We all love a good laugh.

Honestly, show me a living person who doesn’t love to laugh and I’ll show you a walking corpse.

Humour is an incredibly relatable way to connect with people, and it can be used very effectively on social media.

But why? The answer is simple: people remember funny stuff. Our brains are wired to remember things when we feel strongly, and humour is the eruption of happiness—everyone’s favourite emotion. So how do we make people remember us? We make them laugh.

However, there’s a fine line between being funny, and being over the top, boring, politically incorrect, offensive, pandering, annoying… (Add negative adjectives here and the list goes on forever).

How do you create funny content that people will love? Twitter is the one social network where a good joke is almost always a hit, so let’s see what we can learn from five of the funniest brands on Twitter.

Bonus: Download the free strategy guide that reveals how Hootsuite grew our Twitter following to over 8 million users and learn how you can put the tactics to work for your business.

1. Chipotle

First up is the famous Mexican(ish) Grill fast food chain, Chipotle. You’re probably thinking, “how funny can a burrito get?”

If you have to ask that question you probably aren’t adding enough hot sauce. But on a scale from one to 10, where one is your college sociology class (AKA Funbusting 1000) and 10 is watching Paula Abdul on American Idol, Chipotle gets a solid 7.

Hilarity Index: 7/10

What can we learn?

The well-executed pun.

Many will say that puns are the lowest form of humour. They’re wrong, believe me. A well-executed pun always works.

How do you write a good pun? A pun is a joke that exploits words that have double meanings or may sound like one another, but if you want to write a good pun make sure the punned word works both ways.

Using audience insights.

Dig into the insights of your audience, and use it to your advantage. In this case, the insight is that literally everyone loves guac, but hates paying the extra dough for it. Then, spin it as a joke.

2. Moonpies

Honestly, it’s just a marshmallow jammed between two graham crackers covered in chocolate, but Moonpies are just as funny online as they are delicious in real life. So how do they do it?

Their schtick is that their social media team runs the account almost like it’s their own personal Twitter. And it works.

On a scale from one to 10, where one is a never-ending video of a tumbleweed rolling past an abandoned gas station and 10 is going to Disneyland after a bottomless mimosa brunch, Moonpies gets a 9.

Hilarity Index: 9/10 (Because there’s always room for improvement.)

What can we learn?

Uhm, who is Linda?

Moonpies are experts at joke recall, a skill that makes stand-up comedians stand out from the crowd. And the only difference between social media and stand up comedy? A microphone.

The joke goes back further than 2017, too. Linda’s been gone for a while, and it’s funny every time.

Clever use of the medium.

A joke about not finishing what you’ve started? Tired. But Moonpies freshens it up by using the medium and creating a visual gag.

3. Netflix

What started out as a business we all thought would be a joke by this time in human existence (snail-mail subscription service for movie rentals? Ok…) has now turned into one of the biggest household brand names of our time. And not only does their actual TV content slay, so does their Twitter.

On a scale from one to 10 where one is living under a rock and 10 is living in a real-life meme, Netflix comes in at a solid 7.

Hilarity Index: 7/10

What can we learn?

They listen, and respond.

Netflix is known for their hilarious Twitter responses to both online trolls and actual customers, and they’ve completely nailed how to do it in a way that leaves you wanting more. Not unlike their cliffhanger episode endings, ugh.

Bonus: Download the free strategy guide that reveals how Hootsuite grew our Twitter following to over 8 million users and learn how you can put the tactics to work for your business.

Get the free guide right now!

The timely pop-culture-reference-turned-meme.

I mean, they are a brand that relies entirely on the existence of pop-culture, but imagine if they weren’t able to use that to their advantage online? *shudder* The key here is that they’re timely, and they aren’t recycling old memes.

4. Merriam-Webster

They’re just the dictionary. Boring, right?

Not so, my friend. For an exhaustive collection of definitions wrapped up with a cutesy little name like Merriam-Webster, this brand is the master at throwing shade and sipping tea on Twitter.

On a scale from one to 10, where one is an empty bean bag chair and 10 is a bouncy castle even though you’re 32, I give Merriam-Webster a 7.5.

Hilarity Index: 7.5/10 (The added — or is it deducted? — .5 is for throwing shaaaaaade.)

What can we learn?

Sometimes it’s ok to sass.

Adding funner to the dictionary? Come on, Danny. But honestly, look at that sass. They get away with it because it’s well-intended and obviously sarcastic.

Or throw a bit of shade.

No comment necessary.

The key to throwing shade or sassing people on Twitter is to make sure your brand and audience can handle it. And even then, you also have to make sure it’s clear you’re being sarcastic, and that your shade or sass isn’t offensive.

5. KFC

Another fast food joint. I know, groan, but hear me out. Our friends over at KFC aren’t exactly pumping out award winning chicken (sorry), but their subtle jokes online deserve some praise.

On a scale from one to 10, where one is coming home to find out your roommate ate your leftovers and 10 is a freshly stocked buffet at Golden Corral (complete with those cheesesteak meatballs), I give KFC a 6.

Hilarity Index: 6/10

What can we learn?

The art of subtlety.

The art of creating a subtle joke often escapes most—even comedians, writers, and actors. But when executed well online, a not-so-hidden hidden joke can often go viral and make a lot of people fall in love with your brand.

KFC follows 11 people. The 5 Spice Girls, and 6 people named Herb. I’ll give you a minute.

That’s 11 herbs and spices, which is KFC’s famous recipe. We’re done here.

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