Ah, emojis. You either love them or you love them. From text messages and instant chat to even work emails, emojis have slowly crept into our existence. Whether or not you agree with using emojis in the work sense, the grin-inducing little image is now undeniably a major part of our everyday communications. So now that we can no longer ignore its ubiquity, how can we use them effectively? We invited social media strategist and emoji advocate, Jignesh Thakkar, to talk about all things emoji. Needless to say, our #TwitterSmarter hour overflowed with emojis. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Jignesh Thakkar
Topic: The power of using emojis in tweets
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
If you’re still clinging to “An image is worth a thousand words”, you need to wake up my friend. This is the Snapchat era. A fleeting feed of felines say more than a static image ever can.
Interestingly, however’s it’s that saying that gave birth to the tradition of using visual elements to convey meaningful messages. What once a static image did, now GIFs and emojis do.
As our guest pointed out, emojis are essentially tiny images that solve issues we often encounter with regular images like loading times, pixelation, and improper sizing. In a comforting and yet weird way, emojis are evolved images. And that’s why they’ll play an integral part in the future of business communication and customer interactions.
A1.B
Used as a way to enhance electronic communication, #emojis are small images that depict a wide range of emotions, people, places, and objects.
It is clear that in the upcoming years, emoji use will increase & play an essential role in digital communication#TwitterSmarter
— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Joana put it so well. Emojis are so effective because they communicate symbols, make us smile, and convey tone—all in one.
a1
"an emoji is worth a thousand words" – well, try to said that with ONE emoji.i love emojis because
?♀️ it can help you with the tone of voice;
☮️ it can be used as a symbol;
? it can bring a smile to someone's face#twittersmarter— Joana Rita Sousa ? ?? (@JoanaRSSousa) September 24, 2020
We all have favorite emojis, yes? Think about why we like them so much—they reflect us and our emotions without us having to physically express it. That’s why emojis are so powerful.
A2. (B)
Emojis can be used in an infinite number of ways,
☑️To lighten the mood by introducing sarcasm or humor
☑️To soften a blow
☑️To find a more comfortable way to express ourselves
☑️To communicate when words fail us#TwitterSmarter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
A common scenario that emojis are used nowadays is when people want to convey unpleasant news. For instance, if your friend texts you “Our dog is sick,” that sounds cold, distant, and even ruthless. As if your friend is upset that the dog’s illness is preventing them from meeting you. (Calm down, no one would think or say that, of course. This is just an example.)
Whereas, when you get a message from your friend that reads, “Our dog is sick! ? ? ?” You instantly resonate with your friend and their distress.
Zen also reminded us how important emojis have become in the social media context. So many of us use emojis in our name and descriptions, and some people are even recognized by and because of their emojis.
A2. Some of us on #socialmedia are identified and defined by them, aren't we? ????????#TwitterSmarter
— Zen Yinger (@ZenYinger) September 24, 2020
Jignesh mentioned a study conducted by Word Stream and that they found tweets with emojis in them get 25% more engagements that those without. And the reason is that emojis are so visual and attention grabbing. What’s more, because they can effectively convey emotion, they help your audience connect with you.
A3.
According to a study by @WordStream, using an emoji in a Tweet can ? engagement by 25% compared to messages widout emoji.
How?
?Better engage your audience
?Add context to your content
?Show appreciation
?Draw attention
?Humanize your brand#TwitterSmarter #Twitter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Megan also mentioned that emojis give brands and businesses a personality. Using emojis makes you more approachable and shows the lighter side of whoever’s behind the handle. And that’s essential on social media to build a successful community.
A3:
? increase the chance someone responds
❣️connect emotionally with followers and users
? humor in everything (a brand needs personality)#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/AYLZwLdK5q— Megan┃Freelance Digital Strategist (@thedataoutlier) September 24, 2020
Jignesh shared an image that beautifully illustrated some of the most-used emojis on social media. And of course, it included all the usual suspects.
A4.
There is a huge list of most used emojis on Social Media in the attached image. (Source: Lifewire blog)
5 most used emojis: (Which I love)
?
♥️
♻️
?
☺️#TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/evftTADuoU— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Gary told us about Emojitracker. It’s a live feed that updates the number of times each emoji is used on Twitter. Be careful, though, they change so quickly that it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed.
A4) worth a look if anyone wants to know the actual numbers… https://t.co/V3N140HfmO (not that the meaning behind their usage is always obvious)… ?❤️??♻️#TwitterSmarter
— Gary Ennis (@nsdesign) September 24, 2020
It’s also worth remembering that some of the most popular emojis are also seasonal and based on current events. For instance, since the outbreak of you-know-what, the ? emoji has gained more traction that ever. Similarly, we have ♻️, ?, and more.
A great way to use emojis to increase your engagement is to use relevant emojis so that they convey your message easily. Sometimes, this means using symbols or numbers, and other times it refers to using human-like emojis that perform specific actions. All of this, as our guest pointed out, make your tweets original and help your audience recognize you.
A5.
Using emoji,
?Make it relevant
?Make it original & clear
?Innovate tweet with emojis
?Make it more memorable
?Ask questions & use them in tweets & posts, bio, replies
?Show your appreciation
?Emojifying Your Brand
?Used in a fun and expressive way#TwitterSmarter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Jim demonstrated how he uses the check box emoji to effectively share his short messages. It’s a great way to list out your points as bullets.
A5. I like using it for checklists to
✅ Educate
✅ Entertain
✅ Engage
✅ EmpowerAnd create a call to action#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/wBm2SIDC7Q
— Jim Fuhs #LaunchYourLive (@FuhsionMktg) September 24, 2020
And of course, a catchy image is always better than a plain old dot. I mean, which is more eye-catching, a • or a ✴️?
Firstly, and most importantly, understand what the emojis you want to use mean. Just as is with hashtags and GIFs, emojis can have various underlying and seasonal meanings. The last thing you want to do is to send an inappropriate message.
Another important thing to remember is that if you choose to include emojis as part of your social media branding, then make sure you remain consistent. If you have other team members managing your handle, make sure you inform them what emojis you stand by. Being consistent in your content is an essential part of social media success, and that includes emojis as well.
A6.
?Know what the Emojis mean (important)
?Make sure the #Emoji makes sense
?Don't make light of serious situations
?Stay consistent with your branding
?Try to make your own emojis
?Don’t Let It Confuse your Message
?Don't force it & don't go crazy#TwitterSmarter
— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
You can also explore the idea of making your own emojis. There are plenty of tools online, such as Emoji Maker, that let you design personal emojis.
Be warned, though, some of these tools are like going down a rabbit hole. They pull you in, and before you know it, you’ve spent three hours playing with emojis. (That’s ok, though, call it research. ;))
Alexa shared an excellent point: accessibility matters. When you use emojis, make sure that they don’t disturb your text. This means you should consider using them before your text or after. That way, you make your tweet more legible.
A6: I recommend everyone check out @Emojipedia for accurate descriptions of emojis. They tell you the descriptions for icons across different platforms and devices. As always, put emoji at the end of content so your message remains clear. Accessibility matters! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/uXWj2HaY3q
— Alexa Heinrich (@HashtagHeyAlexa) September 24, 2020
She also mentioned Emojipedia, a great website that lists all (pretty much) emojis and their meanings. Browse through that database for variations of the emoji and explanations. This is a great resource for when you’re learning about your emojis as well—which ties in nicely with our next question.
Emojis are so emotion driven. And that’s why our guest recommended following your gut feeling when it comes to choosing the right emojis. That said, you should always double check to make sure you’re saying what you want to say.
Aside from the usual social media libraries, like Twitter, Facebook, Apple, and Android, there are also plenty of other apps that include unique and quirky emojis.
A7.
Go with your gut feeling. Check and edit (if needed) before posting!
I use
?Twitter #Emoji Picker
?Emojipedia
?Skype emotions
?Fb and WhatsApp Emoji collection
?Android Emoji searchThere are many emoji makers and emoji collection apps out there!#TwitterSmarter
— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Janet also mentioned how important context is to whatever you share. To have that level of context, you should be constantly monitoring your audience and your market so that you inherently know when to use emojis and when to avoid them.
A7. Context should be key. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/fjj8Fv0mfJ
— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) September 24, 2020
Oh, my, who has just one favorite, huh?
A8.
???☺️??????????????☔️?️???☑️?✅??⏰⏳?
❤️ (Fav emoji of @cgritmon)
and the list goes on!#TwitterSmarter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 24, 2020
Our friend from Marketing Stable shared a couple of emojis they use most and why. The blue diamond is a great way to illustrate bullet points. It also works well on both the light and the dark theme of Twitter. That is a great point—whenever you choose emojis for emphasis, take a moment to think if it’ll work on both themes.
A8. Our top 2 emojis used and why we use them:
?Formatting (works both on dark and light themed views)
?? thumbs up or even ??for encouragement#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/R1E0JSSKzF
— Marketing Stable, LLC (@MarketingStable) September 24, 2020
Their second most common emoji, the thumbsup, is a universal symbol of positivity and encouragement. It’s great that they shared their reasoning with us. It help us all to stop and think before we choose emojis to represent us.
Well folks, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and for more great insight from our chat with Jignesh, have a look at this Twitter Moment that Joana put together. And if you have time to spare next Thursday, join us at 1pm ET for our #TwitterSmarter chat. Until then, ?.
About me, Narmadhaa:
I write all things—technical and marketing copy to fill the pocket; haiku and short stories to fill the soul. A social media enthusiast, I’m a member of the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and always happy to take on writing gigs.
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