With emoji’s having their own day to celebrate them, we take a closer look at whether emoji’s have had their day or are here to stay.
Are emoji’s being used for business?
With the plethora of emoji’s available and new ones always emerging it’s important to understand how and where we can use them to make our business stand out, how you can use them to understand your market, or when not to use them in fear of looking unprofessional.
In 2017, a survey found 86% of emoji users were 24 or under* making it important for businesses with young target audience to bare this in mind when trying to appeal to the younger market.
Furthermore, there are expected to be 157 new emoji’s arriving on our screens by the end of 2018, rising the total number of emoji’s up to a stunning 2,823*. The sheer number of these mean it’s ever more important to understand how to use each emoji properly, as misinterpretations can have damaging consequences to a business, for example, did you know only 7% of people use the peach emoji as a fruit*, otherwise it’s more commonly known to describe a bottom – something very important to remember when advertising fresh fruit online!
How can your business benefit from using emoji’s?
It’s becoming very difficult to know when or when not to use emoji’s in digital marketing strategies, so we’ve got a few tips of when you can use emoji’s to your advantage.
Using emoji’s to attract customers in emails can be very effective especially in times when many businesses will be communicating with emails such as cyber Monday or black Friday. Emoji’s such as the lightning bolt can serve as a call to action, drawing attention to the email and offer and away from competitors.
With, 56% of brands using emojis in subject lines witnessing increased open rates, it’s certainly something worth considering**. Even without a click through, you’ll still be increasing brand awareness.
Be warned when using emoji’s for your business
Many corporate companies such as finance or legal firms will be wanting to convey an air of professionalism. In this case, an emoji in emails or social media may not be the best approach for your audience. Again, their use comes down to the content you’re using and the image you want to portray.
Incorrect use of an emoji may deem a company’s branding seem silly or immature, therefore you must make sure to understand what market you are targeting and the industry you’re competing in before adopting this emoji marketing strategy.
As well as this, if you do opt to use it in your email subject line, not all recipients will be able to see emoji’s as some platforms don’t support some emoji’s**, making them appear as just a white box, ruining the marketing plan that was in place originally and undermining the whole concept.
If you’re using emoji’s for business, ensure to use them sparingly and where relevant in order to not run the risk of looking unprofessional or mediocre.
Need digital marketing support?
For any more information on using emojis in digital marketing or any other questions on your latest email campaign, social media posts or website, get in touch with us for advice.
Sources: * WorldEmojiDay **Omnisend.com