Emojis for Engagement on Social Media

August, 2022

Emojis are eye-catching visual tools for storytelling that emphasize meaning and show the spirit of your marketing message. On social media, emojis can be used to stop conversations, add a personal approach to a marketing message, build honesty and personal connection with your target audience and they can have double meanings that may not be appropriate for your business. Emojis aren’t universal and don’t always work as intended. People bring their own personal experiences to how they interpret an emoji. 

Should all businesses use emojis? No.
Are all social media platforms accepting of emojis? No.
Do all demographics respond to emojis - depends on the situation. 

Emojis for Marketing on Social Media
Emojis are where it’s at when it comes to many brands’ social media strategies. Wordstream reports that a single emoji is worth its weight, bringing in an increase in engagement by 25%. People all over the internets report even greater engagement with emojis when they’re used on Instagram. Emojis can be used to open conversations on social media, make your brand more relatable, and help convey your meaning when responding in the comments. Emojis also help your posts stand out in a sea of text and photo images. They break up content in your posts and act as an emphasizer for longer posts, like this one.

Create Context for Your Emojis
Do a Google search of “emojis with double meanings” and you’ll find all the latest on the down and dirty of some of these cute symbols. In the right context, a peach still means a peach, but when it’s in an ambiguous comment, or being read by a younger generation it could mean something else entirely. Knowing your target audience is always key.

If your business is clear with its social media message, context and appropriateness shouldn’t come into question. Emojis will serve you well in your social media strategy development on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and sometimes even LinkedIn. ❤️

Using Emojis Inline With Your Brand on Social Media
When you’re just starting out with emojis, begin small and see how your audience responds. If you get more engagement, use them more frequently, if you get no or negative engagement, examine what’s missing from your message. And just like hashtags, always do your research before using an emoji.

If you need a little more best practice emoji guidance or you are looking for a creative social media strategy plan, Yancey Red is happy to help you out.