---
title: Use Humor To Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out
description: Most email newsletters are terribly boring, especially those from B2B technology companies. One way to stand out from the swamp of sameness is humor.
image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg
---

[Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out#maincontent)

[ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog)

# Use Humor To Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out

 July 22nd, 2019

 1 min read

 By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott)

![email marketing shutterstock_1409615780](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg?width=1000&height=600&name=email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg)

Most email newsletters are terribly boring, especially those from B2B technology companies. And political candidates. And nonprofits. Well, most organizations send boring email newsletters. One way to stand out from the swamp of sameness is to use humor.

Alert readers know that a love to draw examples from U.S. presidential candidates. It’s especially interesting because so many candidates market in exactly the same way as the others.

I’ve now gone to 16 candidate events in New Hampshire, the first in the nation primary state and I’m signed up to get email and text messages from 20 candidates. I get between 5 and 10 messages a day from various candidates and it is a fascinating case study to see how they are the same. And how they are different.

![Joe Biden in New Hampshire](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Joe%20Biden%20in%20New%20Hampshire.jpg?width=400&name=Joe%20Biden%20in%20New%20Hampshire.jpg)Check out how the candidates not only use the same text marketing software platform, but even use the exact same word for word playbook! [What Marketers Can Learn From 2020 Presidential Candidates' Text Messaging](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/what-marketers-can-learn-from-2020-presidential-candidates-text-messaging). Take a look at four examples - from Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, and Julian Castro all sent me identical text messages. This is not a good way to stand out in voters' minds.

### Joe Biden’s email made me chuckle

I’m seeing much of the same behavior with email communications. Same old playbook as everyone else: 1) We’re in a crisis. 2) I’m the candidate that can lead. 3) Donate now.

However, I’ve gotten a few emails from the Biden campaign that are a bit different than the others. Here’s one where he acknowledges that marketers from the Trump campaign are reading his emails!

![Joe Biden email](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Joe%20Biden%20email.jpg?width=1644&name=Joe%20Biden%20email.jpg)

### Humor is Truth

When something is funny, it means people understand it. Sometimes, the best way to promote your organization is to use humor.

***Important note:** This is a marketing blog, not a political blog. I am not commenting on any candidate’s views on the issues nor am I publicly supporting any candidate. I write about the US Presidential election because it is a massive marketing case study playing out for several years, not because I voice my support for any candidate over another or one party over another.*

For more of my posts about US Presidential election marketing going back three election cycles, go [here](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/us-presidential-campaign-marketing-pr).

Joe Biden photo by David Meerman Scott 

<https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott>

[ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott)

David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire.

 Connect: 

<https://www.facebook.com/dmscott> <https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott/> <https://twitter.com/dmscott> [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com)

 Topics:

[ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies)

[ US Presidential Campaign Marketing & PR ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/us-presidential-campaign-marketing-pr)

[ Newsjacking ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/newsjacking)

[ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices)

 Don't forget to share this post:

<https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out> <https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out&title=Use+Humor+To+Make+Your+Email+Marketing+Stand+Out&summary=Most+email+newsletters+are+terribly+boring%2C+especially+those+from+B2B+technology+companies.+One+way+to+stand+out+from+the+swamp+of+sameness+is+humor.+> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Use+Humor+To+Make+Your+Email+Marketing+Stand+Out&url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out> <https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out&media=https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/413105/email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg&description=Most+email+newsletters+are+terribly+boring%2C+especially+those+from+B2B+technology+companies.+One+way+to+stand+out+from+the+swamp+of+sameness+is+humor.+>

## Related Articles

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HubSpot%2020th.jpeg?width=800&height=448&name=HubSpot%2020th.jpeg)

### Congratulations Team HubSpot for 20 Years of Helping Organizations Grow

 June 12th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/congratulations-team-hubspot-for-20-years-of-helping-organizations-grow)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Scott%20Pryor.jpg?width=1500&height=771&name=Scott%20Pryor.jpg)

### How Filmmaking and Fronting a Rock Band Make Scott Pryor a Better Lawyer

 May 27th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-filmmaking-and-fronting-a-rock-band-make-scott-pryor-a-better-lawyer)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Jesse%20Cole%20newsjacking.jpg?width=1730&height=912&name=Jesse%20Cole%20newsjacking.jpg)

### Newsjacking: Jesse Cole Teases Spirit Airlines Becoming Banana Air

 May 8th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/newsjacking-jesse-cole-teases-spirit-airlines-becoming-banana-air)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Artemis%20earthset.jpg?width=5568&height=3712&name=Artemis%20earthset.jpg)

### Nasa’s Artemis II Lunar Mission: A PR Triumph for the USA

 April 11th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/nasas-artemis-ii-lunar-mission-a-pr-triumph-for-the-usa)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Moltbook.jpg?width=1536&height=1024&name=Moltbook.jpg)

### Moltbook: A Social Network for AI Agents Where Humans Can Only Watch

 February 3rd, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/moltbook-a-social-network-for-ai-agents-where-humans-can-only-watch)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20casual.jpg?width=3000&height=2001&name=DMS%20casual.jpg)

### My New Website, New Focus, and New Photos

 January 20th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/my-new-website-new-focus-and-new-photos)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Bobby%20Weir.jpg?width=1500&height=765&name=Bobby%20Weir.jpg)

### Bobby Weir and the Music that Will Never Stop

 January 11th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bobby-weir-and-the-music-that-will-never-stop)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stray%20Kids.png?width=3434&height=1774&name=Stray%20Kids.png)

### What K-pop Teaches About Fandom

 January 6th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/what-k-pop-teaches-about-fandom)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Jerry%20MLGD.jpg?width=1477&height=1041&name=Jerry%20MLGD.jpg)

### Why You Should Avoid Hiring Well-Rounded Employees

 December 8th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/why-you-should-avoid-hiring-well-rounded-employees)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Thumb_V2.png?width=1366&height=768&name=Thumb_V2.png)

### AI Book Trailer for Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead

 November 25th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/ai-book-trailer-for-marketing-lessons-from-the-grateful-dead)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Agentic%20AI%20spam.jpg?width=1004&height=669&name=Agentic%20AI%20spam.jpg)

### Hyper-Personalized Agentic AI Sp*m Email at Scale Is Here

 November 4th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/hyper-personalized-agentic-ai-spam-email-at-scale-is-here)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png?width=835&height=466&name=Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png)

### Don’t Fly Wizzness Class Video from Dave Carroll

 October 29th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/dont-fly-wizzness-class-video-from-dave-carroll)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg?width=1500&height=1010&name=Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg)

### Pulling Back the Curtain to Show What Happens Behind-the-Scenes

 October 15th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/pulling-back-the-curtain-to-show-what-happens-behind-the-scenes)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Cracker%20Barrel.jpg?width=990&height=541&name=Cracker%20Barrel.jpg)

### Once You Put Your Product or Service into the World, it Belongs to your Fans

 August 28th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/once-you-put-your-product-or-service-into-the-world-it-belongs-to-your-fans)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Flax%20Dental.jpg?width=1540&height=1058&name=Flax%20Dental.jpg)

### The Simple Professional Services Website Makeover That Creates Fans

 August 11th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-professional-services-website-makeover-that-creates-fans)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg?width=2248&height=1506&name=write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg)

### The Fine Art of Crafting a Not-Quite-Clickbait Headline

 August 1st, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fine-art-of-crafting-a-not-quite-clickbait-headline)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Creating%20a%20Personal%20Website%20for%20Success.jpg?width=1536&height=1024&name=Creating%20a%20Personal%20Website%20for%20Success.jpg)

### Your Future: AI Models Will Find You Via Your Personal Website

 July 18th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-future-ai-models-will-find-you-via-your-personal-website)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg?width=1500&height=1084&name=Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg)

### The Ham Whisperer of Rome: How Stefano’s Honest Videos Won the World’s Heart

 June 24th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ham-whisperer-of-rome-how-stefanos-honest-videos-won-the-worlds-heart)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Agentic%20AI%20Web.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Agentic%20AI%20Web.png)

### The AI Agentic Web Is Disrupting Your Website

 June 4th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ai-agentic-web-is-disrupting-your-website)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HBO%20Max.png?width=720&height=480&name=HBO%20Max.png)

### Max, Once Named HBO Max, Rebranded as… HBO Max

 May 23rd, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/max-once-named-hbo-max-rebranded-as-hbo-max)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/starlight_jacket.jpg?width=960&height=740&name=starlight_jacket.jpg)

### Gamify Products and Services to Create Fans and Grow Business

 May 13th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/gamify-product-and-services-to-create-fans-and-grow-business)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trader%20Joes%20mini%20tote.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Trader%20Joes%20mini%20tote.jpg)

### Trader Joe’s Mini Tote Bag Drop Drives Passionate Fandom

 April 16th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/trader-joes-mini-tote-bag-drop-drives-passionate-fandom)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/brand_bier_adcn2015_support_04.png?width=1200&height=630&name=brand_bier_adcn2015_support_04.png)

### The Branding of Brand Brand Beer

 March 12th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-branding-of-brand-brand-beer)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Carnation%20Ice%20Cream%20sign.jpg?width=1440&height=1080&name=Carnation%20Ice%20Cream%20sign.jpg)

### Your Organization’s History As Content Marketing

 February 10th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-organizations-history-as-content-marketing)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
    "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-01-13T17:23:37.781Z",
  "datePublished" : "2019-07-22T16:17:58.000Z",
  "headline" : "Use Humor To Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out",
  "image" : [ "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png"
    },
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott"
  }
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person",
  "@type" : "Person",
  "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.",
  "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com",
  "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg",
  "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ],
  "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ],
  "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
  "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ],
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website",
  "@type" : "WebSite",
  "author" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person"
  },
  "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
  "potentialAction" : {
    "@type" : "SearchAction",
    "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string",
    "target" : {
      "@type" : "EntryPoint",
      "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}"
    }
  },
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
    "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott"
  },
  "dateCreated" : "2019-07-22T16:04:14",
  "datePublished" : "2019-07-22T12:17:58-0400",
  "description" : "Most email newsletters are terribly boring, especially those from B2B technology companies. One way to stand out from the swamp of sameness is humor.",
  "headline" : "Use Humor To Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out",
  "image" : [ "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/413105/email%20marketing%20shutterstock_1409615780.jpg" ],
  "inLanguage" : "en-us",
  "keywords" : [ "Case Studies", "US Presidential Campaign Marketing & PR", "Newsjacking", "Best Practices" ],
  "learningResourceType" : "article",
  "name" : "Use Humor To Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png"
    },
    "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC"
  },
  "timeRequired" : "1 minutes",
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/use-humor-to-make-your-email-marketing-stand-out"
}
```