When I started thinking about this series of blogs, I looked for some images that I could use, to bring each article to life. I wanted a letter to put into each one, that I could also use to help promote the blogs on social media. The images needed to be something that stood out and that said “This person knows a thing or two about marketing.”

I could have chosen a series of professional, business-like letters, that matched the branding of Appletree, or that had something to do with marketing. And then I came across a series of images that really grabbed my attention. I found them on www.Pixabay.com – a great website where you can find all sorts of free inspiration. At first I thought that the fun, brightly coloured A-Z animals might not give quite the right impression. After all, this is a blog about marketing. It’s about Asking for referrals, Business networking and Content, rather than alligators, bears and cats. But then I thought that they could be a really good way to brighten up the blogs, add a splash of colour and allow me to add some humour to the blogs and our marketing.

So is H for humour or is it for Hippos? Which could be more useful in your marketing, to help you to attract your ideal clients? Our ideal clients definitely have a sense of humour. They run serious businesses and do a great job of doing what they do, but they also know the importance of a little light humour now and then. If we’re approached by someone who is terribly serious and never laughs, we would struggle to work with them and to do a good job for them. We like to be able to have a laugh with our clients now and then – it eases the tension of running a business and helps to build enduring relationships.

If your ideal clients value their sense of humour, it can be useful to use humour in your marketing. It’s one of the ways of attracting ideal clients to you and a way of letting people know what sort of person you are. If those people have a similar sense of humour they will be more likely to pick up the phone and ask you for your help. Don’t think that you always have to hide behind a serious business ‘mask’. It’s much more important to let potential clients see the real you and get to know you. If they don’t like your sense of humour, they will find someone else to work with, with whom they have more in common. It’s better to let them go and to work with someone who really gets and appreciates the real you.

How can you bring the right level of humour to your marketing? It could be through your writing, in the images that you use, or what you say at networking meetings. However you do it, all the real you to shine through and you’ll be able to attract more ideal clients – and have a little fun at the same time.

In the next blog we’ll be back to the serious business of the letter I being for Impalas and Iguanas and Indian elephants!