Humor is a powerful tool to engage your audience, show your personality, and make your podcast stand out. But how do you write a podcast script that is funny without being forced, offensive, or boring? Here are some tips to help you incorporate humor into your podcast script.
The first tip is to know who you are talking to and what kind of humor they appreciate. You don't want to make jokes that are too obscure, too vulgar, or too insensitive for your listeners. You also want to avoid topics that are controversial, divisive, or polarizing, unless that is the purpose of your podcast. Do some research on your target audience and their preferences, interests, and challenges. Use humor that relates to them and their situations, and that shows empathy and respect.
All podcasts are about having a conversation. A natural way to keep it light and comfortable is to use Observational humor. It's humor based on everyday observations. Some of the best comedians in the world use it. (e.g., Jerry Seinfeld & Sebastian Maniscalco) It's an excellent way to make people laugh at things they relate to. For example, you could say, "I've noticed that the older I get, the more things I forget. I'm starting to think that one day I'm going to wake up and forget how to breathe."
Why are you creating content is the first question that you must ask. We need focus on earning trust and connecting with our audience in a human way. Who is your ideal target buyer? Prioritize your top buyer personas. What keeps them up at night? What do they need? What do they want? Why do they have these needs and wants? What do they dream about? Where do they go for answers to their top questions? Who do they follow online and why? Where do they hang out online and offline? If you know who your audience is and how you can uniquely provide them value, then creating content of any kind will provide a much higher value vs if you do not know these foundational things about your target buyers.
The second tip is to use different types of humor to spice up your podcast script. You can use humor that is verbal, such as puns, wordplay, sarcasm, or irony. You can also use humor that is visual, such as gestures, expressions, or props. You can also use humor that is situational, such as anecdotes, stories, or scenarios. You can also use humor that is self-deprecating, such as admitting your mistakes, flaws, or weaknesses. The key is to vary your humor and use it strategically to enhance your message, not to distract from it.
Draw from your personal experiences. Don't force it. Keep your eyes open to the small things that you find fun, funny, and weird, and bring that attention to detail to your writing and narrating. A listener can always tell when you've thought about and re-written a joke a hundred times. But when you're really drawing from your own personal views and experiences, it feels more natural.
If you think about the hosts that people relate to the most, they are the ones that use Self-deprecating humor. This type of humor involves making fun of yourself in a lighthearted way. "If they saw my face, they might stop listening..." :) This type of humor makes your audience feel comfortable and relatable. In fact, this type of humor is the type that people gravitate to because they silently think the same thing sometimes.
Poke a stick at buzzwords currently making the rounds. Bad actors, authenticity, resilience, and woke are all good targets. Everyone will be able to relate to the ridiculousness of their overuse plus you get satisfaction from cajoling others to use more thoughtful words, not just the SEO 'fav' word of the week. Guide listeners into appreciating the creative maelstrom that is your inherent lexical thesaurus! You just may start a mathematical argument! Try creating your own comedic definitions of the buzzwords. Describe the people who overuse buzzwords without offending or being rude. Ask listeners to ponder how buzzwords tame colorful language and let listeners provide your comedic content through their feedback.
The third tip is to practice and test your humor before you record your podcast. You don't want to improvise your humor on the spot, as you might end up saying something inappropriate, unfunny, or confusing. You also don't want to rely on your memory, as you might forget your jokes or deliver them poorly. You want to write down your humor and rehearse it until you feel confident and comfortable. You also want to test your humor on a small group of people who are similar to your audience and get their feedback. You want to make sure your humor is clear, relevant, and funny.
With Self-deprecating humor, reuse similar statements differently. "My kids think I am made of money.." "well, remember, that's all we ar good for as parents is that we are made of money.", "Remember, we grow money on trees, and 70% of our body is made of money."
The fourth tip is to be authentic and natural when you use humor in your podcast script. You don't want to sound like you are trying too hard, copying someone else, or forcing a laugh. You want to sound like yourself, with your own voice, style, and personality. You want to use humor that reflects your values, opinions, and experiences. You also want to use humor that is appropriate for your tone, topic, and purpose. You don't want to use humor that is out of place, inconsistent, or contradictory.
Your digital physiology and how you show up online will make or break your results. Many people confuse transparency with authenticity. Transparency is how much you share and authenticity is the truth of your words and actions. Many people end up in a digital communication cycle uncomfortable sharing so they sound like a corporate robot. Finding and sharing your true authentic voice and self will help you stand out from the digital sea of noise. Many also confuse transparency with authenticity and think if they don't share the same thing with everyone then they are not authentic or real. Authenticity does not require the same level of transparency with every relationship. What makes human connections special is that they are unique!
Joke about what you know and what you observe. If you joke about it, you can feel the stress fall off your chest. Sarcasm in your jokes offers a little bit of spice to your show and your life. That's why I am a massive fan of Observational humor in my shows.
The fifth tip is to learn from others who use humor effectively in their podcasts. You can listen to podcasts that are similar to yours or that appeal to your audience and analyze how they use humor. You can also listen to podcasts that are different from yours or that target a different audience and see how they use humor. You can also listen to podcasts that are purely comedy and see how they make people laugh. You can learn from their techniques, examples, and mistakes, and apply them to your own podcast script.
My favorite tip to entertain and bring humor to your podcast is to NOT script! Instead align content to stories, analogies, and movies! Example: I have a top podcast episode about email marketing. Many people think email marketing is dead. They have for decades! In one of the episodes I incorporated clips from Monty Python's Holy Grail. The scene where the guy is being carried on a board... yelling "but I'm not dead yet." Not only does this make people laugh, it helps them learn. It also helps me target the right customers. I know if someone knows this movie and this particular scene we will probably hit it off for a solid relationship right from the start. Use storytelling to connect and inspire. Not every story should be about YOU!
You don't have to be a comedian to show humor in your podcasts. However, listening to the pros like The Adam Carolla Show, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett, and Conan Obrien are good ones who inject jokes into everyday life. Conan is an expert at Self-deprecating humor, and it is what makes him likable. Plus, people like the light-hearted feeling of his podcasts.
The last tip is to have fun when you use humor in your podcast script. You don't want to stress over your humor or worry about your audience's reaction. You want to enjoy your humor and share it with your listeners. You want to create a positive and memorable experience for yourself and your audience. You want to use humor as a way to connect, communicate, and entertain. Remember, humor is not a requirement, but a bonus, for your podcast script.
Many people ask how I came up with the name "Pam Marketing Nut." They think I had some magic methodology or spent months creating the brand. The truth is the name dates back to 2009 when I hopped on Twitter. I thought "my name is Pam, I love marketing and I'm pretty much a NUT! I didn't do much with the profile name and after leaving a 15 yr corporate career to become an entrepreneur I found I wasn't getting the positive reaction on my social handles with my business name. I decided to TEST the PamMktgNut name to see if it performed better. I figured "what do I have to lose? nothing!" It wound up that everyone loved the name. Moral of the story.. don't over complicate it. Sometimes the most simple things are the most successful!
Consider whether your script really NEEDS humour. Some things don't have to be funny. And it's better that you speak on the subject with the tone that compliments it rather than trying to force jokes in there. Consider your audience and what kind of story they want.