Emojis are becoming more and more commonplace in marketing.
But does that mean you should go ahead and start using them too?
You may think that filling your headlines, website copy, ads, social media posts or entire digital marketing campaigns with emojis instantly makes you relatable to a younger, ‘ready-to-buy’ demographic.
You’re both right and wrong.
In some cases, emoji-integration can be an effective marketing tool which can:
- Attract attention in a saturated digital space.
- Increase user awareness, engagement and satisfaction.
- Establish your business as an authentic and accessible industry leader.
For example, in 2018, Dominos effectively used emojis as part of a Twitter campaign where tweeting the pizza emoji enabled users to order dominos to their house.
The emoji function streamlined the ordering process down to just a few seconds – drastically improving the efficiency of their service.
The Do’s and Don’ts of using Emojis
Despite the success of Dominos foray into the non-verbal marketing space, there are areas where emojis have the potential to become a negative influence.
Emojis may become a problem when used:
- Inappropriately
- Excessively
- Irrelevantly
In these instances, emojis can have the opposite of your desired effect and actually damage the credibility/image of your business.
With a recent study showing 59% of millennials think companies are trying too hard to integrate the emoji into their digital marketing efforts, it’s clear that there is too much of a good thing when it comes to emojis.
This is why it is important to understand when to use the emoji and when to steer clear and stick to a more traditional approach.
Here are a few quick & simple Do’s and Don’ts that will help you master emojis (without requiring a marketing budget the size of dominos).
DO
✓ Do integrate your choice of emoji into email subject lines – studies show that this can improve your open rate. This can be up to a 56% increase in open rates compared to basic text without an emoji.
✓ Do cleverly, creatively and subtly integrate relevant emojis into social media ads – studies of Facebook Ads have been linked to a 30-40% higher click-through rate.
✓ Do use emojis appropriately in social media posts (tweets, Instagram captions, Facebook statuses and so on). A simple heart has been shown to increase user engagement levels. ❤️
DON’T
✗ Don’t go over the top on emojis. An overuse of emojis is likely to overwhelm users, or come across as a weak replacement for good copy
✗ Don’t use emojis with little to no relevance to the written content. It is not okay to add a unicorn emoji just because it’s cute if it doesn’t add relevance or value.
✗ Don’t use emojis incorrectly. This is one of the worst mistakes a company can make. Be sure to double-check the meaning on Google or a free online Emoji resource – like Emojipedia, if you are not 100% sure. This can save you a headache if you misuse an emoji.
After all, there’s nothing worse than ending up with 🍳 on your face.
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