The Pros and Cons of Using Emojis in Email Subject Lines

Many of us use emojis in our private lives, for example in text messages, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Emojis are fun. They allow for playfulness and creativity. They also convey powerful feelings. (“This new phone I bought is a piece of 💩!”)

But is it a good idea to use them in email marketing subject lines? Well, it depends. Hopefully the following points will help you determine if your nonprofit should use emojis.

Emoji pros

• According to a report by Experian, 56% of brands using emojis in their email subject lines had a higher unique open rate than emails without them. 😀
• An A/B test by Swiftpage showed higher unique opens, unique clicks, and click-through rates for subject lines that used emojis compared to similar email subject lines that didn’t use them. 👍
• An emoji saves valuable space because it counts as only one character. 👌
• This is all the more important as more emails are opened on mobile devices, where subject lines should be no longer than 30-40 characters 🙌
• Emojis help create emotional connections. 😲 (Yeah, it’s true!)
• Emojis standout in a crowded inbox. 👀
• Emojis allow for fun and creative ways to pump-up a subject line. 💪

Emoji cons

• There is a risk emojis could be marked as spam. 😟
• In some cases, it can be hard to determine what an emoji is supposed to represent. 🥖 (that’s apparently a baguette.)
• There are also potential rendering issues. Some emojis may not show up on mobile or in certain email systems. In such cases, the recipient might see something like ▢ or the word ‘emoji’ instead of the intended icon.
• Millennials like emojis, but if your email list consists of an older demographic, they might find emojis annoying. 😒
• Similarly, some people equate emojis with teenage girls, and that could turn people off. 🙄 👸(“Like, oh my god!”)

Emoji do’s

• Make sure that emojis—any emoji—fit the tone of your organization’s brand. 😉
• Make sure to only replace a word with an emoji if it makes sense and supports your messaging. (“I could go for a nice juicy 🍔 right now.”)
• Use emojis sparingly; certainly, no more than two per subject line. (Bad: “Let’s pet a 🐕 and then ✈️ to 🗾 and eat 🍣.”)
• Always A/B test!

Conclusion
To emoji or not to emoji? It ultimately comes down to determining the persona of your target audience. There are some nonprofits that simply do not render themselves to the playfulness that emojis bring to the table. But in some cases, emojis can really 🔨 it home!

Tags: email, emojis, strategy