Your Brand and Emojis

When text messaging first became popular, people began using emoticons to communicate feeling behind the text. It is no surprise that as technology improved and social media was further developed, emojis became more commonly used, with even more options to choose from. But if you're a business owner in Utah or elsewhere, should you use emojis in your content marketing?

The simple answer is that emojis are one of many tools that a marketer can use to communicate with their target audiences. However, like most things, there is a time and a place for them, so be sure to only use them when they are appropriate. If you don't use them well, they can actually be a deterrent to your brand. 

When Emojis are Death

From Utah to the East Coast, the first thing to consider when you are deciding to use an emoji for your business is the nature of your business. For example, if your business is something like a funeral home or a divorce attorney, it might be a good idea to avoid using emojis, which could offend your customers.

However, even if your business is one that is able to include humor in its content marketing, it is still a good idea to be careful. For example, during Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign she tweeted “How does your student loan debt make you feel? Tell us in 3 emojis or less." Instead of finding it funny, many people thought Clinton was being exceptionally condescending. 

Emojis Can Be Great!

In Utah and around the world, when emojis are used properly, they can be very effective for your content. They communicate meaning behind words. For example, if you see a message that says "I hate you" it seems like a pretty mean message. However, if instead it says "I hate you ;)" the meaning is more clear and you now know the sender is joking. 

IKEA is a great example of melding content marketing and emojis. Its marketers actually developed an entire line of emojis for one of its advertising efforts. The campaign even included a video to showcase how IKEA's emojis could save your relationship and improve communication. 

When it comes down to the actual use of emojis, you know better than most people how your customers will respond to them. The best option is to take each marketing effort on an individual basis; because in Utah and across the world, emojis can be a win, but other times a huge fail. 

Ryan Muir writes for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. He writes for many other clients as well. Follow on Twitter.