Social media humour can help organisations engage – or make them a laughing stock – Editorial

The use of humour in social media posts runs the risk of making organisations a laughing stock. Photo / 123RF

Editorial

THE FACTS

• Health NZ Te Whatu Ora divided opinion last week with a sexual health post.
• Research shows humour can enhance engagement and health literacy but must be carefully managed.
• The post drew thousands of reactions.

At a time when there is so much information – and disinformation – online, it can be a challenge for organisations to ensure they are a trusted source and keep people engaged.

Many councils and government organisations are using humour, memes and videos on their social media platforms.

However, there’s a risk because what’s hilarious to one person may not be funny to another.

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora divided opinion last week with a sexual health post made while some communities were battling flooding. With a heading “It’s wet out there!” it reminded people that sometimes conditions were not as wet as they could be and lubricants could help with that and prevent condoms from ripping.

There were thousands of reactions to the post, with comments ranging from “I love this”, “gold”, “lame” and “disgusting” to outrage that Health NZ was spending money on “these ads” when the health system was under pressure.

Of course, funding for healthcare services is from a different bucket than communications and marketing budgets, and an in-house social media post doesn’t cost extra money – it’s made by staff employed for that purpose.

And the post certainly had an impact, with some commenters saying they had never before engaged with Health NZ’s messages.

If the information helps prevent unwanted pregnancies, STIs or injuries, and gets more people engaged with health messaging, that’s a good thing.

In an article published recently in the Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, researchers looked at the use of humour in health-related social media.

The paper is part of a doctoral study on how Queensland Health uses social media, including humour, to communicate.

“The findings reveal that humour can enhance engagement and potentially improve health literacy, but they also highlight its risks, including the possibility of miscommunication and loss of trust. The study suggests that humour’s role in health messaging must be carefully managed, balancing its benefits with cultural sensitivity.”

The need for balance applies to many organisations in central and local government. It seems some now feel compelled to make nearly every social media post “funny”, with mixed success.

A post by Ruapehu District Council about road closures caused by bad weather last week had some people saying they had taken time to read the entire list just because of the humorous comments added about each road. Though it may not be so funny for people or businesses who lost access, it will have followers going back for more.

But how often do we read an organisation’s posts, or watch videos featuring representatives who are clearly uncomfortable, just for the “cringe” value? Do we pay attention to what they want us to know or are we only there for the horror show?

Good on them for making the effort to not be a faceless, bland bureaucracy but sometimes the message is lost in the amateurishness and lame jokes.

There’s certainly a place for humour but there’s also the risk of losing trust and becoming a laughing stock.

We’re not all cut out to be comedians – and sometimes people just need the facts.

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