust Branding's experts add that, in the context of marketing, this can lead to stronger emotional connections with the brand, increased likelihood of content sharing, greater receptivity to marketing messages, and enhanced memory retention of brand information.
"By tapping into these psychological mechanisms, humor in social media marketing can create lasting impressions and foster brand loyalty," they say.
There's a fine line between being funny and being offensive, warns Robust Branding. "While humor can be a powerful engagement tool, it’s important to use it wisely," the site notes.
Err on the side of caution by avoiding controversial topics, being sensitive to cultural differences, testing humor on a small scale before wider implementation, monitoring audience reactions and adjusting accordingly, and balancing funny content with informative posts.
This will help minimize the risk of offense while maximizing the benefits of humor.
That's not to say a tiny bit of controversy won't work. There’s something called the “benign violation theory,” which basically states that humor happens when something’s “wrong” but not too wrong. Weird enough to make you laugh, but not so weird you want to log off.
It’s why people love tweets that cross the line just a little bit — like a dog wearing sunglasses or someone confessing that they accidentally texted their boss “love you.”
