Emojis have taken over in the social media world and if you aren’t using them yet in your marketing, you should start to consider it!
What is an emoji?
Emojis allow us to express emotion and interest while allowing us to also shorten descriptions (They are fantastic to use on Twitter for this very reason). They also allow us to show sentiment and simply express ourselves in a quick manner.
All social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) all include insertable emoji icons when you are posting a new update / status post, which makes it so much easier if you are not on your phone!
Most big brands and chains have used emojis in their marketing – especially when they are targeting millennials and teens! Take a look at companies like Domino’s, General Electric, Pepsi, White Castle etc. In fact, Domino’s campaign had earned them the Cannes Titanium Grand Prix for the top “game changing” breakthrough idea of the year when they started using emoji’s to let customers order pizza through Twitter!
According to Emogi – 92% of the online population uses emojis in email or on social media.
How do I use emoji’s in my social media marketing?
While you don’t want to overuse emojis (aka emoticons) here are 3 reasons you may want to start incorporating them into your marketing:
- Make your tweets more concise: Emoji’s help you shorten your tweets, because we all know that sometimes 140 characters just isn’t enough space! A perfect example can be seen here:
- Express Emotion & show off your personality: Emoji’s were designed to convey emotion. If you want your customers (or prospective customers) to relate to you or stimulate an emotion on their end then emoji’s are the way to go. It also shows them your brand’s personality – which may allow for a connection between you and your customer.
- Use emojis to increase engagement: Using emojis in a clever way helps to quickly draw attention to a call-to-action and begins a conversation. Something as simple as a smiley face emoji can help to break the ice and encourage conversation.
Also, using (proper) emojis in email subject lines is said to have a beneficial increase in “open” rates. Increased engagement and email open rates = increased interest in your product and brand. (make sure the emojis align & match with the message you are sending and don’t overuse them!)
Social Media Today suggests that to successfully incorporate emojis into your social media marketing, you need to carefully consider the same things you would for any outreach campaign:
- Consider your target audience and ask yourself:
- Will emojis resonate with them?
- What will they connect with emotionally?
- Which emojis are they already using?
- Consider brand consistency and ask yourself:
- Which emojis reflect my core values?
- Which emojis call my brand to mind?
- Consider your campaign’s message and ask yourself:
- What are the meanings of the emojis I want to use?
- Will my message be clear?
Keep in mind: you want to make sure you use them correctly, and know when to leave them out of your marketing. Look at your social media engagement on posts using emojis and those that don’t have them to see how your audience responds to their use. Try to use the ones that represent the specific product you’re trying to promote and help the user in interpreting your message.
Have you used emoji’s in your social media or email marketing? What are your thoughts on emoji’s in marketing?