How can Emojis be used to resonate with customers?

With 92%¹ of the online population using emojis daily, digital users are well versed with the tiny characterful images that have developed many meanings. Originating from Japanese mobile devises in 1997, emojis have continued to increase in popularity over recent decades, thanks to busy lives and links to popular culture. They have also changed how many people market, as they have allowed a way for digital profiles to engage with target consumers on many different levels, improving engagement and brand image with the simple inclusion of a playful character. 

With as many as 51% ² of users saying they would interact with a brand if they included emojis within their messaging, this is a marketing tool that you cannot afford to miss. So how can these little images resonate with your consumers?

Images can be better to use than words.

Whilst marketing copy is essential for sharing messaging and acting as an SEO tool to drive traffic to your website, the use of images is crucial in securing consumers’ attention. Emojis are ‘processed by the brain as non-verbal information’ ³, which allows us to interpret them as emotionally resonating communications. Not only does this increase the chance of content being taken in by your target audience, but it also allows more substantial impacts to be made. Emotional connections mean that your desired call to action is more likely to succeed, and your brand is remembered. 

Emojis mean that your e-commerce online business is perceived as being current.

When people are scrolling through social media, they expect to see emojis attached to messages. In fact, 63%⁴ of users believe that using an emoji enhances your online credibility. With different emojis garnering various connotations, you can use these tools to give an initial representation of your business. This, combined with the perception that you are currently active and aware of trends, is more likely to bring attention to your accounts.

Increased engagement.

Emojis increase the chance of engagement within all digital marketing outreach. With as many as 64%⁵ of people confirming they would open an email with an emoji in the subject line, 33%⁶ more likely to interact on social posts, and 85%⁷ like to interact with a push notification, the statistics speak for themselves. This does not mean that the written word is redundant; it just proves that the use of emojis strengthens the message.

Language is no longer a barrier when operating in global markets.

The use of emojis also allows your messaging to be interpreted by people that use different languages. By including this form of image-based communication within content, you are instantly able to make your digital copy suitable for international markets. This form of removing barriers is a great way to save your business money when it comes to re-creating collateral that is suitable for new markets. It also ensures that if you are targeting a new market, that you can instantly share details as to what your brand message is about, improving the chance of long-term engagements being made.

Whilst the benefits are plentiful, it is imperative to get the use of emojis spot on.

Despite the many successes that emojis can bring to your messaging, they carry certain negative connotations if not used suitably. 

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Our top tips for getting the use of emojis just right are:

- Know your audience: Do not just use emojis for its sake. If your audience is more professional or even slightly older, using the icons may hinder more than help. 

- Make sure you know the meaning of what you are posting: As the popularity of emojis has increased, so has how they are used. It is important to consider trends within popular culture and what meaning has been added to the humble emoji image. 

- Do not use instead of text: As we mentioned, copy is still essential for SEO purposes. Whilst you can play around with a mix of images and words, it is important that you are still using keywords to strengthen communications and domain authority.

- Do not use for all messaging: Emojis offer you the option of differentiating types of content. If you use them all of the time, they may end up becoming less powerful.

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¹ https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/report-92-of-online-consumers-use-emoji-infographic/

² https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/study-consumers-want-brands-use-favorite-emojis/1591235

³ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ecj.10311

⁴ https://www.pcmag.com/news/adobe-trend-report-shows-more-emoji-use-at-work

⁵  https://www.slideshare.net/adobe/adobe-emoji-trend-report-2019

⁶ https://www.zazzlemedia.co.uk/blog/facebook-edgerank-and-engagement/

⁷ https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/push-notifications/

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