You should not think that emoji is something that only teenagers use on social networks. Emojis have long outgrown this stage and have become an international language of communication, including in the business environment. According to Unicode (a developer of information systems for managing business processes in the field of banking and financial systems), emojis are used in correspondence by 92% of users in the world.
Emojis, stickers, and the like will become a greater part of our virtual lives because they fit the needs of a complex process of communication between people that has evolved over a thousand years.
The Changing World
With the transition of many business areas to an electronic format, such communication is beginning to displace phone calls and sales in offline stores. The client has the opportunity to leave a message at almost any time of the day or night and, in most cases, get an answer shortly.
Of course, this format has features that distinguish it from voice communication (in person or by phone). On one hand, this method has many advantages. If communication with a client goes through a CRM system, managers can see the client’s data and the history of interaction, and know about their preferences and previous agreements.
There are difficulties, though. The client does not have the opportunity to see the manager, their smile, or hear the tone in their voice. The client may not quite correctly read the emotional message of the text message, misunderstand what is written, and interpret it in their own way. In other words, the seller is deprived of the opportunity to use non-verbal means of communication – facial expressions and gestures.
Emoji help to express emotions and moods in correspondence and be understood in any corner of the world. With their help, you can compose a whole text, but you need to do this carefully as incorrectly selected characters can change the meaning of the message. To choose the right ones, there are free emoji-to-text translators. You can also Google the meaning of a particular emoji and find compilations of emojis for specific topics. For instance, you can check out this illustrated article on the heart emoji meanings.
Emoji Uses in Business
When communicating in instant messengers and chats with clients, it is quite difficult to convey intonation and emotions as said earlier. Emojis are used to set the right tone for communication. However, there are other applications.
- Push notifications and email marketing
According to Leanplum, push notifications with emojis are opened 85% more often. When it comes to emails, emoji headlines grab attention and increase email open rates.
- Business emails
For example, the Florida Institute of Technology conducted a study on the use of the simplest emoji in business emails. Instead of “I can’t attend your event as there is a very important meeting in my schedule at that time. Email me and let me know what I missed.”, they wrote, “I can’t attend your event as there is a very important meeting in my schedule at that time. Email me and let me know what I missed :)”.
The researchers found that the same message caused less negativity among recipients when it was paired with an emoticon. Thus, the negative effect on the letter was reduced with a single smiley. It’s just a blessing for business. However, not all emoticons are readable on smartphones, so you should first see how they will look in the message.
- Social networks and websites
Businesses have long tapped into the powerful potential of the social network. In social networks, emojis help structure text in posts. It is important to keep a balance with emojis, though. Otherwise, the text will be unreadable to the audience. In some cases, it is more appropriate to simply use images. Although the WEBP image format is becoming more widely used, not all browsers and platforms support it. Fortunately, you can quickly convert WEBP to PNG or any other format online and have an alternative version that can be shown instead.
- Search engine results page
Emojis visually highlight the page in the SERP. Such a page will receive more clicks. Once again, you need to be careful in choosing your emojis. It is important to understand when emojis are suitable for a business and when they are not.
Bottom line
Emojis are a powerful business tool that not all businesses have yet realized how to take advantage of. When you correspond with a client via email or instant messengers, if it is appropriate and acceptable for your target audience, it is recommended to use emoji. Liven up the dialogue with users, make it less formal, and show that you are a real person who cares about them. Emoticons and stickers are so popular because, despite their simplicity, they add expressiveness, fun, and humanity to the chat.
Make sure that employees in all departments know how to address customers, and what words, phrases, emojis, stickers, and pictures can and cannot be used. You should pay special attention to the training of the support service since consumers communicate with the company mainly through them.
Image Credit: Photo by Domingo Alvarez E on Unsplash