It’s increasingly common to see informal symbols in the messages issued by brands in their online communication. Their digital presence – on the web and social networks – has led the vast majority of communication managers to use emojis as a form of expression. As long as they support the comprehension of the issued message, emojis will be beneficial to the brand; although, it’s necessary to meticulously study their application to not overuse them: in fact, they may interfere both with communication and the linguistic code used.
How to Apply Them in Corporate Messages
Before using emojis in your marketing strategy, you have to know how and in which specific circumstances they need to be applied. It’s not advisable to choose a couple of symbols and directly insert them into the texts. These graphic elements have to sustain the text message and highlight the tone if necessary. For instance, if the brand posts a funny comment, the use of a winking or laughing emoji can suggest that we are not dealing with a serious message.
In any case, their usage is also influenced by the channel in which they are found because the tone of communication will not be the same for web posts or for messages targeted to digital users. Here are a series of recommendations to keep in mind when using emojis in the three channels of corporate communication:
- Website
- Social media accounts
- Other brand messages
Website
Even though the most widespread use resides in social networks, as we will see next, graphic symbols are also used in websites and other digital texts. In fact, nowadays there exists Content Management Systems (CMS), that automatically convert two symbols into an emoji. The employment of these kind of symbols in our web content can provide us with multiple advantages, among which we emphasize the following:
- Attractiveness: To generate closeness with our users and escape monotony.
- Originality: To help create content that differs from the rest of competitors.
- Message reinforcement: To reaffirm the statement and to make it resonate with our audience.
- Explanatory power: To communicate and convey emotions when words aren’t enough.
The use of emojis can be varied; they can sometimes be found inside the text, or located in prominent elements such as call-to-action buttons or sliders. It’s precisely here where the emojis’ effects can be major, especially when they’re accompanied by messages like ‘continue reading’ or ‘click here.’ In these types of situations, the concept can be reinforced or softened by adding, for example, a smiling face.
In addition, it’s also important to bear in mind that SEO-optimized texts tend to be quite long and heavy with content. For this reason, it’s not unreasonable to add an emoji in the body of the text to lighten the reading and to give the reader a quick breather.
Social Media Accounts
Currently, social media profiles are the most common place where brands extensively use emojis. The renowned ‘copies’, or the short sentences used to complete a post lead to the use of emojis, which lighten the reading and attract the attention of online users. From this perspective, social media works today as the closest and most informal communication channel available. This is because brands look for two things: on one hand, they aim to make known and inform about the actions carried out by the company itself; while on the other hand, they want to provide direct assistance to users who interact with the company.
This is why emojis can combine well with corporate messages, which encompass a wide range of formats: from publications and comments, to automated messages, including profile descriptions, stories and social ads’ texts. In all of them, it’s easy to integrate a written message with the addition of symbols; the final effect will be seen in the increased attention and remarkable interest among users.
Other Brand Messages
In addition to the website and the social media profile, there are other common channels to provide corporate information to a brand’s customers: they can work as ideal communication tools for emoji use. Here are some examples:
- Email marketing: Emojis can make up a significant part of an email in various aspects: object, text body, or in specific elements such as call-to-action buttons or banners which aim to get the attention of the reader.
- Online chat: Currently, the great majority of websites have a chat feature that provides customer support and responds to their inquiries immediately. The usage of eye-catching symbols can simplify the comprehension of a message.
- Promotional banners: Before adding them, it’s required to study the graphic style of the brand in question; however, they can add an extra touch of personality to the message.