There are quite a few factors that go into what makes a brand "followable" in social media. Think about it from the follower's perspective -- why do you choose to 'like' or follow certain brands on social networks like Facebook and Twitter? It could be because they share valuable, educational content that appeals to your interests and needs. Or it could be that they give you access to exclusive deals, coupons, or other promotions. Or maybe they're just ridiculously funny.
Truthfully, the best brands to follow in social media should probably have a combination of all those characteristics. But I'd venture to say that many of you are following a brand simply for its entertainment value. (I know I am.) You know -- the brands that really tickle your funny bone and sometimes even make your sides hurt from laughter. You just can't help but follow them, and you've probably shared some of their updates with your own network, expanding that brand's social media reach. And while it may not seem like a funny update has any value, surely there's value in showing off your personality and being a lovable brand, right?
So the next time you're planning your social media updates, why not incorporate a little humor here and there? To help bring out your inner comedian, we've compiled a list of brands whose social media presence gives us the giggles. We're warning you though, by the time you're done with this post, your cheeks might be a tad bit on the sore side.
1) Charmin
You mean the toilet paper company? Darn tootin'! The original inspiration of this post, Charmin's Twitter presence is definitely a must follow. Just check out the following series of tweets to see what we mean. Charmin is a great example of a brand whose humor aligns with the products it sells. And don't you just love that #tweetfromtheseat hashtag?
Looks like it's going to be a ginormous latte w/4 extra espresso shots kind of day. (we're bringing the Charmin with us for the aftermath.)
— Charmin(@Charmin) August 8, 2012
Confession: We just did the "potty jig" in front of a co-worker and blamed it on being late to a meeting & had to run.
— Charmin(@Charmin) August 7, 2012#tweetfromtheseat
Woke up this morning to find all 3 kids made up their own kind of sporting event: Charmin Unraveling.
— Charmin(@Charmin) August 7, 2012#tweetfromtheseat
2) Taco Bell
Taco Bell is known for using humor throughout its marketing and advertising, and its social media accounts are no different. From witty one-liners to clever photo updates, Taco Bell's Facebook and Twitter presence is sure to make you crack a smile, particularly when it responds to some light-hearted criticism from other brands on our list (coughOLDSPICEcough).
3) Old Spice
Old Spice doesn't only pick fights with other brands. It's also funny in its own right, with funny -- and often ridiculous -- posts. Just take a look at its 'About' descriptions on Twitter and Facebook as well as a few of Old Spice's silly tweets.
Installing a helipad on my new helicopter so it can land on itself.
— Old Spice(@OldSpice) August 13, 2012#OldSpiceDIYProject
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. But you make 0% of the shots you do take but miss. So, now you’re at 50%, which isn’t bad.
— Old Spice(@OldSpice) August 12, 2012
4) JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is a great example of a brand that sprinkles in just a little humor throughout its social presence. Not everything JetBlue posts is necessarily laugh out loud funny, but the brand does a great job of infusing some of its humorous personality into its updates, balancing informational content with light-hearted updates like the Facebook post you see below.

5) Mars Curiosity (NASA)
As in, the lunar rover. These NASA-run social media accounts feature sassy, first-person updates from the rover itself, who incorporates funny pop culture references and a bold attitude. And, oh yeah -- its Twitter account has more than 1 million followers, and its Facebook page has over 270,000 fans. Not too shabby, NASA.
Call me, maybe? All the ways I could phone home after landing on Mars [video] bit.ly/Pve8rV
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 4, 2012
6) Popchips
One of my personal favorite brands to follow in social media (and to snack on!), Popchips' Facebook presence always has me laughing with funny puns and images like those featured below.
7) GymIt
It's no surprise GymIt has made our list of funny brands in social media, considering we already know how awesome they are at copywriting in general. The result is a comedic Facebook presence that does a great job of staying on brand.
8) Intel
Intel's Twitter feed proves that you don't need to be a consumer brand to have a sense of humor. Like JetBlue, not every tweet from Intel is exactly a knee slapper, but it's a good reminder that a little humor can go a long way toward achieving likability.
If you know what HSDPA means without Wikipedia, we may have a job for you!
— Intel (@intel) August 8, 2012#Intel#Jobs intel.ly/MFBnRW
9) Whole Foods
Would you "Holla for Challah bread"? Whole Foods wants you to, and that's just one of its witty little Facebook updates. Mainly sharing recipe and food ideas through its Facebook page and Twitter feed, Whole Foods adds a dash of humor that makes it a lot more fun to follow than your average recipe source.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's LUNCHTIME COMICS from
— Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) August 14, 2012@wholekidsfdn &@scrapkins! Free eco-art projects 4 kids... bit.ly/RMc1oJ
10) IMPACT Branding & Design
Another B2B company to grace our list, HubSpot partner IMPACT Branding & Design definitely gets the value of comedy, offering a great balance of educational content and a few laughs on its Facebook page.
11) Bissell
Bissell, the vacuum cleaner company (who would've thought?), knows how to crack a joke from time to time on its Facebook page. What's great about Bissell's humor is that it never sacrifices brand relevancy, as is evident by this smartly funny Facebook post.
12) Skittles
Skittles' social sense of humor is apparently all about being silly and ridiculous. But it definitely brings a smile to your face, doesn't it? Check out the examples below from Skittles' Facebook page and Twitter feed. And for those of you not hip to the meme, "YOLO" is an acronym for "You Only Live Once."
— Skittles (@Skittles) August 14, 2012
#excellentwords Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, Skittles, remind me again how many characters I have t
I heard you like Skittles, so I put Skittles on your Skittles so you can eat Skittles while you eat Skittles.
— Skittles (@Skittles) August 12, 2012
I didn’t choose the Rainbow life -- the Rainbow life chose me.
— Skittles (@Skittles) August 10, 2012
13) KRAFT Mac & Cheese
Who knew elbow macaroni could be so funny? KRAFT Mac & Cheese's social media presence features images of macaroni engaging in hobbies such as painting and tennis as well as mac & cheese humor. KRAFT also reportedly allowed two women in their 80s take over their social media accounts for its 75th anniversary, using the hashtag #OldBirdsNewTweets, through which followers could watch the women learn about memes, internet slang, and technology. Oh, and the banner image for its Twitter account? Hilarious.
We like to mix our Mac & Cheese in slow motion. It adds to the excitement.
— KRAFT Mac & Cheese (@kraftmacncheese) July 13, 2012
14) Oreo
Oreo's Facebook page regularly features funny newsjacks of current events using visuals, as you can see below from its Elvis Week image and its National Bowling Day visual.
What other brands can't you help from following in social media, even for just a good laugh?



Bob Ruffolo 9:10 AM on August 16, 2012
LOVE IT! Thanks for the inclusion Pamela!
Mary Jo Cranmore 9:36 AM on August 16, 2012
Totally awesome. Humor is not for the faint of heart....it's TOUGHER than it looks. Entrepreneurs: don't try this at home unless you're a proven funny guy/gal.
Liz Karschner 11:00 AM on August 16, 2012
Love the humor in all these brands. I follow a few of them...I'll have to go follow a few more.
Valentina 11:14 AM on August 16, 2012
Good chuckles in the morning - thank you. New note to self: go to funny gymn, workout on post, track, improve, get honorable mention in HubSpot :-)
Veronica Porter 12:40 PM on August 16, 2012
Fun. A nice way to start the day with a bit of humor. Love the way these brands approach social media.
Sally Black 12:49 PM on August 16, 2012
Being in the travel biz, I've always been a fan of brands like Southwest and Jet Blue. Actually many of the great marketing and PR brains who launched Jet Blue originally came from Virgin Atlantic. These folks were schooled in the culture of the original cheeky ad gurus, Sir Richard Branson so credit given where credit is due. Lord knows the travel industry needs a good sense of humor!
Elaine Marquis 2:30 PM on August 16, 2012
Oh my gosh. I cannot stop laughing. I am now following @OldSpice on Twitter and I am in stitches.
Stan 4:16 PM on August 16, 2012
They all got genius marketing managers who know their buyers perfectly. They don't even need to invest in online promotions so much since articles just like this one are doing this job.
Zoe Geddes-Soltess 4:22 PM on August 16, 2012
It takes guts to use toilet humour and skill to actually pull it off. The cuddly bear avatar probably helps too. Well done, Charmin :)
Zoe Geddes-Soltess
Community Engagement, Salesforce Radian6
Srikanth Sridhar 10:59 PM on August 16, 2012
Thanks for sharing different brand's case study on social media, which is to concentrate lighter side of the life.
Ashlie Lanning 9:11 AM on August 17, 2012
So clever and funny. I agree with Mary Jo Cranmore, though ... don't try this unless you KNOW you're funny.
Yushau Sodiq 10:32 AM on August 17, 2012
Great list. Next list should be the coolest social media BEEF list. For example, i loved the @Viacom and @DirecTV beef. Talk about uncomfortable!!! It made for amazing TV, I mean amazing TWEETS.
Also, I wanna LIKE Mary Jo Cranmore comment. Funny is Key
Crestline Promotional Products 2:21 PM on August 17, 2012
Very funny and clever. Makes you rethink about your own social media posts. Still laughing...
Jason Boies 3:43 PM on August 17, 2012
Terrific Article!
My fave right now is Oreo, they never cease to amuse me with the often genius ways they manage to stay current. The Mars Rover Oreo was a great idea. They're marketing team is outstanding.
Good read
Jason Boies
Salesforce Radian6 Community
Michael 12:18 PM on August 18, 2012
The picture above of Neil Patrick Harris... was he actually paid for promotion on that one?
I think INDIVIDUALS can get away with using celebrities in posts, etc. but it seems like an issue if a BUSINESS is using their images to make money (with an implied endorsement) without royalties.
What's your take on this?
Kate Furey 9:06 AM on August 22, 2012
Thanks for the GymIt shout out! We try to bring a giggle or two with our posts!
Julie Contos 3:27 PM on August 22, 2012
Great collection of clever social media usage. Thanks for sharing... and inspiring!