Does your marketing strategy speak fluent emoji?

EMOJI use on social media has exploded by 766 percent, according to social listening platform Newswhip.

For the majority of millennials – and Generation Z users, who were born around the same time as the smartphone – emojis have become a crucial language in their daily communication.

So in order to be relevant to this digitally-evolved audience, your brand must learn how to talk in their language: emoji.

Higher engagement

It is not unknown that posts which include images and videos garner a lot more attention than those merely containing text. The same is said for posts that include emojis, with a 25.4 percent increase in engagement on Twitter and a 47.7 percent higher interaction rate on Instagram.

Furthermore, a recent study from Quintly suggested headlines which include emojis attract more engagement. Through the use of emojis, brands can connect with consumers in a fun and creative way.

Simplifying communication

With the evolution of the digital ecosystem comes the shortening of attention spans.

According to research, the average human attention span has plummeted from 12 seconds in 2000 (around the time of the mobile revolution) to eight seconds – shorter than that of a goldfish!

So in order to capture the attention of their audiences, brands should be ensuring their content is short but engaging.

Domino’s is one example of a brand utilizing the power of emojis in communication.

In 2015, their emoji pizza delivery campaign enabled customers to register their pizza preferences and connect their Twitter with their accounts. From doing this, the customer could then make an order with a simple tweet of a pizza emoji. Simplicity at its finest.

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— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) May 12, 2015

Universal language

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and emojis present the perfect way for brands to communicate and connect with their audience. Images and emojis transcend language barriers, and with now literally thousands of emojis available, you can be sure to find an emoji which fits the purpose of your brand message.

Tap into emotion

Research has shown that consumers rely on emotions rather than an overload of information to make brand decisions.

By humanizing your brand, you can achieve a greater emotional connection with your digital consumer. Emojis can help drive brand messages much more effectively by assisting you in creating emotive messages.

One study revealed that when we look at a smiling face online, the same parts of the brain are stimulated as when we look at a human face, showing a real effect on human beings.

To emoji or not to emoji?

While emojis are a major part of the digital communication of many individuals, especially Generation Z, they may not be for everyone. Your brand should consider the implications before putting emojis in your marketing strategy.

Instead of spamming your audience with an endless sea of emojis, it is best to start small and test the waters. Ask yourself, what is your brand voice? What message are you trying to convey with the emoji? Does it make sense there?

More importantly, gauge your audience’s reaction to the emojis. A survey by YouGov found that 59 percent of people aged 18-34 feel companies are trying too hard when using emojis in advertising or marketing campaigns.

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