Is it Okay to Use Emojis in Emails? The Ultimate Guide

The number one rule: avoid looking spammy in your email content

Many people are against or undecided about using emojis in marketing emails because they can make your campaign look spammy. Marketers often use too many of them in their subject lines and email bodies.

Using too many of them on the subject line can cause your email to be sent to the spam folder, meaning no one will see it, leading to a reduced ROI in your mail marketing efforts.

Using them in moderation, on the other hand, can make your emails stand out. Our eyes are naturally drawn to things that stand out in a sea of familiar things. In an inbox, the more familiar things are the sender details and subject lines that do not look too different from each other. Using an emoji changes that.

A 2016 study found a 7X increase in open rates for emails with subject lines containing emojis, so we can say that it is acceptable, but using an emoji is also very effective for email communications.

Using emojis in business email marketing campaigns

Emojis are often used in personal communication, and these styles seep into the work culture. Work culture is not static; outside and personal influences can change it. In recent years, we have seen the use of emojis in business emails increase, and now emojis are perfectly fine to use in business emails.

Be careful not to overuse them, use appropriate emojis, and avoid using them when sending serious documents such as account records and transaction documents.

Uses in communication between teams, team leaders, managers, and bosses are allowed in many offices but be familiar with your workplace’s culture to ensure you are doing things right.

Why do email marketers use emojis to target their email lists?

You can use emojis in your marketing emails in two main places: the subject line and the email body.

As we have seen above, using emojis in your subject line grabs attention and increases email open rates.

Second, emojis can boost brand awareness from your email marketing messages. We have already seen lots of brands use emojis in their social media marketing efforts to strengthen the relationship between a brand and the emojis it uses.

When used in your subject lines, users recognize your emails even when they do not open them. This effect amplifies over time, and if your email contains helpful information and resources, it can lead to increased conversions and sales in the future.

Emojis can help save space, especially when subscribers view your emails on their mobile devices. It is essential to balance meaningful emojis and replace whole words with emojis. When you use an emoji to save space, ensure it conveys a definite meaning, especially in cases where one word is hidden on smaller devices.

When used in your email bodies, emojis can help humanize the message. They can make it seem like a story instead of a marketing message. Remember, people do not like being sold to all the time and are therefore more open to a story than a marketing message. Using emojis can lead to higher response and conversion rates, especially if your story can lead people seamlessly to the call to action.

How to use emojis in your email marketing strategy

As with every email marketing tip and strategy, there is a right and wrong way to use emojis in your emails. This section will look at the dos and don’ts of using emojis in email marketing for the best outcomes, as well as ways to prevent email abuse.

Know your audience and brand voice

Emojis are about friendliness, youthfulness, and fun. Many brands target youthful customers/audiences, and these are the brands for whom emojis would work well. Specifically, we are talking about businesses that target and sell to Zoomers and Millennials.

If, for example, you sell high-end watches to typically older businesspeople, using emojis in your marketing emails can do more harm than good.

As with other marketing endeavors, segmentation can help here with your email strategy. Segment your customers according to their age and whether they would be open to seeing an emoji or two in their emails. Prepare your email sequences appropriately for all segments once you are done with the segmentation.

If you deem that emojis fit your brand messaging and voice, use emojis that help humanize your business and make it feel more personal with every single email.

Use emojis with positive and universal meanings and avoid those associated with negative emotions such as sorrow or anger. Also, avoid any emojis that could be construed to mean anything illegal – that can get you in trouble with major email clients and hurt your email marketing metrics.

Ensure your emojis are contextual

Because of the open rate and click-through benefits, emojis afford businesses; you might be tempted to use them everywhere. Apart from using too many of them, using them out of context is another thing that can make your messages look spammy.

When deciding when and where to use emojis, think about the purpose they would serve in that context. Avoid using them if they do not enhance the message or help your brand in other ways.

Additionally, try to avoid using an emoji as a substitute for a word or words. Instead, use it to complement the main message unless it has the exact meaning of the word it replaces.

If you are not sure whether an emoji fits or which emoji fits, write different subject lines using the emoji or different emojis. These variations will let you know if using emojis is appropriate in the first place and which emojis to use.

Of course, your metrics such as engagement rates, response rates, unsubscribe rates and click-through rates will tell you if your emails are contextually relevant or not.

Check your emojis on different devices

Once you have chosen a few emojis, test your email and its subject line on different devices to see how the emojis appear. Emojis look different on operating systems, browsers, email services, etc.

Sometimes, your emoji icon may not even show up, and if it were a significant part of the email or subject line, you would have to find a replacement.

The best way to avoid any issue reaching your subscribers is to test extensively. Use different browsers, operating systems, and email services to ensure the emojis appear correctly. Also, do not forget to do A/B testing to see which emojis work and how your subscribers respond to emojis to know if you should continue using them.

Do not overdo it

As mentioned earlier, you should avoid the temptation to use too many emojis. Think of it like this: emojis should enhance your marketing message in the places where they make sense. They achieve this when they are added strategically and not just sprinkled all over your message and subject line. Otherwise, you risk looking less serious and unprofessional.

Avoid misinterpretations

This tip is tied to testing your emojis extensively on different platforms and operating systems. Although things have more or less stabilised now, emojis can look vastly different depending on the device or operating system they are viewed on.

A smiley face that looks happy on Gmail can look creepy, sad, or even mad when viewed on Hotmail or Apple devices. These differences can lead to misinterpretations that skew your message, leading to lower open rates.

To avoid this issue, check out the most popular emojis that do not have a double meaning and look the same or similar enough regardless of where they are viewed. The heart, box, house, and pizza emojis are great examples.

How to use emojis in subject lines

Because you will likely use an emoji in your subject line before you consider adding some in your email body, it is essential to look at some ways to use emojis in email subject lines.

The first way to use an emoji is to place it at the start of your subject line. This emoji captures attention, drawing the years so the subscriber can read the rest of the subject line.

The second is wrapping, where an emoji is placed at either end of a subject line. This use also draws attention to the main text of the subject line while also telling subscribers where the subject line ends.

The third use is using emojis as a suffix. Here, emojis are used to elicit some emotion and cement brand identity.

Is it okay to use emojis in emails? Final answer

Emojis in email marketing are widely accepted now as their use has permeated society. When used correctly, emojis can help draw attention, leading to higher email open rates. To ensure they benefit your business, follow the proper guidelines and keep the dos and don’ts of using them in mind.

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