As you can imagine, I follow a LOT of comedians on social media because I’m always interested to see how they use it to interact with their fanbase, promote themselves, and grow their career. But I find myself growing tired of the majority of comedians’ social media updates and I think I’ve finally realized why.
Too many comedians treat social media like a performance.
This may not be a popular opinion, and it may not be one that many of you want to hear, but it’s true. Your social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. – are not intended to be an extension of the stage. They’re not a glorified open mic where you get unlimited time and they’re not a bringer show where you don’t have to bring any people to see you perform.
But as I scroll through my Facebook and Twitter news feeds, that’s what it seems many of you think these things are for. My feeds are full of comedians cracking jokes and trying to be funny with every single thing they post. But here’s what you’re missing…
People don’t want you to be funny on social media, they want you to be interesting.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with posting jokes or funny observations, but not everything you post should be intended to get a laugh. When somebody sees you perform on stage, they’re expecting you to make them laugh – that’s why they’re there.
But that’s NOT why they’re following you on social media.
On social media, they’re following you because they want to get to know you, because they want to interact with you, and because they want you to get to know them. They don’t want you to just keep tossing jokes at them like grenades.
But from what I see, most comedians don’t understand this. A laptop or iPhone isn’t a stage and Facebook and Twitter are not microphones. They’re tools that allow you to connect and speak with people, not just “perform” for them.
If you think about the people you follow on social media that you genuinely care about, I guarantee you it’s not just people who only use the medium to perform. You want to know what people are really like and you don’t want them to just crack jokes constantly.
So, why are you flooding your own accounts with jokes – many of which are just glorified brainstorming exercises? Wouldn’t you be better served to share things of value, to be real, and to connect with people? Won’t that ultimately build you a following of people who pay attention and genuinely care about you?
Again, there’s nothing wrong with using Facebook and Twitter to be funny and share your humor with the world. But it can be used for so much more…
Do you agree?
I agree 100%. It’s actually quite annoying to hear joke after joke..even if some of them are funny. I think out almost every facebook & tweet before I post it. This site is great. Keep it up.
Parris
True! There’s a time and place for everything. I utilize social media for: today’s weather , societal and political views, and responses to other peoples’ stories/posts. I keep the jokes on stage because that’s where they belong and I’m not giving away the store for free.
I disagree completely. Let’s limit the discussion to facebook, since twitter doesn’t really allow one to assess reactions to tweets, outside of the occasional re-tweet. In my experience, I get far more ‘likes’ and comments on the posts that are funny, than the ones about my personal life. Which is why I continue to post funny and random things on both social media sites. I think that when someone sees you at a show, and finds you funny, they absolutely follow you on social media primarily because you made them laugh and they want you to make them laugh again. Of the comics I follow, I follow them because I get their sense of humor and like to see their humorous take on things. I don’t follow them because I want to know more about what they ate for dinner or how cute their dog/kid/significant other is.
In my opinion, social media is like an appetizer. If people find my random comments funny, it will whet their appetite to see more of me being funny. If I wasn’t a comic, I would see your point, but being funny is my business. If I didn’t use social media to aggressively promote my business, than I would be an idiot.
Hey Kristine, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m definitely not suggesting that you shouldn’t be funny in your updates because like you said, that’s who you are and what you do.
And I’m also not saying you should post boring things about stuff you ate or topics nobody cares about.
What I am saying is that not every update has to be funny and that not every update should just be a random joke. It’s important to provide value, be interesting, and provide opportunities for your followers to contribute as well.
What kind of things do you think would be interesting? I know a comic on facebook who posts every single time they have sex with their spouse. I find that neither interesting nor valuable.
My followers on fb often jump in and comment on my funny facebook posts. Everyone thinks they’re funny, and I see my posts as ways to interact with my followers and let them express their funny side.
So I am curious: beyond promoting my shows, what types of posts do you think would be valuable and interesting to my followers?
I would think that people like Rob Delaney and Megan Amram, Rob Delaney, Kelly Oxford and Justin Halpern (Sh*t My Dad Says) would all disagree with you on those points. Twitter (and I suppose Facebook to an extent) can be art forms all their own, to craft tightly-written, hilarious jokes that can bring about thousands and thousands of followers, and bolster comedy careers, even those at the beginning.
Sure, they can be used for more, like event planning, fan networking, etc., but to dismiss the act of treating social media like a stage seems like you’re dismissing your own line about how social media can be “more.” A lot of people use social media to get a laugh exclusively.
I see your last line you kind of shield yourself from this, and know you’re focusing more on the networking, connecting end of it and don’t think it’s wrong to “share your humor,” I just think it might be a misguided initial dismissal.
Hey Zack, those are fair points but there’s a couple other things worth pointing out.
Rob Delaney’s Twitter following was largely built because another person (whose name escapes me) that wasn’t a comedian and had built a huge following for himself on Twitter started alerting his followers to Rob’s existence. Yes, people liked his updates because they are funny, but his following never would have taken off without that exposure.
And Shit My Dad Says is a different thing because it was essentially building a character and that’s why people followed – it wasn’t an individual trying to build a fanbase for himself. Nobody cared about the author, they cared about the character (and yes, it’s a fine line between the two).
Right, but that exposure was probably due to Delaney having such hilarious posts, was it not? SMDS, you could say that it’s just a character, but that has may have spawned a career* and definitely built a fan base for Halpern in comedy.
This article in Splitsider (http://splitsider.com/2011/09/twitters-megan-amram-on-nightmare-hipster-comedy-and-her-internet-encounter-with-rosie-odonnell) talked about how Megan Amram had a welcoming community of comedians ready to embrace her when she moved to LA after graduating, solely because her twitter feed is nothing but her hilarious material.
I think you can do one, the other, or both and turn out well or not well, it just depends on how funny you are.
* We’ll see if he’s able to stay relevant after people forget CBS’ version of his twitterfeed. (OMIGAH, SLAMM’D)
I would think that people like Megan Amram, Rob Delaney, Kelly Oxford and Justin Halpern (Sh*t My Dad Says) would all disagree with you on those points. Twitter (and I suppose Facebook to an extent) can be art forms all their own, to craft tightly-written, hilarious jokes that can bring about thousands and thousands of followers, and bolster comedy careers, even those at the beginning.
Sure, they can be used for more, like event planning, fan networking, etc., but to dismiss the act of treating social media like a stage seems like you’re dismissing your own line about how social media can be “more.” A lot of people use social media to get a laugh exclusively.
I see your last line you kind of shield yourself from this, and know you’re focusing more on the networking, connecting end of it and don’t think it’s wrong to “share your humor,” I just think it might be a misguided initial dismissal.
People don’t want to get to know a comic until they are famous. So tweeting jo,es is part of the value of twitter in the meantime. Granted there should be more than just jokes, but no one gives a shit about your day to day life UNTIL you are famous…
I have gained fans through joking on twitter such as my series #stoneraffirmations @mattwardcomedy
I agree with this, and it’s something that I’ve found myself guilty of many times in the past. While at this point in my career I don’t expect anybody beyond my friends and family to take an interest in me as a person, by constantly making jokes, I found that I was alienating myself away from new friends and eliminating some valuable word of mouth, especially on my personal Facebook page. Besides, one thing I’ve found is that is that when I post things of substance, the readers get drawn in and conversation takes place. For me, being funny is great, but I’d much rather be interesting.
My personal take is you don’t want to come across as trying too hard or being desperate. This doesn’t just apply for comedians. How many times have you added an old high school or even elementary school friend whom you haven’t spoken to in over fifteen years, only to find out he/she’s sole purpose in adding you was to sell you life insurance, wickless candles, or magic water?
Living here in Los Angeles I also have quite a few friends that belong to Improv/Sketch comedy troupes. I’d say about half never promote themselves and the other half’s sole purpose of FB is to invite me to every single event they participate in. We all need self promotion but if your sole purpose of FB is to invite people to your shows, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
I post almost nothing but jokes. I love following people that only post jokes. People that just post things about there day to day life are boring and sometimes down right annoying.
Follow @TomPlute
Josh,
i disagree with this for a number of reasons. The first of which is that my twitter account is a way of networking with local comedians in my area (Philadelphia), and actively putting up topical jokes, as well as the nonsense i put up there on a daily basis, multiple times a day, has yielded paid work. That has happened more than once. People who book their own shows follow me, laugh, ask me to come perform on their venue. It is also a way of working out joke ideas.
I understand there is also a risk of people getting sick of me and “unfollowing me,” but I gain more followers than i do lose followers by tweeting on trending topics and shopping ideas. I also understand there is a risk of joke theft, but I also don’t put up any of my “stage material” up on those sites, even though something i tweet or post might end up leading to a full bit later down the line.
And finally, if people are following a comedian on twitter, they want to laugh. So i disagree with the last part. Those are my two cents.
Also, if any twitter addicts are out there, I’m at @robdcomedy
One more thing I should point out because it seems to be confusing some people who read this – I’m not saying that you can’t be funny in what you post on social media. I’m saying that not every post should be a joke. There’s a difference…
Sorry, judging what I’ve read on here since I have been a member for about a week now, is that 80-85% of us have some form of ADHD, myself included. Thanks for the clarification, that makes sense.
I was waiting for you to acknowledge that everyone that is disagreeing is missing the point. I feel like I’m reading a sports post that is titled “Magic Johnson is One of The Greatest Basketball Players of All Time” and everyone has to disagree and say that Michael Jordan is. It doesnt say Magic Johnson is the greatest ever, it left it open to others as well.
You never said to not be funny, you said to also be interesting. I think thats one of the most important attributes to every comedian that not a lot of comedians figure out. Line up all the greatest comedians of our time and they’re all funny and they’re all unique and different in their own way. Thats what Josh is trying to say people. Read the post before you start commenting.
Josh- I’m on the fence with this one too.
For the most part, I totally agree that most comedians use social networking as an extension of the stage and quite frankly, most of the time, it’s pretty lame. You’re absolutely right on abouot how comedians need to be interesting, not just trying to crack jokes all the time. It’s very tiring to scroll thru a feed and only be getting one-liners from people who I’d like to know about their lives, famous or not. And honestly whenever I put up jokes, I get very little response, except others trying to be funny too, and that just turns into a phony conversation.
Unfortunately, my online “audience” doesn’t always agree. It seems like whenever I put up a legitimate opinion, as interesting as it might be, I get all kinds of negative reactions and comments, mostly accusing me of not being funny, even though I’m not trying to be funny. When I post videos from my act or tour updates (which happens to be stuff that people request from me) I get accused of being too self-promotional. So, it seems like no matter what I do on social media, I can’t win. There’s always going to be a critic out there.
So I do treat social media like an open mike, in the sense that I’m going to do whatever I want, however I want, since there’s going to be criticism anyway, and if I “walk the crowd” because of that, then so be it. My style is to be open and honest about my life and let the humor take care of itself. That’s what works for me on stage and that seems to be the way to go with social media too.
As both a follower of comedians and a performer myself, I am coming more from Josh’s point of view on this one. The comedians in my feeds who get my attention the most, as people whose shows I’d feel most drawn to see, are the ones who allow me in beyond funny one-line tweets.
My solo shows are strongly sex-oriented, and that’s how people know me, but I see as much friend/fan engagement around my silly photo of a bathroom hand-dryer or random thoughts while driving through the desert, as I do sharing the explicit content of a phone-sex call that I took that morning.
I wonder if we’re seeing differences here based on whether a comic is more focused on writing or character, versus the comic as a personality/person themselves. My people want to be entertained, and they want to know me, too. I try to give them bits from all along the rainbow of me!
I think that everything should be interesting, whether it’s funny or not. But when you tell people you’re a comedian they expect everything to be funny, whether it’s in a comedy club setting, a social setting or a newspaper interview. I make it a point to stick in a few funny comments whenever I’m interviewed and it dismays me when they occasionally edit it all out. Because readers will think “He says he’s funny, but he’s not funny here…”
I think far worse is people treating facebook, et. al. like an advertising platform- if people want to see me they can find me, they don’t need me to post every time I book a show.
I have built up a decent size social network compared to other new comedians. I do have a national radio show which skews the interest. I try to mix it up with videos of me at Wal Mart, to appearances, and some one line test jokes. I think a variety is the key and I even share work of others that I find amusing or informative.
I am a comedian and I would say most of the stuff I post are jokes or funny observations. Nobody wants to hear about someone doing laundry or sleeping all day. Funny things are interesting things. And like Tom said, everyday stuff can be annoying. We all do everyday stuff, share other things.
I agree! I am more interested in getting to know all about the person!
Here’s what I take from this: Be funny AND personal. In regards to Twitter (because it moves much faster than FB), you HAVE to be funny in order to get followers. I was hired to host and curate a Twitter feed for The Advocate BECAUSE I am a comedian and because people want someone to sift through the crap and only deliver the fun stuff. We follow, not only famous comedians, but up and coming ones too, and only post the best quips. What I’ve learned from that is our followers don’t automatically follow the comedians we do. They want us to curate and take out the boring stuff. Think of websites like WitStream. That is their whole purpose. I personally get annoyed when I see comedians that I used to love onstage post the most inane or ranty posts. Save the rants for your diary. Look at Jim Gaffigan. Every single post is hilarious but they are also an insight to his personal life. Your posts, like your jokes on stage, should be about your life and your experience. I think one liners, even as a gimmick on stage, will only get you so far. @gaysayer is the feed if you want to take a look or be added.
Perfectly said Jami!
I think you need to provide some examples of what your talking about. What is the “so much more…” exactly? Or maybe you meant to make a distinction between “jokes” and “funny comments & observations”. Again, examples would be helpful… If you know of a comic that uses social media the way you’re saying it should be used, a link would be helpful.
I disagree. I post jokes on twitter on a semi-regular basis and enjoy doing it. I also promote shows and communicate with my friends on Twitter, but I use it the most for putting jokes out there. For me, it’s a great outlet for putting out funny ideas that I don’t want to craft into actual stand-up bits. As a consumer of other peoples’ tweets, I always enjoy the ones that are jokes and funny observations. When I look through the list of people I follow, the vast majority are comedians. If I start to follow someone and they just blast out tweets every 10 minutes about making a sandwich or how much work sucks, I unfollow them almost immediately because I just don’t care. I’ve got my own sandwiches to make.
I do believe that part of what you are saying in your article can be useful in improving my Twitter presence. I am going to try to start mixing in some tweets that are more personal and introspective and see how people respond to it. BTW, thanks for all the great articles! I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from them, especially with regards to improving upon my use of all the social media platforms and tools that are available online.
I totally disagree with this. I think that if you’re a comedian, that’s why people are following you. Of course you can interact with people by responding to them, and sure you can let people know when you have a show, but the comedians who I’ve seen have the most success on twitter are the ones who post 95% jokes. This IS interesting content. You’re a comedian – what interesting content do you have that one would care about that ISN’T comedy? I don’t understand what you mean when you try to draw a distinction between funny and interesting. The fact that it’s funny is the reason why people are interested, in my opinion. And those (like me too often) who get off track and use social media in a big variety of ways often don’t get as many followers. Those who stay focused and do one thing really well become really successful. I have friends who have gotten representation from their twitter accounts, and TV writing jobs from their twitter accounts. Agents and show runners are now looking for talent on twitter, and of course they want to see what you can do.
I agree with you that there are a lot of other ways to use social media, but not only do I think there is no reason to stop treating social media like it’s a stage, I also think it’s the more effective use of social media for comedians in particular. The fact that a tweet has been discovered by comedians as a medium for comedy is the reason why comedians have been successful on twitter in the first place.
I’m sorry if this came off as harsh or negative or too rant-y. I appreciate this post and discussion (and website in general of course!) so hopefully my strong opinions on the subject don’t just read as “asshole.”
I’m a dinosaur and joined Facebook because my comic friends told me to. It’s easier than typing all their e-mails into an address book. OK, maybe I plug a show now and again. Guilty.
For years I thought You Tube was U Tube I can’t find Twitter – guess that makes me a Twit. I can hardly answer calls on my cell phone and my computer doesn’t have enough memory to show video. I’m in the dark ages with pencil and paper – or a sharp stick and clay tablet.
All I know is, “All the world’s a stage.” (William S.) and any time I can be funny, anywhere, I’m going for it. I love giving a smart-aleck comment. Don’t like it? Defirend me – my son did.
Chris,
Love your comment. Sounds kinda like some material someone (maybe you) would use on stage. I am not a comic (yet), I am just a CPA that’s bored with his day job and looking into other possibilities. It’s either comedy or massage therapist, and I never saw a massage therapist that could sell CDs.
Anyway, glad to get pointed to this site. Hope I can visit often.
Ron A. Hickman
bullseye!, Also a double edged sword as topics go. face book is a type of social media. i have posted short bits because of the responses I get.
With that said, people do want to know the person behind the comedy and I try to post personal opinions and comment od thing such as this. The problem is people misinterpet comments, especially by a comedian and become easily offended. Also I , like many others try tokeep as much of my personal life private due to face book changing platforms everytime you turn around. So I agree and you have a point but feel this topic has many different variables.
Maybe you know that and are looking for the many responses to boost this site? Who knows, lastly (and only as a joke) seperating A and lot doesn’t do anymore than fool spellcheck. A lot is where you park ya ca. Nothing to do with quantity but we all stii use it that way. Thanks, alot for the topic.
The problem with this post, and all of your replies for that matter, is that you act like a comedy psychiatrist or some sort of comedy guru. It’s really self-important and annoying. “You don’t always have to be funny.” And “Your posts should have purpose.” Are you some sort of status update expert? I shared this post on my FB page, and a fellow comedian commented, “Just pictures of food and my kids from now on. Got it.”
If you thought more critically about this, you’d see you should thank comics for saving us from all “stuck in traffic” updates that so captivate me. I hate those updates, which is why I don’t read them. And if you don’t want to read my jokes on FB, then don’t. It’s pretty ironic your blog is called “Connected Comedy.” You’ve done the opposite with this post.
I am new to the social media. I will say this. I have always hated when I would hang out in the clubs and another comic… instead of talking to you as a person… would just do material. And many times it was material I had already heard on stage.
SO TRUE, Jerry! I was talking one night to a comedian and I realized HE WAS JUST RUNNING HIS SET BY ME. Granted, he had made his material “conversational,” as it took me a few minutes to figure it out. But it was insulting – I felt totally used, like a snot-filled tissue. I got up and walked away.
The power of social media comes from the fact that there ARE NO RULES!!!!
Freaking post whatever you want.
If you want to be funny, just make sure you’re funny! I see too many posts from people trying to be funny that just aren’t.
I’m a comedian and I love making funny comments on other peoples threads. It makes their threads more interesting.
All that being said, I do agree that it is good (not mandatory) to share other items about yourself to let others know where you’re coming from. I personally get impressed when a comedian actually has a depth of personality, intellect, and insight.
Maybe the real message is, whatever you do, do it very well or don’t do it at all.
I have to say I disagree. I much prefer to follow people who post funny things I can laugh at rather than anything else. I post a fair share of jokes on my facebook and I get far more ‘likes’ and other positive feedback than when I write about other things. I do stand-up but I consider myself a wanna-be comedian because I am not professional or making money off of it yet. I think the best way to get people to be turned on to your comedy is to prove to them that you are funny.
“People don’t want you to be funny on social media, they want you to be interesting.”
When you say “people,” you mean you. And if you didn’t, then that’s a broad-brush stroke.
You mention how social media shouldn’t be a constant brainstorming session. I disagree. I can’t tell you how many jokes I’ve gained because they worked on FB when I thought they weren’t good enough for the stage.
I can’t stand when comedians try to spark conversation on FB with “I think x; What do YOU think” posts. You’re not Seth Godin. Unfollow.
Let me step outside of comedy and think of other people I follow on Twitter. I don’t like when Adam Schefter posts anything but NFL news. Don’t care for Dave Richards’ non-fantasy football tweets. But, I’m just one person, which I suppose supports your point.
Finally, typing all of this on an iPad sucks balls. Hey, I may post that on Twitter as a #humblebrag!
I would agree, but I just ate dinner: fried cat.
Notwithstanding my joke above (which I hope survives Josh’s moderation), I am currently in information overload and am starting to unplug a bit. With the new Facebook changes, I am on FB way less now, because I don’t get emails about it. I’ve stopped arguing with a person who was arguing politics with me on a particular post, because I no longer get emails saying he’s responded. Good – FB was wasting my time. (Or was it just that person?) There is little of value there. That said, I’d rather read something truly funny by a comedian than some self-revelatory stuff, unless that stuff is not boring.
I’ve been massively busy with my law professor job, promoting my new hilarious new book (http://www.gegensatzpress.com/foley-28-days.html – watch for the ad for it in The New Yorker magazine next week), and my blog (http://brianjfoley.net/). I bought Josh’s book on promoting comedy material, so watch my star rise in the next few months – thanks to Josh.
I bet you liked reading my joke better than this post. Anyway, good luck, all!!!
I partially agree. I think Facebook and twitter are examples of free speech. If a comic wants to post “material” on their Facebook wall, they’re free to do that. They’re also free to read poetry at the bus stop.
That being said, I think it’s stupid to treat social media as your stage. When I tell people I’m a comic, the next thing they usually say is, “Tell us a joke.” My response is always, “Sorry, I write jokes to be used in comedy clubs.”. Mind you, I still do colleges and other gigs outside of clubs, but point being, I don’t write Facebook jokes, I don’t write jokes for the dinner table, I don’t take my jokes out of context.
I got on Facebook to connect with friends, to keep tabs on how they’re doing, invite friends to parties, and let them know about important events in my life (i.e., I got engaged, my dad’s in the hospital, just got back from California, etc.). Telling jokes on Facebook kind of defeats the purpose of my Facebook account.
If you want to use Facebook or twitter as your stage, perhaps you need two accounts: one for you, the comic, and one for you, the human being.
One of the things I absolutely Love about facebook is when someone posts a “joke” or funny story and it leads to all kinds of responses, the total being more hilarious than the first. If this was not an element of my facebook experience, it would be too much like just reading e-mail.
If I may throw my hat into the ring here….I tend to post a lot of different things on my social medias….funny, serious, inspirational, show dates, promotional stuff and the list goes on, I basically post what I feel. When I don’t post, I get phone calls, text messages or emails asking if I am okay.
As far as the funny, I thought about that…so I did not post anything funny for like 3 days, well I got in boxed asking where was the funny? I had a young lady ask me to post something for her to laugh at while she was at work one night, because I did not post anything funny that day.
So, I understand what you are saying, but at the same time, if you are known for being a certain way, you would be surprised at how many people depend on you to continue, it’s almost like part of their daily routine.
True, I am not big time now, but the ones that love me and appreciate what I post (and other comedians post) do just that, appreciate us doing what we do to make their lives a little more pleasant.
I may not be big enough for you to follow on twitter or facebook, but I do follow you…..everywhere…watch for the cowboy hat!!!! Yes, the Cowboy Stalker…..Just kidding
Yaaaaaa!!!!
Longhorn the Comedian
Vernon E. Davis, II
Afterthought:
Actually, the stuff I do on my page is not the stuff I do on my show….
They won’t post this … but this guy is so disingenuous its ridiculous. He uses this social network to get a free ride. Instead of paying for a web site and buying advertising, he uses a social network to sell his wares. And then he has the nerve to complain that comedians are using it to perform instead of getting to know people. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. His argument is nonsense but he won’t post this. He has his “awaiting moderation” tool to sensor stuff that doesn’t help sell his products.
Wow, dude. You sound pretty negative and angry. I don’t know what got you so riled up, but in this case, you’re very wrong. Josh only sells a few of his more personalized services…the rest of the information (all extremely insightful) that you’ll find on this blog is FREE. And, they’re in archive, so you can go back to the beginning and read one post after another, something I have done and recommend you do. I’m pretty sick of people using social media to post misinformed and hatefully charged crap like this… anonymously, I might add, unless Michael Gabriel is your real name, which I doubt.
I like to mix it up. I posted a picture with a message I made myself that was not funny on Sunday and have 1900 likes 1800 shares and 300 comments as of right now. I do the same thing with jokes and get a-lot of response too. I try not to overdue either.
I agree, ONLY if you amend your statement to, “Don’t ONLY post funny stuff.”
On Facebook, I just recently got my two biggest interactions to my posts EVER. The first was simply a question, “Would you ever buy a joke from another comic?” This led to a debate between several comics with plenty of Comments and a Reshare, which was my hope.
The second, was a picture I made, in response to the Occupy Wall Street movement, of Aladdin holding a sign that said Occupy Agrabah and additional lyrics from “One Jump.” I posted it yesterday and already it has gotten 32 Likes, 20 Reshares, and several Comments. That’s A LOT for me. Here it is: http://on.fb.me/oOaH5F
Now, to analyze this: Both of these posts were interactive; The first was a question and the second was a cute look at a possible controversial and topical matter mixed with an instantly recognizable image (Aladdin). Both of these posts got way more attention than any joke I’ve ever posted. (My best joke maybe got 7 likes and 3 comments.)
BUT, the picture got WAY more interaction than the question did and I can only assume that, in addition to being interactive, it was also FUNNY. So, funny still wins.
So, I guess the conclusion is, try to be interactive, engaging AND funny. (If you have time, try to throw in helpful, inspiring, sensational and original too? Couldn’t hurt.)
Derik Boik
Twitter-wise this article is valid for a comedian who already has a fanbase. If you’re not a comedian with a fanbase then the people following you on Twitter don’t give a damn about getting to know you, they follow you because you’re funny. If you tweet your life and observations on it they’ll get to know you by default though.
I disagree to a point. I believe my jokes are what is interesting about me because I tell the truth about myself and my viewpoints through my humor.
Also, as a comic with 2 jobs, and 2 steady hosting gigs a week besides open mics, I don’t get much time to socialize with my fellow comics as I’d like and the threads and tangents they go on are very ewntertaining and affirm why I’m a comic. Some comics abuse social media as an extension of the stage, but I also have non-comic friends that go to far in the opposite direction with only dead dog postings and Ghandi quotes.
I find it to be balanced. Some comics are balanced, and some, the majority perhaps, are unbalnced. But I find that interesting.
As a comedian I want people to laugh and enjoy what I have to say whether it’s on the stage or the page. My fans enjoy my funny posts because they expect it and that Josh is what keeps all of them coming back! If people want up close and personal they can read it in my autobiography. If they want non-funny they can go to a Dane Cook event!
I DO NOT agree …. if someone doesn’t want to read/listen to comedians perform, then all they have to do is to unfriend that person.
What I find annoying is people who complain that social media is to get to know each other
when their real agenda is to sell us something. You want money from me. At least the comedians only want laughs. You pretend to write a blog or what ever you call this newsletter and use this social network to hawk your wares .. you use this social network as a free way to post ads for your business, which is much sleazier and disingenuous than the comedians who use it to perform. Go pay for your own web site and pay for advertising and stop using social networks to get a free ride.
Hey Michael, I don’t know how long you’ve read my site but I’m guessing not very long based on that comment.
99% of the information I put out there is free and the vast majority of my readers have never paid me any money for anything and I’m completely fine with that. In fact, I doubt you’ll find anybody that regularly reads Connected Comedy that feels I’m just doing it to “hawk my wares.”
You’re welcome to disagree with my opinions – I encourage it, in fact – but I thought I should at least point out that your comments about my intentions are way off base.
And by the way, I don’t censor any comments. You had never commented before so they went into a queue until I had a chance to approve them – and both of your comments have now been approved as you can see.
I agree. People won’t make an effort to come see you perform comedy if you’re interesting. Sure you need to have a good sense of humor, but thousands of comedians have a good sense of humor. Social media sites are a good way for you to be heard, and, perhaps, stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Hello Josh,
I think there were some great points made,and I would like to add another one or two.
Josh, I feel your frustration. My small list of friends for my Facebook account is made up mostly of comedians. Sometimes I like to read something stimulating or thought provoking in a fb status update.I don’t find much on FB or twitter, though; I usually end up going to NPR.org for my fill off non-humor filled readings.
So,what about the friends(or fans) of these comedians? I have looked upon a few post that were very interesting to me and have seen that they usually get small feed back. Then, I have seen post about some funny anecdotal tale, joke, or plain ol’ new material and have seen many comments and responses. I have also seen those updates shared with other FB members that are not fans or friends of the comedian. This gives me a feeling that certain people connecting to the comedians page want to read these amusing words more than the interesting words. These shared updates give the comedian a chance at a larger fan base. I see that it may depend on each comedian’s friend/fan base and what they choose to accept from that comedian, but it looks like they want an extension of the stage. They want the laughter to never stop; the fan adds their favorite funny person to read something that helps them escape that unfunny world they live in.
I don’t know everything about the net, but i feel like the social media outlet is a place where people go and don’t take things to serious,they laugh and sometimes even waste time.
The comedian ultimately wants his fan base/ friends to support him. It is one reason we [entertainers] use the social networking websites. The fan give us the feedback and then they come to the shows in their cities and villages. You know what they say too?The fans say, “I love your post on twiiter…. they always make me laugh..you remember when you said…..you so crazy.. this was the guy that wrote that hilarious blog i sent you.”
In closing, I truly hope social media changes into a place were we can have intellectual conversations and thought provoking world changing ideas. The reality is people would rather watch videos of the Mickey D’s cashier beating down a unruly customer than start a very interesting discussion about Rick Perry’s debating style. We may not be ready for the things you are asking. Oh hell, our friends and fans are not be ready for it. Until then, I want the funny people to tell their jokes and use the tweetering machine as a stage because they are doing what they need to be doing…giving the fans what they want and me dam head ache making sure their updates don’t come through in my text messages…i text ‘STOP’ seven times already. and I am still getting your dam updates..
Thanks for your time,
Rick Carter