What if I told you that you could triple the click-through rate (CTR) of your push notification campaigns by adding emojis? A report on VentureBeat found that emojis increase message open rates by an average of 85%. Whether you operate a mobile app or website, emojis should be part of your communication strategy. Below are some recommendations and best practices to use emojis effectively.
Use Emojis as Punctuation
Generally, emojis go after punctuation marks. For short phrases, substitute a period or exclamation mark with an emoji.
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The fire emoji is also a great way to indicate a hot sale and urge customers to act quickly. If you want to really stand out, try three of the same emojis in a row. 🔥🔥🔥
Replace a Word with an Emoji 🎉
Emojis can replace words if the object is obvious and easily recognizable. This works great with animals, food, clocks, phones, and basic clothing items. Avoid emojis if the object is too small or the emoji could be interpreted incorrectly — this could disrupt the flow of the sentence. Replacing a word with an emoji can also help communicate more when word count is limited on social media or mobile app notifications.
Obvious Emojis: 🦊👑 👠⏰🔑 🎁🏆🎾⛵️
Confusing Emojis: ⌨️🌾🍄🍥🌰🤱👺 🤤
You can also use the heart emoji ❤️ instead of the word love...
⭐️ Put Emojis Before or After a Sentence ⭐️
Unless you replace a word with an emoji, you should always put emojis before and/or after a sentence.
The use of emojis at the end of a sentence should reiterate the meaning of a sentence by emphasizing what you’ve already said.
Examples:
Your driver has arrived 🚙
Find out if you're a winner 🏆
Time to order dinner 🍕
Get 20% off your next order 💸
New comments on your page ✋
Final Tips to Increase CTR and Engagement
- If it doesn’t feel natural, skip it. Use emojis only when it feels natural and the meaning is obvious. Don't force it.
- Avoid double meanings. Check EmojiPedia first to avoid embarrassing surprises or unintended meanings. 🍆
- Make it standard practice. OneSignal customer Evino, uses flag emojis of countries where their wines originated from.
- Double-check before you send! Use OneSignal’s Emoji composer and Push Notification Preview Tool to see how emojis appear on different devices: Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows, and Android’s web browser.
- Take risks, but test. You can always A/B test before sending a push notification to all your users.
Learn Messaging Tips from Top Brands
In need of some inspiration? See how Shake Shack uses emojis and in-app messaging graphics to add depth, context, and humor to its messaging strategy.
