Have you ever used emojis in your messages? Probably yes. Everyone understands this simple and universal language, and the use of emojis has recently extended beyond online communication. They are often used offline, from billboard advertisements and album covers to clothing collections. World Emoji Day is celebrated on July 17. On this occasion, we decided to share some unusual ways brands communicate.

Why do brands use emojis?

They are universal.

Although Generation Z interprets and uses emojis differently from other generations, most internet users perceive them similarly. Moreover, as visual elements, they make textual content easier to understand.

They show the human side of a brand.

Communicating with your customers as you would with your friends, can strengthen your connection with them and add a bit of character to your brand. Customers are more likely to buy from companies whose personality aligns with their own.

They help with engagement.

Numerous studies show that using emojis for marketing purposes boosts engagement. Research by Zazzle Media found that Facebook posts with emojis receive 57% more likes, 33% more comments, and 33% more shares. A study conducted by MyClever agency revealed that emails with emojis in their subject lines are opened 56% more often than emails with text-only subject lines.

They help retain customer attention.

When it comes to capturing attention and standing out, text alone is not always the best strategy for a brand. People prefer visual content over written text. Adding visual elements like emojis to text captures attention and makes the message easier to understand.

They’re free!

Every company strives to make the most of its budget. So why not use something that can boost engagement and sales for free? Emojis are completely free to use. The only resource they require is time. After all, it takes time to choose the right emojis, doesn’t it?

5 best ways to communicate with your audience using emojis

1.Follow Trends

At the end of December 2021, the game Wordle went viral on social media. It has a simple design with a block made up of 30 squares and a keyboard of letters at the bottom. The goal is to guess the mysterious five-letter word in a maximum of six attempts. After entering a word, the colour of the tiles changes to show how close you were to the guessed word:

  • Green: The letter is correct and in the right position.
  • Yellow: The letter is correct but in the wrong position.
  • Gray: The letter does not appear in the mysterious word.

The game allows players to share their results with followers on Twitter. Users started posting about the game in a humorous tone. The idea is to show something resembling the Wordle tiles using emojis and write: „This is not Wordle, this is just…”

Famous brands like Oreo and McDonald’s used this trend to connect with customers. A simple idea and some creativity allowed them to show their audience that they keep up with trends. The result? Increased likes and retweets. Most importantly, these posts appeared natural on their channels and were relevant to the brand’s target audience.

2. Use Emojis to boost sales

In 2015, Domino’s Pizza launched a campaign called Domino’s AnyWare, which allowed people to order their favourite pizza by sending a pizza emoji on Twitter. The campaign was a success. AnyWare helped Domino’s Pizza achieve and surpass its goal of receiving 50% of all orders digitally and increasing sales. As a result, the brand’s sales grew by 10.5% compared to the previous year.

3. Create a quiz

Quizzes in this format are nothing new. They can be found on almost any topic: movies, TV shows, songs, books, bands, celebrities, countries, cities, and many more. YouTubers successfully use them in their programs, and brands like Netflix create quizzes to engage followers.

4. Make emojis part of your marketing campaign

Before the theatrical release of „Deadpool” in 2016, the film’s marketing team launched a creative advertising campaign – from creating a Tinder profile for Deadpool to a billboard featuring a custom set of emojis. The risk paid off, as people online couldn’t wait for the film’s premiere. Billboard featuring a skull, a poop emoji, and the letter „L” even caught the attention of comedian Patton Oswalt, who praised the ad creators.

The Deadpool marketing team didn’t stop at the billboard and released the Deadpool Emoji app with its custom icons. Although it wasn’t the most user-friendly app, it was liked by Deadpool fans and helped spread the word about the movie online.

Emojis that increase engagement and clicks

According to a HubSpot study, some emojis are more effective in marketing than others. The list was created after analyzing 19,500,000 posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Emojis that best engage the audience:

🙆 (person agreeing)
🍒 (cherry)
🐠 (tropical fish)
💃 (dancing woman)
🌤 (sun and cloud)

Emojis that increase click-throughs:

🐙 (octopus)
🐴 (horse head)
👖 (jeans)
🍒 (cherry)
🚂 (train)

Useful Services

Emojipedia – an emoji encyclopedia. You can sort them by category and copy them.

Emojisaurus – creates emojigrams, or messages conveyed using emoticons.

Get Emoji – another emoji database. You can copy selected emojis and see how they will look on different devices.