I can’t provide you with any concrete statistics, but my assumption is that the majority of people on this planet like to laugh. I know if I read something that makes me laugh or smile, I am going to continue reading. I don’t have a need for Mozy’s services, yet I find myself reading their newsletter from beginning to end in search of the next comical line. For example, here is the first line in Mozy’s August newsletter,

“Great thinkers have at times wondered, ‘˜what prevents evil robots, supervillains, and fake Rolex peddlers from using Mozy for their own sinister purposes?‘”

Totally unexpected; and it kept me curious about what came next.

Mozy is a great example of a boring product whose newsletters are somehow still humorous. Online data storage isn’t a subject that the average person would find interesting, let alone one that brings a smile to his/her face. If you have the ability to inject humor into your website, email marketing, or other promotional materials (if it’s appropriate for the tone and message you want to convey), you should try to incorporate it into your message. It can be especially effective in getting attention if your line of business is not one that people would normally associate with humor.

We aren’t saying you need to be Robin Williams, and we know it can be a tough balance to include humor without taking the seriousness out of your message. Take cues from other companies that successfully incorporate a few laughs into their communications, while their products & services are generally serious in nature. Google (technology), Motley Fool (finance), and Virgin America (air travel) are some companies that stand out amongst their competitors because of their friendly and humorous way of delivering information.

Let us know if you already use this approach in your business communication. We are always up for a good laugh!

So when we began evaluating the best solution for us, we focused on companies that target individual users and/or small businesses. Our primary needs include: a low monthly or annual fee, at least 20GB of storage per user, and scheduled back up times so we don’t have to worry about performing the backup ourselves. The top three companies that showed the most potential were: Carbonite, Mozy, and Box…

Carbonite:

• Utilizes a desktop application that loads all your data initially and then continuously updates when documents are added or modified.
• Can store unlimited amounts of data for one flat annual fee of $49.95
• They use a colored dot system so you can quickly identify the backup status of a document

Mozy:

• Mozy offers MozyHome that is $4.95 per month for unlimited storage, or MozyPro that charges you based only on the storage amount you predetermine
• Both MozyHome and MozyPro utilize a desktop application that performs manual and/or scheduled backups

Box:

• Offers both storage and file sharing (which wasn’t one of our main criteria, but is a plus)
• They do not use a desktop application that performs automatic backups; the backups need to be done on a manual basis through their website or via e-mail
• The maximum storage capacity available in their Business option is 15GB for $19.95 per month

Even though Box offered file sharing, which is a nice bonus for the price, either Carbonite or Mozy will most likely end up being the online data storage tool that we choose. The perks of their lower costs and automatic backups, outweigh the other offerings that Box provides.