How to Use Emojis to Boost Your Brand Marketing

by Geena Rose

You’ve probably used emojis in texts with friends and family, but are you using emojis to reinforce your brand voice? Emojis can bring personality and fun to your communication, whether through email campaigns, social media posts, replying to comments, or other forms of content. If you want to build connections with your audience and boost your brand’s marketing, consider these emoji guidelines!

Finding Your Emoji Personality

Just like individual brands, each emoji has its own unique personality. Selecting emojis is similar to choosing the font and color palette for your brand – they should reflect your brand personality and maintain consistency across your communications. Consider your brand identity:  are you warm and friendly, silly and playful, or educational and informative?

A luxury skincare brand looking to portray elegance and pampering might use emojis to reflect their product’s ability to achieve a polished and radiant complexion:

A brand with an informal and friendly personality might use:

A software brand that is known for its educational and data-focused approach might use emojis to make complex information seem more digestible and engaging:

Emojis offer a versatile way to connect with audiences, but brand identity and subject matter are essential to their effectiveness. A cautious or reserved approach to emojis might be more suitable for brands that prioritize a serious and professional tone, like those in finance, law, or end-of-life services.

All Eyes on Subject Lines

Emojis have been proven to boost engagement, particularly in email campaigns. An emoji or two in the subject line can add a pop of color to the recipient’s crowded inbox, differentiating your brand and making your message stand out. The right emoji can also act as an emotional trigger, bringing your audience joy, awe, intrigue, relatability, and excitement, ultimately getting you that click-through.

Notice the difference in the feeling you get when you read each of these:

Adding the hourglass emoji helps build excitement and lets you know the countdown is on.

The addition of the love letter emoji makes the offer feel special, inviting, and intentional.

Adding the smiling face emoji brings warmth and friendliness to the tone.

Remember, the key is to choose emojis that are relevant to your brand and the message you are trying to convey.

As a Call-to-Action

One effective strategy to boost social media engagement is using emojis as a call-to-action (CTA). Prompting your audience to share their favorite emoji in the comments section creates a playful and accessible action. Emojis are universally loved and require little effort to use, making them a powerful tool to encourage your audience to participate.

For example, you could prompt followers to comment and share what they love about summer using only emojis. Their answer would look something like:

This not only sparks engagement but also unlocks valuable insights into your audience’s preferences.

Emoji Placement & Amounts

Less is usually more when it comes to emojis – think of them as a little bit of sparkle and not a handful of confetti. Too many can dilute your message and come off as childish, insincere, and messy. In a social post, using one or two emojis at the end of your caption can emphasize the point. Using them strategically throughout the text can help to break up large blocks and enhance readability.

For example, instead of writing:

Emojis can also be used like bullet points to condense information and make it more visually appealing.

Accessibility

285 million people worldwide are visually impaired – are you missing out on reaching them by overlooking digital accessibility? Visually impaired people rely on screen readers, which usually announce each emoji individually. For example:

will be read “Clapping Hands.”

Placing multiple emojis in a row interrupts the flow of the message. Instead, try placing one emoji at the end of a sentence to convey your tone.

Emojis can be a powerful tool for reinforcing your brand voice and boosting engagement. By carefully selecting emojis that align with your brand identity, using them strategically, and keeping accessibility in mind, you build stronger connections with your customers and make your brand stand out from the crowd. Experiment and have fun with it!

Need help defining your brand voice? Our marketing experts can help!
Contact Team KDD today!