First things first, before you decide which emojis to use, decide whether emojis are right for your brand. Keep in mind that not everyone uses emojis in their communications. If your audience doesn't use emojis, avoid using them in your social media.
Because chatting is a casual form of conversation, emojis will be most effective when the topic of your social media content is also casual or light-hearted.
amaSocial's rules for using emojis in social media marketing:
- Emojis have to be relevant to the topic you’re posting about. The “Jack-O-Lantern” emoji is, for instance, more suited to a Halloween event than it is to a fruit and vegetable store.
- Steer clear from emojis with multiple meanings. The “Person With Folded Hands” emoji can, for instance, mean “High Five” to some audiences and “Thank You” to others.
- Make sure your audience is using the emoji for the same purposes you are. To some, the “Fire” emoji refers to a literal fire, while to others it refers to the figurative phrase: someone or something is ‘on fire’.
Three ways to use emojis on social media:
1. Create cheerful responses
If a customer shares positive feedback on your social media account, consider including a positive emoji in your response. The emoji can elevate your response by emphasising the tone of voice of your message.
Steer clear of using emojis when you respond to negative messages or feedback. Including emojis, which can be perceived as playful, can trivialise your response.
2. Add colour to plain messages
An emoji not only helps to convey the tone of voice of your social media marketing messages but is also a visual element that can grab your audience’s attention. You can use emojis to make text-only social media posts more powerful.
If your post is light-hearted and aimed at a demographic that regularly uses emojis, then including one of these friendly faces or adorable icons can help your content stand out in their newsfeeds.
3. Make visual posts even more visual
Audiences on Instagram use the social network because it focuses on visuals. This quality makes emojis a good fit for Instagram captions.
Use this opportunity to experiment with emojis other than facial expressions. Shape and arrow-type emojis, specifically, create space and navigation in your Instagram captions, making them easier for followers to read.
Your audience and the topic you are posting about are the main things to consider when deciding whether to incorporate emojis into your brand’s social media content. Choosing an emoji comes down to what is relevant to the topic and your followers – and making sure the emoji doesn’t mean more than one thing to this audience.