Have you been paying attention to your inbox recently? If so, chances are you’ll have noticed that emojis are showing up more and more frequently – most notably in email subject lines. Trying to compete for opens and clicks in a crowded mailbox can be a tough task. But the good news is, when sent to the right clients, including emojis can have an incredibly positive effect.
So is using emojis in subject lines right for your business?
Increased open rates
Research conducted by an email marketing firm found that the British public are 63 per cent more likely to open an email from a brand if it contains an emoji in the subject line. That is a significant increase right? Well, even more striking is that this number rises to 95 per cent when the choice of emoji indicating sarcasm is used alongside the content.
The study was performed on 15,000 recipients. It found that the most popular emojis for email campaigns are the tears of joy emoji, which drove the most opens with a 41 per cent success rate, closely followed by the crying emoji which delivered 39 per cent more opens than emails with words alone in the subject line.
A better use of space
Considering the increased number of email opens that take place on mobile devices these days, space available for the subject line is now at more of a premium. On mobile devices you have just 30-40 characters to use to fill the subject line. This makes the appeal of using an emoji where you can convey a message and catch the recipients’ eye while sacrificing just one character obvious.
Standing out in the inbox
Getting potential customers to glance at an email’s subject line, let alone open it and read the content is a constant battle for marketers. Inboxes are becoming increasingly full, so there has to be an ongoing effort to make sure emails stand out. Whilst emojis are still growing in popularity amongst older people, some brands are reluctant to use them. However in a mailbox it’s only natural for the eye to be drawn to subject lines which contain image and colour.
Emojis aren’t for every company of course, as they don’t always fit in with the tone of an industry. If you’re not sure whether emojis are a good match for your brand it’s important to test campaigns to see the effects before you proceed any further. It is also vital to note that your emojis will show up differently depending on the mobile device – subscribers may see a ▢ instead of your intended icon.
If you do decide to experiment with emojis in your subject lines, split-testing is a great way to start. An a/b test which compares a subject line that contains an emoji and one that doesn’t will quickly show you how well your audience responds to it. Use emojis wisely and you can get ahead of the competition and reap rewards.
For marketing advice specific to your business, get in touch and speak with a marketing specialist on 01858 374 170 or email info@idealmarketingcompany.com
