The use of emojis in social selling is on the rise.
Combine these cute little images with the acronyms that my kids use (and I have to look up TL;DR), and monosyllabic communication becomes a thing.
The use of this new language often leaves entrepreneurs and sales professionals (and parents over 50) scratching their heads, wondering, "should I use more emojis in my social media posts and client communications?"
In this blog, I will cover the backstory of the dear old emoji and show a few examples of how to incorporate emojis on LinkedIn and create more value and engagement with your target market.
Ready?
What is an Emoji?
Ok, unless you have been living under a rock or lost in time with my dear friend Claire Fraser, you know about emojis, and you already use them.
Emojis are used to communicate emotion, something that words cannot do justice. I often use emojis for fun, and I especially love it when I receive them, and they make me LOL.
But what about their use in business, you ask?
Hold on. I will get there.
What's the difference between an emoji and an emoticon?
Alright, I admit I had to look this one up. Here's what I found from my Google search:
If you come across a smiley face that contains a character you can find on your computer keyboard, it's an emoticon. If it's a little cartoon figure that is free from the binds of punctuation, numbers, and letters, it's an emoji.
So now you know.
Emoji backstory and their popularity
Did you know that emojis originated on Japanese mobile phones in 1997??
Dropping your favorite emojis allows you to add a bit of your personality and personal brand to your content.
It also helps to create a feeling of understanding and connection with your readers. A text or a social media post (without video, of course) lacks the emotional context experienced when you're communicating with someone face to face (F2F).
Establishing your
I would encourage you to incorporate a signature emoji(s) that your readers can associate with your brand.
Can you guess mine? 
The most popular emojis used
The TOP List of Most-Used Emojis.
Face with Tears of Joy.
Loudly Crying Face.
Pleading Face.
Rolling on the Floor Laughing.
Red Heart.
Sparkles.
Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes.
Folded Hands.
Big brands and the use of emojis
Agorapulse, a social media management tool, gives the following reasons why you should rock emojis in your social media posts:
- Emojis are universal
- Emojis engage fans
- Emojis make innovative marketing campaigns
- Emojis work with human psychology
- Lose the snobbery
Emojis help with engagement
Well, are you ready for this statistic? WordStream did a study, and they found that using an emoji in a tweet can increase engagement by 25% compared to messages without an emoji.
Using an emoji in your Facebook posts can increase shares by 33% and interactions with your post by 57%.
Come again. If I can increase my engagement by 25-57% by simply dropping a little personality, then sign me up!
That’s what I’m saying here.
Emojis on LinkedIn
I studied some of the influencers that I follow on LinkedIn.
They were inconsistent with their use of emojis. Gary V.'s social guy uses them, but Ariana Huffington seldom does.
6 examples of emojis on LinkedIn
I ALWAYS incorporate emojis in the LinkedIn Profiles that I write. It’s part of my framework.
I use them as an eye stop to direct readers to the next important point I am making.
Regarding posts on LinkedIn, I analyzed a few of my posts from the past month (April 2021). I was surprised at my findings.
The lack of emojis doesn't seem to impact views negatively. But wait, we aren’t equating the use of emojis to views.
We are talking about the ability to have an emotional connection with your target audience.
I don’t know about you, but I am in the same camp as Maya Angelou.
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
#MAYAANGELOU
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Drop the mic!
Links to the LinkedIn posts analyzed
12,522 views, yes emojis, document style post
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kathrynevansnunez_profile-tips-activity-6772397074207121408-ZBq_
3,051 views no emojis, image only
2,857 views, yes emojis, image only
1,746 views, yes emojis, image only
1,120 views, yes emojis, image only
1,116 views, no emojis, image only
Emojis are scientifically studied
Because science shows there is an actual emotional response to the use of emojis, and the goal of engagement with your target market is to connect with them on an emotional level, I would support the minimal use of emojis in your posts.
When I say minimal, I would say less than 5.
It’s science, my dear.
Research has found that it is human instinct to react in line with the emoji or emoticon we see online.
Your readers' mood and facial expression can be altered to match the little dude they see on your posts.
Summary - The 6 most important takeaway messages
Successful social selling strategies connect and engage your audience. Incorporating emojis into your strategy emotionally connects readers to your brand.
The use of emojis allows you to:
- Connect with your readers emotionally
- Increase your engagement
- Be memorable
- Leave your audience better than you found them
- Supports your
- 🙂 = Be more valuable
Most importantly, make sure you know the meaning behind the emoji that you choose to use.
Understand how your audience uses emojis currently in communications, and think about how your audience speaks to one another.
Pick an emoji that fits both your brand voice and tone, and above all else, have fun with them and start experimenting with your own.
We didn't even discuss bitmojis. Oy vey yet another one to master.
Drop your favorite emoji, bitmoji, something-moji in the comment below, and let me know if you have a LinkedIn post you would like for me to review.
I am here to support your success!
Emoji Resources
FAQ
How do emojis help with social media?
Using an emoji can increase engagement (Twitter + LinkedIn) and shares (Facebook).
How do emojis help with my personal brand?
Dropping your favorite emojis allows you to add a bit of your personality and personal brand to your content. It helps you stand out from the crowd to be memorable.
What are the most used emojis?
Face with Tears of Joy.
Loudly Crying Face.
Rolling on the Floor Laughing.
Red Heart.
Sparkles.
Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes.
Folded Hands.
