Copywriting for Social Media: How to Use Emojis

How to Use Emojis on Social Media

1. Match emojis to your brand
2. Use emojis in your posts and comments
3. Be mindful of the context
4. Get the placement right

Now that you are aware of the benefits of using emojis on social media, are you ready to learn how to use them?

Ready or not, here we go!

1. Match Emojis to Your Brand

Including emojis in your marketing plan is a great idea as they can make you sound fun and less strict as a brand. However, what you need to pay attention to is staying true to your brand. 

What do we mean by this?

Well, if you are a Management or law firm, don’t start posting smiling faces with heart-eyes (😍) or kissy emojis (😘) to reach your audience. This may actually take away from your credibility. Also, stay away from the laughing emoji. 

So, what you can do is find emojis that express your domain activity, or simply go with the good old smiley faces (😊) and thumbs up (👍), you can never fail with these.

Consider your tone of voice, context, and target audience when deciding on the emojis you want to use. Also, always rely on your marketing strategy — this will help you stay on brand and decide if emojis are right for your business.

The World Wildlife Fund has definitely managed to use emojis while staying on brand and raising awareness about endangered species.

2. Use Emojis in Your Posts and Comments

Using emojis when trying to connect with your audience is a smart move. So, when you leave a comment or when you are replying to a message, go for it. Using emojis in such situations will help build a faster connection with your audience.

Moreover, starting each paragraph with a relevant emoji can be fun. Just look at how Starbucks uses emojis in their Facebook posts:

3. Be Mindful of the Context

While including emojis in your content is great, you need to make sure you are using them where it actually makes sense.

You know what they say, there’s a time and a place for everything, even when it comes to emojis. For example, when it comes to sensitive or controversial topics, there’s no emoji you could use to make the situation better, so don’t.

This is what Hillary Clinton’s social media specialist should have considered before sharing the following tweet.

I guess you can understand why this Hillary Clinton tweet became famous… not good famous, obviously. While there are no emojis in the post, it’s clearly an inappropriate way to encourage communication.

So, when you want to add emojis to your messages, consider the tone of voice as well as the context in which you are planning to use them. Don’t just throw in emojis for the sake of being funny with no regard to the situation you are in. 

You can really just make things worse, instead of adding value to your post copy.

In case you think someone might be offended by your emoji, avoid using one. Keep in mind that your customers may interpret an emoji differently than you. So try, to judge the situation from all possible angles.

4. Get the Placement Right

Not sure where to add emojis in your posts? Well, a good rule to follow is to treat them like punctuation marks. It’s better to use them at the end of a sentence, or at least after the words or sections they have to emphasize.

Additionally, you have to organize your emojis in a logical order, so that they make sense and enhance your communication.

Here is an example from Emojisaurus: 

When to Use Emojis

So, when is the right time to use emojis? 

Well, to be honest, it depends. And to help you figure out when it’s best to use emojis, we put together a set of questions you must answer before adding them to your social media content:

1. Are emojis appropriate for your brand?
2. Will emojis emphasize your message?
3. Does your audience use or understand emojis?
4. Have you checked the meaning of the emoji you are about to use?
5. Is it appropriate for you to add emojis considering the context of your post? 

The Don’ts of Emoji Usage

1. Don’t use emojis instead of words
2. Don’t add too many emojis
3. Don’t force emojis in your content
4. Don’t go for emojis you don’t understand

Now that you know how to use emojis in your online communication, let’s also go through some of the things you should avoid at all costs.

1. Don’t Use Emojis Instead of Words

While emojis are great for emphasizing messages, they are not strong enough to actually replace words. 

So, if you want to make sure your audience understands what you want to say, it’s better to use your words. After all, you don’t want to take away anything from an important message in order to add a cute emoji. If they don’t make sense, don’t use them — they’ll add no value to your post if they don’t complement the message you want to send.

2. Don’t Add Too Many Emojis

Using too many emojis can backfire and make your posts hard to understand. You want your audience to understand what you have to say from the first read, not to make them treat your messages like a puzzle they have to put together first.

Consider limiting the number of emojis you use in one post. A maximum of 4 emojis should do the trick. More than 4 may just be too much and annoying. Keep some for your next post. 

Balance is everything!

3. Don’t Force Emojis in Your Content

If you can’t figure out what emoji you should be using in the context of your message, chances are you don’t need to use one. So just skip the emoji.

4. Don’t Go for Emojis You Don’t Understand

Make sure to research the meaning of the emoji you want to use in your copy. From all the symbols you can use, you don’t want to choose the wrong one that totally takes away from your message.

This way you’ll avoid any surprises and meaning you may not have been aware of. To stay safe, you could try Emojipedia to get the details you need about a specific emoji.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How Can I Add Emojis From an Android Device?

Here is how to add emojis from an android device:

1. Open any messages app where you can write
2. Tap the text box
3. Tap Emoji 
4. Tap on the emojis you want to use
5. Tap Send 

2. How Can I Add Emojis From an iPhone:

Here is how to add emojis from an iPhone:

1. Open any messages app where you can write
2. Tap the text box
3. Tap the gray smiley face to see all emojis and swipe left or right to view more. 
4. Tap an emoji to add it to your text

3. How Can I Activate the Emoji Keyboard on My Phone?

Here is how to activate the emoji keyboard on a mobile device:

1. Access Settings  
2. Go to General and tap Keyboard
3. Tap Keyboards 
4. Tap Add New Keyboard
5. Tap Emoji

4. How Can I Use Emojis From a Windows Computer?

Here is how to add emojis from a Windows computer:

1. Press Windows logo key + the period symbol (.) to access the emoji keyboard
2. Go through the emoji categories or type words in the search bar to find specific emojis
3. Click any emoji to insert it

5. How Can I Use Emojis on My Mac?

Here is how to add emojis from a Mac device:

1. Press the Fn key to enable emoji keyboard
2. Go through the emoji categories or type words in the search bar to find specific emojis
3. Click any emoji to insert it

Bottom Line

Well, we reached the end of our emoji chapter, but it’s only the beginning for you.

And remember, while using emojis, make sure you:

• Stay true to your brand.
• Understand the meaning of each emoji you want to use.

These two aspects are essential because you want to maintain your credibility while sending the right message. As long as you follow this last piece of advice, you will be just fine.

Don’t forget that the 14-day free SocialBee trial awaits for you! Start using SocialBee today to create, schedule, and post your social media content with ease. And don’t worry, we have all the emojis you need to put into practice today’s tips.