How do you make a brand funnier? It's the ultimate goal for brands looking to create more resonant messaging on the app-and the focus of TikTok's latest research insights, which examine what types of comedic approaches work on the platform and how brands can tap into these to boost their clips.

TikTok reports that:

Videos posted to the hashtags #funny and #comedy have six trillion views in the app.
Humor in creator content is a top reason among 30% of TikTok users to consider purchasing
" Funny" is the most desired video category from creators
7 in 10 viewers believe "making people laugh" is the most enjoyable part of watching TikTok ads
With these points in mind, TikTok tells brands to adopt less heavy-handed, more comedic approaches to campaigns they run within the app by either tapping into the portfolios of well-known creators or doing research in the app for tips.

No. 1 tip: work with creators, as "they know TikTok comedy better than anyone". It also wants to encourage more brands to work with creators via its Creator Marketplace in order to ensure that more of its top stars get paid in the app, which will then better align them to the platform.

So there's some extra incentive for TikTok to push this one particular route, but it could still be a great outlet for those brands looking to really focus on TikTok.

But if you want to go it alone, TikTok advises that brands do their homework by digging into app trends, to get a sense of what works.

TikTok has also offered these three tips:

Know your memes - They're a jumping-off point for creative ideas, and they can help brands signal to viewers that they're in on the fun
Remixing a trend – Trend remixing has lead to a 14% uplift in view time for ads, on average
Be creative, play with style - Risks taken in creative sense are valued and rewarded on TikTok. Qualities that may look avant-garde, like surrealism and informal content, are integral to humor on TikTok. This place is where one can go big or go home and see what works.
Wading into comedy always carries a risk level in that you can come out in something that makes no point and represents you as somebody who is completely out of touch. Which is one big reason that working with established stars could be of benefit in that you are then using their established nous to drive performance but you don't have to work with creators if you think you can come up with related, humorous takes that will work.

The biggest thing is research. If you're going to lean in on comedy in the app, you have to know what works.

And as the stats show, of course, humor has become one of the top drivers of engagement on TikTok, and if you get it right, the rewards could be big.

It's another thing to think of for your TikTok marketing approach for the year ahead.