From their origin in Japan 20 years ago to their almost omnipresence on all our screens, these funny pictograms, which some experts describe as descendants of hieroglyphs, have become unavoidable. Ultimate sign of approval: each 17th of July, the world celebrates these 3,000 little figures that punctuate our digital conversations.
The figures speak for themselves: some 6 billion of these symbols are exchanged every day via social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp … Barometers of our emotions, these new digital tools considerably simplify our interactions. Much more than a simple trend, their influence in our lives as ultra-connected citizens continues to grow. So much so that even brands and communicators are increasingly inspired by it to optimize their communications strategy.
Here are three good reasons to include (but not abuse!) emojis in your digital communications strategy.
絵 文字: a universal means of communication
It’s well known in communications and marketing: “An image is better than a thousand words.” The word “EMOJI” is a contraction of the Japanese “E” (image) and “MOJI” (letter). Because in communications an image can often better convey a concept, these symbols allow you to get straight to the point by simplifying as much as possible. The message we want to get across will be clear, concise and quick, and what’s more–and that’s the power of emojis– understandable by many. Like a pop 2.0 Esperanto, this visual language is indeed aimed at all Internet users of all languages around the planet. It is the only means of modern communication that transcends languages and borders. That’s why even some large international communications groups, just like start-ups, use them, integrating them sparingly into the text of their newsletters. The result: an enhanced newsletter that will instantly grab the attention of as many people as possible.
The barometers of our emotions
By stimulating the emotional zone of our brain, emojis enable the communicator to reach a wider audience, which will recognize itself in such-and-such symbol. Among the most used emojis in the world, smileys, hearts and thumbs-up are the most popular. The champion in all categories remains the “tears of joy” smiley, according to a study by the analytical firm Brandwatch. Scientists believe that when we look at a smiley emoji, for example, the parts of the brain we activate are the same as when we look at a real human face. For companies, using popular emojis like hearts or smileys makes it possible to forge less institutional and formal ties with their customers and audiences.
Have more impact
In the entire digital galaxy of social networks, the shortest text formats are always the most impactful. On Twitter, for example, with the number of characters being limited, it is necessary to adapt to this constraint by opting for more concise texts. Adding emojis to them will immediately allow your company to optimize the visibility of content and have more impact with the public. Twitter can also let you know in real time which emoji is the most popular on the platform and which one will instantly impact customers and followers.
Emojis are an asset for brands and companies. Skilfully chosen and well used, they attract attention, enrich your publications and can increase your power of influence thanks to the emotion they can arouse in your customers. And if you have any doubts about the primary meaning of an emoji that you are going to use, go to the Emojipedia platform, the official dictionary of these very special characters.
Until then, don’t forget to celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17!
About our guest blogger
Stéphanie Cabre is editor-in-chief of CScience_IA