So, the Unicode Consortium (the non-profit who manage’s the world’s emoji standards) has announced that 230 new emojis will be coming to the world’s social media marketing platforms this year.
New additions for you to tweet your heart out include old favourites that didn’t make the cut in the past like Guide Dog and a particularly cute (but, maybe not so useful) Otter.
This is the sixth major emoji update since 2014. Each taking major steps to make the world of emojis more fair and accessible for your social media marketing tactics. Previous updates have included, expanding skin tones, increasing female representation, and last year becoming more gender inclusive. This year’s update will add 59 emojis, however, it’s 230 when all skin tone and gender variations are accounted for.
Emoji users have been calling out for further representation. This includes well-known brands like Apple proposing more accessibility emojis in 2018. Apple’s requests helped to gather steam on new emojis, for instance, the guide dog, person walking with a cane, and person in a motorised wheelchair that are being introduced in this next batch!
What does the emoji update mean for your social media marketing?
Enhance Your Messaging
Our language has evolved, the digital realm influences what we are saying as much as what we say influencing our typing. Back in 2015 the Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year wasn’t even a word! The winner was the “Face Filled with Tears of Joy” emoji ?! The humble emoji is now an integral part of our communication. Emojis allow you to add flourishes and nuance to your messaging with your snappy social media copy. You should be using them to make your business seem more friendly and approachable on a regular basis. The emoji is the new normal.
Increase Engagement
Appearances aren’t the only reason you want to scatter emojis throughout your copy. Social media analytics agency Quintly showed using an emoji in your Instagram post can increase engagement by up to 47%! Interestingly, the report found that looking at a smiling face online triggers the same parts of the brain as those that are stimulated when looking at a human face. Research has even been done on which emojis encourage the most click-throughs or engagements compared to others. Something to consider the next time you’re looking for an effective call to action on your social media posts!
Make It Inclusive
As emojis embrace diversity, you should ensure your business is too. That is to say, make sure you use a range of genders and skin-tones, or stick to the neutral yellow emoji in your messaging. Likewise, this is a great reminder to make sure your marketing practices are inclusive and accessible too.
Be Innovative
Did you know you can order a Domino’s Pizza by texting them a ?? What innovative ways can you incorporate emojis into your marketing campaigns to raise awareness, encourage engagement, and increase sales?
In conclusion, emoticons are now used by 92% of the population and your business should too! However, if you’re not convinced that emojis are the right way to go, test your messaging with AND without to gauge reaction. And remember, don’t bombard your followers with an Emojipocalpse! Most importantly, use emojis in a functional and relevant way to display and evoke emotion.
If you want to know more about how to incorporate emojis into your social media marketing, get in touch.