Why You Should Publish Content for Entertainment Value Alone

As content marketers, we tend to be laser-focused on crafting content that educates our target audience, showcases our expertise, and persuades readers to take a desired action. And while this type of utilitarian content should undoubtedly be the bread and butter of your editorial calendar, there‘s also a strong case to be made for publishing content that serves no purpose other than to entertain.

Yes, you read that right. I‘m giving you permission – no, I‘m strongly advising you – to create content that makes your readers laugh, smile, or simply marvel at something amazing. Your readers could probably use a good laugh. Maybe incorporate a baby giraffe?

What Exactly Is Entertaining Content?

Entertaining content is designed to captivate the audience through storytelling, humor, inspiration, or sheer spectacle. Its primary purpose is to elicit a strong emotional response, whether that‘s joy, surprise, nostalgia, or even happy tears.

Some classic examples of entertaining content include:

• Memes and gifs
• Humorous videos or blog posts
• Inspiring personal stories
• Mind-blowing facts or visuals
• Interactive quizzes or games

What entertaining content typically doesn‘t include is an overt attempt to educate or sell. The value for the audience is the positive emotional experience itself.

Why Entertaining Content Deserves a Spot in Your Editorial Calendar

Now, I know what you might be thinking: "Why should I devote resources to creating content that doesn‘t directly drive business goals?" Here‘s why entertaining content is a savvy long-term strategy:

1. It makes your brand memorable and relatable.

In a sea of stuffy corporate blogs, entertaining content makes your brand stand out as one that actually has a personality. It humanizes your company and forges an emotional connection with your audience.

Research shows that people tend to most vividly remember experiences that evoke strong emotions. One study found that people recalled television commercials that used humor 50% more readily than non-humorous ads.[^1] By creating content that makes people feel something, you‘re making your brand unforgettable.

2. It attracts new audiences.

Entertaining content is highly shareable. People love to pass along things that make them laugh or say "wow." According to one report, humorous content is shared 40% more often on social media than non-humorous content.[^2]

All of those social shares put your brand in front of fresh eyes. Some of these new readers will poke around your site and discover your more educational content, joining your audience for the long haul. Entertaining content is a fantastic top-of-funnel tactic.

3. It breaks up the monotony.

Let‘s face it, constantly pumping out serious educational content can lead to burnout for your content team and your audience. Inserting some levity into your editorial mix shakes things up and keeps everyone engaged.

Sonia Thompson, a marketing consultant, puts it this way: "Our brains crave novelty and variety. If all you ever publish is content on how to do your job better, your audience will eventually tune out. But if you surprise them with something fun every once in a while, they‘ll keep coming back to see what you‘ll do next."[^3]

4. It boosts key metrics.

Because entertaining content is so engaging, it can give your audience metrics a serious lift. People linger longer on the page, exploring all the amusing details. They click through to read more of your entertaining content.

For example, the software company Groove found that their humorous blog post entitled "How Zombies Ate Our Software Startup" had a 550% higher time on page compared to their average, more serious posts.[^4]

How to Create Content That Entertains

Sold on the benefits of entertaining content but not sure where to start? Here are some tips for creating engaging content that makes your audience smile:

1. Know your audience. As with any type of content, a deep understanding of your target reader is essential. What do they find funny? What are they nostalgic about? Use your audience personas to brainstorm entertaining content ideas.

2. Don‘t be afraid to poke fun at yourself. Some of the most successful entertaining content tells humorous, relatable stories about challenges the brand has faced. Buffer, the social media management platform, regularly shares silly photos of their team and tidbits about goofy things that happen behind the scenes.[^5]

3. Leverage pop culture references. Tie your entertaining content to TV shows, movies, music, or celebrities your audience is passionate about. The more timely the reference, the better.

4. Think visual. Entertaining content lends itself to visual formats like images, gifs, videos, and infographics. Seeing a concept illustrated visually adds to the entertainment factor.

5. Craft magnetic headlines. With entertaining content, you can push the boundaries and have some fun with your headlines. Use puns, jokes, and over-the-top claims (that you fulfill in the piece) to grab the reader‘s attention.

Examples of Entertaining Content Done Right

Need some real-world inspiration? Check out these examples of brands knocking entertaining content out of the park:

• Spotify‘s "Wrapped" Campaign: At the end of each year, Spotify gives users shareable infographics visualizing their music listening habits from the past 12 months.[^6] These personalized tidbits are irresistibly entertaining and inspire tons of social media conversation.

• Hinge‘s "Dating Faux-Pas" Report: The dating app Hinge releases a yearly round-up of the funniest and most outrageous faux-pas their users have committed, like using a cheesy pickup line or having their mom write their dating profile.[^7] The absurdity attracts plenty of laughs and press coverage.

• Friskies‘ "Dear Kitten" Series: To endear themselves to their audience of cat owners, the cat food brand Friskies created a series of humorous videos featuring an older cat offering tongue-in-cheek advice to a new kitten in the household.[^8] With over 30 million views, the series was a viral hit.

Entertain Your Way to Content Success

Publishing content that entertains can feel like a departure from the typical responsibilities of content marketing. But in a crowded content landscape, entertaining your audience is one of the most effective ways to cut through the noise, showcase your brand‘s unique personality, and keep readers coming back for more.

So give yourself permission to loosen your tie every once in a while and create content that puts a smile on your readers‘ faces. I promise the fun you have creating it will translate into tangible results for your brand.

[^1]: Duncan, C.P. & Nelson, J.E. (1985). Effects of Humor in a Radio Advertising Experiment. Journal of Advertising, 14(2), 33-64.
[^2]: Jonah Berger. (2015). A Model of Viral Growth.
[^3]: Sonia Thompson. (2017). Why You Need to Have Fun with Your Marketing. Inc.com.
[^4]: Alex Turnbull. (2015). Inside the Box: Why the Best Content Comes from Within. Groove Blog.
[^5]: Kevan Lee. (2017). How We Use Humor at Buffer to Connect with Our Audience. Buffer Blog.
[^6]: Alex Underwood. (2020). How Spotify Dominated the Decade With a Killer Product and Even Better Marketing. The Startup on Medium.
[^7]: Hinge Research Team. (2020). Dating Faux-Pas in the Age of Hinge. Hinge.co.
[^8]: Phil Nobile Jr. (2016). Friskies Explains Marketing to Other Marketers With ‘Dear Kitten‘ Parody. Adweek.