To be funnier, use two simple formulas. First, structure sentences so the punchiest word is last to maximize impact and leave space for laughter. Second, build humor through gradual escalation (an "elevator") rather than jumping to an extreme analogy (a "rocket ship"), which gives the audience nowhere to go.

Attempting a joke is high-risk and often fails to connect. Instead, build immediate rapport by sharing a simple, humanizing, and relatable anecdote about something mundane that just happened. This creates a genuine connection much faster than a forced punchline, making the audience feel instantly comfortable.

Humor is a tool for managing an audience's emotional state. By inserting a well-placed joke after a high-stakes moment (e.g., a pregnant woman screaming), a speaker can signal that the story is safe, preventing the audience from worrying about a tragic outcome and keeping them engaged.

Nostalgia is a low-risk strategy for incorporating humor into a business context. Recalling outdated practices (like finding jobs in a newspaper) makes people laugh while also demonstrating historical knowledge of an industry, making the speaker seem both funny and wise.

Brands, particularly in B2B, are often too serious and miss the power of humor. Laughter releases bonding hormones like oxytocin, creating an instant connection with an audience. It's a universal language that can dissolve conflict and make a brand more human and memorable.

Effective humor in a corporate setting identifies an insight the target audience universally agrees on but rarely discusses openly. Publicizing this shared secret, as Wiz did with its CISO toy store, creates a powerful sense of recognition and virality that traditional jokes cannot match.

Humor can be used to manage audience anxiety. After a tense moment, like a pregnant woman screaming, injecting a small joke (e.g., about getting out of an Adirondack chair) signals to the audience that the story is not a tragedy. This is a deliberate tool to control the emotional tone.

Posting humorous content like memes relevant to your target audience's daily struggles is a strategic tool. It demonstrates a deep understanding of their world, which builds influence, authority, and creates a relatable entry point for sales conversations by showing empathy at scale.

To make internal video presentations more compelling, treat them like short, entertaining content. Add a light soundtrack to maintain energy, inject humor to keep the audience engaged, and use sound shifts to signal transitions. This ensures your ideas are not just seen, but felt.