How Brands Use Emojis In Digital-First Marketing To Drive Engagements

What’s your go-to emoji as a social media marketer?

I’d love to know.

The emoji language is described as the world’s fastest-growing language! More than 3,000 in total, the emojis continue to multiply and have grown to be more inclusive as time passes. 

Emojis’ potential growth continues to grow as over 5 billion emojis are sent via Facebook and messenger daily, and an estimated 92% of internet users now use emojis in their everyday interactions. 

But how are emojis relevant in digital marketing? 

Can such tiny emoticons really help your social media marketing campaign? 

Keep reading and learn more about emojis and how you can use them effectively for your campaigns.

Emojis and Emoticons what makes them so relevant for marketing?

Emojis have been around for over three decades and are now used more than ever in advertising campaigns. Initially, emojis were symbols used to convey various emotions, feelings, and ideas. But with the recent social media boom, companies are using them to make their ads stand out from the rest of the content on their platforms. 

Believe it or not, emojis heavily affect how people perceive your posts on most social media platforms. Why? 

A 2017 University of Amsterdam study shows that people who use emojis are perceived as more fun, approachable, trustworthy, happy, successful, and intelligent, especially regarding social media marketing in the Philippines. Most Filipinos prefer ads that angle on humor. That’s why emojis have become one of the powerful tools for increasing engagement with the audience.

Using emojis has become part of the process of humanizing brands. After all, being relatable is one of the primary marketing strategies that help increase trust in brands. 

Emojis are now an innovative way to add more personality to your brand and add some fun into your content. In fact, people now use the term Emoji Marketing, coining it as an official technique to better connect with the audience and make them feel more connected to the brand.

Audience Engagements through Emojis: Dos and Don’ts

• DON’T overuse emojis. ​​People say it’s best to do things in moderation, which also applies to emojis! Remember, not everything needs an emoji. Don’t replace important words with emojis. If you do, people will not get what you’re trying to say more often than not. Check out the example below. Would you take the time to decipher the emoji message? I definitely wouldn’t. So if you have something to say, it’s still best to put it in words instead of making emojis speak for you. That way, your message to your audience gets across.

• DO know what the emojis you use, mean! ​​Some emojis have underlying meanings that may mean something inappropriate. 
  
  Let’s say you’re promoting a peach-flavored drink. It’s best to discern how you’d want to use “🍑.” You can either use it to your advantage or not use it at all. Just make sure that you don’t come across as out of touch. 

• DO pick out the emojis that best represent your brand. ​​With the variety of emojis to choose from and new ones being added every year, it’s best to use only the ones that match well. 
  
  They say consistency is crucial; the same goes for digital marketing and emojis! This way, you’re crafting your brand voice and tone through emojis, so social media users and your target audience subconsciously connect you to your brand emojis. See the brands below that apply the emojis that are just right for their brand personality!

Domino’s using the pizza emoji 🍕 as way to order!

KitKat really lives up to its tagline even through emojis!

Brands that Took The Emoji Marketing Game to the Next Level

• McDonald’s
  
  Simple yet very witty, McDonald’s goes viral after providing a creative execution of their products that have equivalent emojis! 🍔🥤🍟

• Taco Bell
  
  Sometimes demanding something new can work as a marketing tool! Taco Bell angles humor to express its frustration with the lack of taco emojis and proceeds to invite its audience to sign a petition for its creation.

• WWF
  
  Talk about creativity that makes a change! Word Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) uses the collection of 17 animal emojis that are  as an attempt to invite people to join and donate to the hashtag #EndangeredEmoji – to help save real animals from extinction.

The Conclusion

Now that you know how emojis work. Give it a try! You heard it here; emojis are the contemporary way to go! Remember, part of practicing digital-first is also speaking digital-first. So be sure to get into the social media trends and add those relevant emojis to your campaign.

Today, the laugh-cry emoji 😂 stands as the most used emoji worldwide and has kept its place for three consecutive years! What’s your most used emoji? 

For more inquiries and digital marketing solutions to help your business, get in touch with us today!