How to Boost Social Media Marketing With Emoji

By Nate Vickery

Emojis have become an indispensable part of social media marketing. At first, it seemed that these pictograms were suitable only for informal communication, but gradually, their use was extended to a professional setting. They have taken all social media channels by storm, and don’t be surprised if you find it even in subject lines of emails you receive.

Marketers who fail to see their tremendous potential for improving their social media efforts are making a big mistake and they’re missing an opportunity to capitalize on this effective trend. Here are some guidelines on how to use emojis properly.

 

Do you speak emoji?

92% of people use emojis in their online conversations, while a recent research study reports that 6 billion emoticons and stickers are sent on a daily basis. No wonder brands embraced them as a method of conveying their messages to wider audiences. However, emojis can be tricky if you are not absolutely certain what their meaning is and in what contexts they should be used.

For example, a simple heart emoticon comes in a variety of colors and hues, and each one of them can be used for several purposes. Sometimes their meaning is filled with inappropriate innuendoes which can damage the reputation of your brand. Emojipedia is an excellent online resource of emojis and their meanings, so check it out before you decide to spice up your tweets and Instagram posts.

 

Learn your audience’s emoji lingo

People usually associate emojis with Millennials, who generally spend 20% more time using mobile apps, and it’s true that they’re most likely to interact by means of emojis,  but these colorful symbols appeal to all demographics. Still, you need to research your target audience’s vocab and unmistakably understand in what way they use emojis. Online communication is partially devoid of some important paralinguistic features, that is body language, and it’s more complicated to convey an emotion in a short piece of text.

Emojis can add a certain personal quality to your marketing messages, and make them more relatable. Another research study of emojis used on Instagram has shown that people mostly use them in order to convey particular emotions. No wonder that the heart shape and happy faces are among the most commonly used symbols,  and they’re followed by similar ideographs and gestures.

 

Channeling your emojis

 Stats prove that emojis can significantly improve outcomes of your social media efforts and increase conversion rates. The best results can be achieved only if you use them strategically in your campaigns. The first and the most important rule is that you should avoid the excessive use of emojis because otherwise you’ll come off as spammy, not to mention that your message won’t be clear anymore. Statistically speaking, emojis can increase the number of likes on Facebook by 57%, while they can increase the engagement on Twitter by 24.5%. Here are some suggestions regarding their use across social media channels:

• Instagram, as a visually oriented platform, allows including emojis in your bio, CTAs, comments, and posts. You can also use them in hashtags and improve the reach of your posts.

• Twitter requires you to master the art of laconic speech by limiting your message to only 140 characters, although this micro-blogging platform relaxed this rule a bit recently. Emojis are an excellent method of expressing yourself when you have to keep it short. Don’t forget that you can use them to target ads, too.

• Facebook posts are more interesting and attractive with emojis, and this social network allows you to use them in your status. However, in order to achieve better results, you need to test them and find out which ones are the most effective for your brand.

• Many companies have seen numerous benefits by employing emoji push notifications, as their open rates increased by 85%. They’re especially appealing to younger audiences as they spend way more time on their mobile devices.

• Email subject lines, which are of paramount importance for open rates, used to be off-limits to emojis, as the rules of netiquette were rigid. Nowadays, open rates can go up with a conveniently used emoji, such as a shamrock symbol for St. Patrick’s Day promotions, or hearts for Valentine’s Day.

Emojis help brands to communicate their messages better, and, in a way, humanize their interaction with their audiences, as well as to develop and maintain an emotional connection.

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