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Should You Use Emojis in Ad Copy?

What are Emojis?

Since their inception in the late 1990s, and in 2022, there are over 3000 emojis out there!

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Emojipedia released the top 10 most-used Emojis of 2023:

top emojis of 2023
How many of these do you use?

Why Do People Like Using Emojis?

People like using emojis because they are fun, expressive, and can help communicate a message without using words.

 

For example:

  • Thank you again for the gift! 🥰
  • I can’t wait to see you tonight 😘
  • Are you kidding me?!?! UGH 😤
  • What’s your favorite animal?” 🐶🐱🐸🙈🦭
  • Do you agree? 👍 👎
Emojis can also make your ad copy more visually appealing, which can help draw attention to your brand’s message.

 

Plus, emojis are diverse and inclusive, which increases the versatility!

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Who Should Be Using Emojis in Ad Copy?

Aside from using it to slide into people’s DMs, respond to a Tweet, or a Group Chat on WhatsApp, brands also use emojis to keep their branded messages engaging and personable.

It can be hard to stand out in a world where people are constantly bombarded with ads on social media. But that’s where emojis come in. Adding emojis to your ad copy could give your captions or headlines extra oomph.

Using emojis in ad copy would be a great strategy for B2C and B2B businesses, like eCommerce and SaaS companies.

For businesses or industries with a more formal setting, such as law, financial institutions, or religious groups– emojis might not be appropriate.
We recommend evaluating your Brand Guidelines and voice to determine how many emojis to use (or even use them).

Benefits of Using Emojis in Ad Copy

Tips For Using Emojis in Ad Copy

Emojis Needs to Add Value

When crafting your ad copy, get the written part done first. Then, think carefully about what emoji you’re going to add and why:

  • Does it provide more context?
  • Is it to be funny?
  • Is it meant to relay an emotion?
  • Will it make the post more relatable?
  • Is it highlighting something important you want the user to see?

If it doesn’t add any value to your ad messaging, perhaps it shouldn’t be there. We don’t want to waste precious ad space on something pointless.

It needs to be strategic and enhance the communication of your ad copy.

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Keep It Simple

Do you want to see an ad that says, “Winter Sale on now: Everything is 15% off or more!!!!!!!!!!

We appreciate the enthusiasm, but that’s a bit too aggressive on the exclamation marks, right?

Think of emojis as punctuations. Use it sparingly and purposefully to avoid overkill or confusion. Keep it simple. 👍

Don’t Use Emojis to Replace a Word

Emojis are meant to enhance your message, not replace it! Don’t replace entire words with emojis. It makes it harder to read (we’re not here to decipher glyphs like Indiana Jones) – the purpose of ads is to communicate effectively.

 

Also, if the emoji isn’t able to be shown on the users’ phone (rarely, but possible), your ad will essentially be gibberish to them, which means wasted ad spend!

For example, which did you find easier to understand:

  • 10 🚩to 👀 When Buying a 🏠
  • 10 Red Flags to Look Out for When Buying a House 🚩
Don’t use emojis to replace a word. Use emojis to enhance your text.
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💡 Use an Emoji to Start a Headline or Bullet Point.

Did this catch your attention? The emoji helps the headline pop out and grab the viewer’s attention. As we mentioned in an earlier section, A/B test it out!

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Use Emojis to End a Caption. ✍️

Note here we said “emojis” as in plural. A caption is longer than a headline and has a longer message. So, you can use emojis to end your message with a bang! It can be as simple as asking “Free Shipping to Canada 🇨🇦” or “We can’t wait to see you on our patio this summer! 🍻 ☀️😎”

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Tell a Visual Story with Emojis

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