Think your nonprofit can’t use humor in your communications? Think again! You can absolutely create more engaging and funnier social media posts.

Just follow how the federal government does it. Seriously, if the feds can do it, you can.

No doubt, you are aware of the TSA’s approach to social media: 

They are reigning champs of federal socials.

But the National Park Service has been coming on hot! And apparently this NPS account is managed by one single staff member.

Ways to Add Humor to Your Social Media Posts

In the linked article above, the NPS social media manager refers to his editorial strategy as “safety with a smile.”

It’s a fantastic approach.

If your organization gives advice or talks about many rules and regulations like the TSA and NPS are likely to do, how can you throw in some humor?

Spend 15 minutes reading through these accounts, and you’ll get a good sense of their approaches.

Here are a few funny social media approaches you’ll see:

• Pop culture references (e.g. Barbie, Taylor Swift, Winter is Coming, Office quotes)
• Memes (Halloween costume “includes” are big again this time of year)
• Iconic song lyrics — the National Park Service leans hard on these and they are fabulous. If you know the song, you laugh out loud. If you don’t, fine, it still makes sense.
• Dad jokes — there are entire corners of the internet dedicated to these jokes. Scroll until you find some that you can use with your topics.
• Random photos and videos of quirky things and items that seem out of place
• POV videos — the TSA is using a lot of these right now
• And more. Scroll and pay attention. This is work research. It’s legit.

The Social Media Strategy Behind the Laughs

Even better, listen to what these social media managers say themselves. Here’s a great interview with Janis Buris about running the TSA account.  One comment that can’t be overlooked: the massive size of the social media team!

Want more examples of how even government agencies can pull off humor and other authentic, engaging approaches to social media? Check out Government Agencies Get Real, Funny, and Human on Social Media. 

We also have a few blog posts you might like:

Nonprofit Policy + On Trend Video + Pop Culture + Humor? YES

The Crisis Center with a Sense of Humor

Using Humor in Your Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising

Making Funny (and Still Meaningful) Videos with Celebrities and More [Video Interview]

We teach seven nonprofit writing styles and the hardest one to describe and master, I think, is lifestyle writing. 

But it seems like it should be easy.  It’s conversational — we all have conversations. It feels lighter, even when dealing with heavy topics — so we don’t need to be subject matter experts.

And yet, it’s really hard to do well.

Think briefly about all the lousy, boring, lackluster content on social media, and you’ll see what I mean. Whether you’re imagining something overly wordy or too professional, we all have our own examples.

But with a little focus and practice, you can master lifestyle writing, along with the other seven nonprofit writing styles.

What is Lifestyle Writing?

Lifestyle writing is highly engaging casual or informal content. Think about your favorite consumer magazines or your favorite social media channels.

Why is This Style Important to Nonprofits?

If you want “regular people” — not just other professionals in your field or journalists — to read your content, you must add lifestyle writing to your repertoire. You must write like a human, not a robot using a thesaurus.

This writing style is what drives interaction with your content. If you want people commenting and sharing, then write lifestyle content.

Again, consider consumer magazines and the headlines on the covers or home pages. Those titles are what we call microcontent, but the promises those headlines deliver are typically written in a lifestyle writing format.

The format of these pieces of content — how the sentences and paragraphs are actually organized and delivered — is often the key to success with this writing style.

What Does It Look Like?

Typically, it has a hook that draws the reader in and that hook is the basis for how the article is constructed.

Listicles — content presented wholly in the list form — are the most classic form of lifestyle writing.

• 7 Ways to . . .
• How to  . . . in Five Easy Steps
• 10 Pictures You Have to See

Here are many other formats that you will easily recognize:

• How-to Articles
• Advice Columns
• Reviews or Recommendations
• Top Trends
• Myths v. Truths
• Contrarian Views on Conventional Wisdom
• First Person Accounts

We’ll share more examples, tips, and advice on improving your lifestyle writing soon.