The Best Examples of 3 Fun Examples of Using Humor to Engage Your Audience

3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience (and why they work)

Let’s start with the heart of this: real examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience that actually get likes, comments, and shares instead of awkward silence.

The first fun example of using humor is the “we’re all a mess” meme post. You’ve seen this everywhere: a creator posts a meme about procrastinating, chaotic schedules, or drinking cold coffee at 3 p.m. It’s funny because it’s painfully accurate. When you post a meme that mirrors your audience’s daily life, they feel seen. Comments turn into confessions: “This is literally me,” “Why am I being attacked?” That emotional hit is what drives engagement.

A second example of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience is the self-roast brand post. Think of a small business posting, “Our coffee is strong enough to power your bad decisions,” or a SaaS startup saying, “We fixed the bug that we definitely didn’t introduce last night at 11:59 p.m.” This kind of humor lowers the wall between “brand” and “person.” It signals, “We know we’re not perfect, and we’re okay laughing about it with you.”

The third of our core 3 fun examples is the “expectation vs. reality” content. A fitness creator might show a glamorous workout photo next to a sweaty, awkward, real-life version. A marketing agency might show “Client expectation: viral overnight” vs. “Reality: 87 drafts and 3 strategy calls.” When you post these kinds of examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience, you’re not just being funny—you’re being honest in a way that builds trust.

From here, we can expand into more formats and platforms, but those three give you a solid starting point you can adapt to your own voice and niche.

More real examples of using humor to engage your audience in 2024–2025

Let’s go beyond the basic 3 and look at several more specific, real examples of using humor that are working right now.

One powerful example of humor in 2024 is the “hyper-relatable short video”. On TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, creators lean into skits about everyday frustrations: the group chat that never decides on a restaurant, the coworker who says “quick question” and then drops a 30-minute task, the never-ending Zoom meeting. These videos often use trending audio, quick cuts, and on-screen text to punch up the joke. The best examples keep it simple: one clear situation, one exaggerated reaction, one memorable line.

Another example of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience is the “fake overly dramatic trailer”. Creators and brands dramatize something tiny—like running out of coffee pods or a website going down for five minutes—by editing it like a movie trailer: dark music, dramatic text, over-the-top narration. People share it because it feels like their life, but dialed up to 100.

Then there’s the “comment section comedy show”. Some of the best examples of humor now live under the post, not in it. Brands like Wendy’s built their reputation by replying to followers with snarky, clever comebacks. Smaller creators do the same by answering comments with playful replies or even video responses. When your audience realizes you’re funny in conversation, they stick around.

You also see a lot of “educational but un-serious” carousels and threads. For instance, a marketing expert might post:

• Slide 1: “How to write emails people actually open (without sounding like a robot).”
• Slide 2: “Step 1: Stop starting with ‘I hope this email finds you well’ (it didn’t, I’m tired).”

That small joke turns a dry topic into something people want to read. If you look at communication research from places like Harvard’s Program on Negotiation or NIH communication studies, you’ll see a recurring idea: people respond better when they feel emotionally engaged and relaxed. Light humor helps with that.

Finally, there’s the “we’re in on the same joke” trend hijack. In 2024–2025, trends move fast, but the brands that win are the ones that adapt a meme or audio to their niche quickly and honestly. For example, a therapist might use a trending audio about “I’m fine” and caption it with, “When your client says ‘I’m fine’ for the 4th week in a row.” It’s funny, but it also speaks to real emotional patterns, which aligns with what organizations like Mayo Clinic say about the value of humor and stress relief.

All of these are real examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience that you can twist to match your brand voice, whether you’re a solo freelancer, a nonprofit, or a global company.

How to adapt these examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to your brand

So, how do you actually use these examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience without feeling fake or forced?

Start with one core personality trait you want your brand to project: sarcastic older sibling, encouraging coach, nerdy friend, chaotic creative, dry-witted analyst. That trait should guide which examples you borrow.

If your vibe is more thoughtful and calm, lean toward gentle, self-aware humor:

• “Our newsletter is like your friend who actually reads the terms and conditions so you don’t have to.”
• “We tested this so you don’t have to cry over the analytics dashboard.”

If your vibe is bold and loud, you can get away with spicier jokes and bolder memes, as long as you’re not punching down.

Next, pick one main format to start with. Instead of trying every platform at once, choose one playground:

• Instagram or LinkedIn carousels for witty, text-based humor.
• TikTok or Reels for skits and “expectation vs. reality” bits.
• X (Twitter) for one-liners and comment-section banter.

Use the examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience as templates:

• Take the “we’re all a mess” meme and rewrite it for your industry. A bookkeeping firm might joke, “My favorite season is ‘I’ll send those receipts tomorrow.’”
• Adapt the “self-roast” angle: a productivity app posting, “We built this so we’d stop writing to-do lists on napkins. It’s… going okay.”

You’re not copying jokes; you’re copying structures: self-roast, shared pain, exaggerated drama, expectation vs. reality. Once you see those, you’ll start spotting new opportunities everywhere.

Guardrails: making sure your humor actually helps engagement

Humor is powerful, but it can also backfire if you’re careless. The best examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience all have one thing in common: they punch up or sideways, never down.

That means:

• Don’t joke about groups of people who already deal with discrimination.
• Don’t make light of serious health issues, trauma, or disasters just to farm engagement.
• Do joke about your own brand, your own quirks, or widely shared, harmless frustrations.

Health and psychology research often point out that humor can reduce stress and build social bonds when it’s used thoughtfully. You can see this in how organizations like NIH and Mayo Clinic discuss laughter and well-being. That same idea applies online: people are more likely to interact with brands that make them feel lighter, not attacked.

Another guardrail: context matters. A joke that lands on TikTok might feel weird on LinkedIn. A meme that’s hilarious for Gen Z might confuse a Boomer-heavy audience. This is why the best examples of humor on social media are tailored to the platform’s culture and the audience’s language.

A quick test before posting a joke:

• Would you say this out loud in a room full of your customers?
• Would you feel okay if a screenshot of this post ended up in a news article?
• Does the humor support your message, or distract from it?

If your answer feels shaky, rewrite it. The goal is to use these examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience as inspiration—not as an excuse to be edgy for attention.

Turning funny moments into long-term audience engagement

Humor gets attention, but the real win is turning that attention into loyal followers and customers.

Here’s where the best examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience go further than a one-off viral post:

They connect the joke to the brand’s promise. A funny post about chaotic mornings can lead into, “That’s why we created a 3-minute breakfast option.” A self-roast about messy spreadsheets can lead into, “Here’s a free template to fix that.”

They also create running jokes and recurring formats. Maybe every Friday you post “Expectation vs. Reality” for your industry. Or you always answer questions with a slightly sarcastic but helpful tone. Over time, people follow you not just for information, but for your style.

And they invite the audience to play along. Some of the best examples include:

• “Describe your Monday using only emojis.”
• “Tell us the most unhinged client request you’ve ever gotten (no names).”
• “What’s the funniest ‘auto-correct fail’ you’ve seen in a work email?”

These prompts turn your comments into user-generated content. You can even highlight the best responses (with permission), which reinforces the idea that your audience is part of the joke, not just watching from the outside.

If you want to go deeper into how people process messages and remember them, communication and psychology programs at places like Harvard University offer research and resources on attention, emotion, and persuasion. Humor fits neatly into that picture because it makes information stick.

FAQ: Real examples of using humor to engage your audience

Q1: What are some simple examples of using humor to engage your audience if I’m not naturally funny?
Start with light, observational humor. For example, post a short text-based update like, “If you’ve opened this app 7 times today to avoid your to-do list, this post is for you.” Or share a “before coffee / after coffee” split caption about your workday. These examples of humor don’t require stand-up skills; they just require honesty about what your audience already experiences.

Q2: Can you give an example of a brand using self-deprecating humor well?
Yes. A project management tool might tweet, “We built this app because we kept forgetting our own deadlines.” That’s a clean example of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience: it’s self-aware, it makes people smile, and it ties directly to the product’s purpose.

Q3: How often should I post funny content versus serious content?
There’s no fixed ratio, but many creators do well with a mix where humor appears regularly, not rarely. You might aim for every educational post to include at least one light line or visual gag. Some of the best examples of consistent growth come from creators who treat humor as a default tone, not an occasional stunt.

Q4: What are examples of topics I should avoid joking about?
Avoid humor about tragedies, serious health conditions, specific marginalized groups, or anything that would clearly violate platform policies or basic human decency. If you’re not sure, skip it. The safest and often funniest examples include joking about your own industry quirks, your own habits, or widely shared, harmless frustrations.

Q5: How do I measure whether my humorous posts are working?
Look at saves, shares, comments, and watch time, not just likes. If people are tagging friends, replying with their own stories, or watching your videos all the way through, those are strong examples of successful engagement. Compare those metrics to your more serious posts to see how humor changes behavior.

Humor isn’t a magic trick reserved for comedians. When you study these examples of 3 fun examples of using humor to engage your audience—and then start experimenting in your own voice—you turn your content from “scroll past” to “wait, that’s actually me.” And once people feel that, they don’t just engage; they stick around.