Marketers would not be caught dead using emoji in their marketing campaigns a decade back, let alone use it during communication with consumers.
Emojis became popular in the past decade due to spectacular advancements in mobile technology but the popularity was limited to informal conversations amongst friends and family only, people really could not imagine using them for official purposes, especially in marketing campaigns.
The juvenile nature of this particular concept is what perhaps deterred marketers from utilizing them in the beginning. But it was the digital marketing boom of Y2K all over for marketing professionals as they soon realized the potential of emoji.
Ironically the primary reason why emoji has become popular is because of its informal nature and how it has helped numerous businesses connect with their consumers on social platforms.
What are Emojis?
Emojis are tiny images that help people express their emotions and feelings without having to write much. It is mostly used as a shorthand way in social media, (example:☺,☹, etc.).
With the rise of smartphones and newer communication applications, emojis gained a new status amongst users. Conceptualized by a scientist back in 1982, the concept gradually became popular through the digital world and finally, within the last few years, it has become a trend.
Emojis are somewhat an evolved form of emoticons that use graphical images instead of symbols, which makes it all the funnier.
The database of emojis is constantly increasing every day and they are growing more robust and varied every passing minute. Emojis are not limited to facial expressions anymore, they represent a variety of regular objects like food, vehicles, weather, animals, etc.
Emoji in Social Media Marketing
Corporate biggies and multinational companies have been using emojis in their marketing campaigns for a long time. Of course, using emojis in content marketing in this time and age is completely normal and it is easier to connect with customers as well.
However, flooding your company’s social media accounts with emojis is not the right way to conduct a campaign. You have to construct a campaign that revolves around the usage of emojis so that these icons can be used for further customer interaction.
The entire point of emojis in social media marketing is to use emojis relevant to your campaign and not make it look like an eyesore.
Here're some clever emoji campaigns in the world of advertising from leading brands and organizations driving change:
Why should you use Emojis?
To be Unique: The primary reason for businesses to use social media is to get their message across to their customers. Using emojis will not only make the entire interaction enjoyable but will also help a company to stand out and make a mark on social media. By combining their services along with emojis, the sky is the limit. Several companies have employed the use of emojis to offer different services, especially those in the food industry.
Mobile: The number of mobile phone users is on the rise and emojis are primarily a mobile-friendly concept. Hence it would be a clever move for your company to invest in ideas that revolve around emojis because most consumers will tend to connect with you on a mobile social media platform. Every social media marketing campaign should have dedicated mobile support and access.
Emoji is Emotion: Emojis help people express their emotions in the 21st century, believe it or not. Hence, companies should tap into customers’ emotions in order to get their message across. Brands should cater to customers’ demands and what they think about a particular product to craft their messages in that manner. It is easier for people to identify an image to an emotion rather than read a sentence and comprehend what it might be trying to convey.
Keep it Simple: The thing that every company should remember before implementing emojis is that you are using them to convey your thoughts in a simple, fast manner. Consumers should be able to get more information, faster. Delivering a simple customer experience is something that brands should aim for instead of making things more complicated.
People are extremely busy nowadays, so if you cannot get your information across to your consumers in an efficient way, you are going to lose customers. Emoji campaigns help to ascertain a sense of belonging amongst customers because of the strong emotional connection.
Story Telling: What is more powerful than a story? With emojis and text, you can craft a wonderful narrative to promote a product or an offer and make it a huge success on social media. You do not need something complicated or even long, just a few lines along with some emojis is perfect to craft a little story for your benefit.
The internet along with the mobile phone has become an extensive platform of information making it extremely difficult for companies to attract a customer’s attention. The best way to attract an audience is to become one with the audience.
As technology is slowly taking over everything and waiting time becomes minimal, people generally become impatient and the ability to express complex emotions through just a single touch on a screen is making emojis more and more popular.